Observers say Cambodia’s newly released 2025 Press Freedom Index reflects only a domestic perspective and fails to align with international assessments of media freedom.
The report, published by the Ministry of Information, claims that press freedom in Cambodia has improved significantly. But analysts argue that the findings highlight a deeper divide between the government’s self-assessment and international perceptions of media independence.
Development and research consultant Sek Socheat told The Cambodia Daily that Cambodia’s evaluation of press freedom should not be confined to national measurements. “It must provide a credible foundation for international comparison,” he said. Socheat added that, from the international viewpoint, Cambodia has already lost most of its independent news outlets. “Even if Cambodia claims progress, the international community will struggle to accept such findings as objective,” he said.
Socheat also urged the ministry to cross-check its findings with international reports before publication, suggesting that doing so could help the government address growing criticism about restrictions on media freedom.
Ministry of Information spokesperson Tep Asnarith said on October 2, 2025, that Cambodia’s press freedom situation has improved to 86 percent this year, up from 79.8 percent in 2024. He said that more than 86 percent of journalists reported having full freedom to work safely, without harassment, and with access to information from multiple sources.
Tep Asnarith added that no journalists had been killed in the line of duty over the past eight years while performing their professional responsibilities.
However, on November 2, 2025, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, eleven national and international civil society organizations issued a joint statement calling on the Cambodian government to take immediate action against all crimes committed against journalists and human rights defenders.
According to the same statement, at least fifteen journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994 while reporting on sensitive political and corruption-related issues that challenged those in power.
