By William E. Todd, U.S Ambassador to Cambodia
An informed citizenry is an indispensable part of a country’s economic and democratic development, and while there are countless information outlets these days, professional journalists play a special role in keeping the public informed through balanced and unbiased reporting. Around the world, a robust media landscape encourages active debate, provides a forum for people to express a diversity of opinions,and helps combat corruption by fostering transparency and government accountability.
The role of the media in empowering ordinary citizens is so important that the world community has designated every May 3 as World Press Freedom Day.During last week’s annual celebration in Phnom Penh, the Club of Cambodian Journalists noted that press freedom in the country appeared to have declined over the past year, especially in light of recent attacks by security forces on reporters as they attempted to cover news stories. These events led one concerned reader to ask, “What can be done to help Cambodian journalists play their proper role in our country’s growth and development?”
To be certain, ensuring media freedom is an ongoing struggle in every nation, regardless of the country’s size or stage of development. The press is often a target of retaliation by those who feel threatened by transparency, given that journalists are usually the first to uncover corruption, to highlight mistakes by governments, and to report on the misdeeds of powerful people. These efforts place many journalists in danger, so it is the duty of governments and citizens around the world to speak out for their protection and to safeguard their vital role in an open society.
This year Cambodia ranked 144 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, faring better than many other countries in the region. More telling, however, is that Cambodia was behind such economic heavyweights as Thailand (130) and Indonesia (132), and far below Brunei (117). It is no coincidence that countries in the region with stronger press freedoms also have a stronger economy given the significant contributions a free press makes to economic development through increased accountability. I have often written that in today’s hyper competitive and interconnected world community, Cambodia needs to both improve its image and strengthen protection of basic rights in order to attract increased foreign investment. Bolstering Cambodia’s media environment – by addressing concerns regarding media restrictions, violence against reporters, and inadequate legal protections for journalists– would go far in achieving these goals.
The Royal Government seems to recognize the importance of making progress on these issues, with the Ministry of Information issuing a statement last week that officially condemned security forces for interfering with journalists attempting to cover demonstration activities, with some reporters even experiencing beatings and equipment seizures at the hands of security officers. These actions are cause for deep concern in a country trying to boost development, so the Ministry’ s statement was a commendable reaffirmation of the importance of protecting freedom of the press in Cambodia. Next,it is incumbent upon the government to follow up with concrete actions to prevent further attacks on journalists and to hold accountable the individuals who perpetrated the recent violence, with the relative restraint shown by security forces over the past few days being a welcome first step.
There are of course other systemic issues that also need to be addressed to free media professionals from the yoke of intimidation. Since 1992, at least nine journalists have been murdered in Cambodia, but no one has ever been convicted for a single one of these deaths. Such impunity creates a climate of fear that inevitably poisons the atmosphere for truthful reporting, so such crimes must be investigated and the culprits brought to justice. Similarly, many legal experts have warned that the current press law’s lack of clarity and arbitrary interpretation encourage self-censorship due to concerns over unwarranted legal action. Providing reporters with well-defined legal protections is, therefore, another way in which press freedom could be enhanced in Cambodia. Finally, a range of voices and opinions is necessary for a healthy democracy, and the government could promote a better-balanced media environment by ensuring the regulatory process television and radio licenses is open, transparent, and impartial, particularly regarding media access by opposition political parties.
While we may not always like what we read or hear in the press, this free exchange of ideas and information is vital to keeping citizens informed, holding leaders accountable, and filtering fact from fiction. As such, the United States remains committed to promoting freedom of the press here in Cambodia and around the globe. I welcome the opportunity to work with the Royal Government of Cambodia, media organizations, civil society, the diplomatic community, and other concerned parties in advancing this important goal.
Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to answer your important questions. Please continue to send me your questions at AskAMBToddPP@state.gov and leave comments on my blog at http://blogs.usembassy.gov/todd.
William E. Todd is U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia
- See more at: http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/opinion/detail/3?token=MGMxMWMzODAzZjFjMzIxMDY3Yzg5MTQ3YWJkY2I1#sthash.3YtfbaT1.dpuf
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