The Ministry of Information of Cambodia has issued a statement confirming that distorting the facts and fabricating false information is not considered as freedom of expression nor freedom of the press.
The full statement dated Oct. 2 reads as follows:
‘Statement by the Spokesman of the Ministry of Information
Regarding the case of the accused Mech Dara, who has been charged with incitement to cause serious unrest impacting social security following a decision on October 1, 2024 by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, the Ministry of Information would like to emphasise:
1- The Ministry continues to closely monitor the case currently being under the court proceedings. The Ministry encourages the accused Mech Dara and the defence attorney to gather related evidence to support the case as part of the legal proceedings before the court. The one who commits the offence shall be liable according to the law. In the event that the accused may need additional support of defence, the Ministry will examine the request i
n consideration of the legitimate conditions predetermined for other journalists.
2- According to the facts being charged by the court, the case of the accused Mech Dara is not journalism related affair, therefore associations and non-governmental organisations as well as some other involved parties must not try to associate the case with the practice of journalism, making false and baseless claims of Cambodia’s state of the press, and should not be sick of the protagonist, self-proclaiming as a champion in press freedom.
3- Falsifying information and posting of inciting messages that distort the truth, slander, fabricate false information that is done with malicious intent to ignite anger among the public, with confusions and misconceptions are not considered as freedom of expression, and if the person involved is indeed a journalist, the act of distorting the facts and fabricating false information is not considered as freedom of the press nor freedom of the publication. All violations acting outside of j
ournalism must face civil and criminal consequences as stated in the laws and regulations in force. These abuses do not fall within the framework of freedom of the press.
4- The Royal Government of Cambodia, through the Ministry of Information, has taken a firm stand to promote the freedom of the press. At the same time, Cambodia, along with the rest of world, has been combatting false information, misinformation and malinformation to provide people with information security with information quality and safety, ensuring the people’s right to access true and accurate information and further upholding democracy. The 2024 Report on Press Freedom in Cambodia affirmed that the state of press freedom in Cambodia is very good.
5- The database of the General Department of Information and Broadcasting of the Ministry of Information shows Mech Dara’s Journalist ID card has expired since the end of 2022 and there has been no renewal request so far, neither as a member of media outlet nor as a freelancer. The criminal
act of an individual must not be used to assess the state of the press in Cambodia. The freedom of the press in Cambodia is not subject to any foreigners’ claims.’
According to a press release of the spokesperson of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, in September 2024, the accused Mech Dara posted on social media networks many provocative messages and edited pictures of Ba Phnom resort showing that it was destroyed, with malicious intent to provoke people with confusions and misconceptions, which would serious chaos to social security. The act committed by the accused Mech Dara is a violation of the criminal law in force, and the accused admitted that he had indeed acted as charged.
Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse