Media Fear for Safety, Liberty After Slaying Slaying Opportunism, Among Reporters

While Saturday’s slaying of a pro-Funcinpec radio journalist has caused some reporters to fear for their safety, others say they’re hoping to cash in on future killings.

Gathered outside a news conference at Funcinpec headquarters on Tuesday, a group of journalists urged each other to take photographs of their colleagues, which they said can later be sold in the event of their deaths.

“I took five reporters’ photo­graphs so when they get killed, I will sell their photograph,” Reth Sovanna, a reporter for Samleng Yu­v­achon Khmer (Voice of Khmer Youth), said.

Other journalists said Wednes­day that they were more concerned about their safety.

“I am always concerned about my safety, but the brutal killing of the Ta Prohm reporter has made me even more concerned,” said Keo Sothea, editor-in-chief of the Samleng Yuvachon Khmer, a newspaper sympathetic to the op­position party.

Chuor Chetharith, a 37-year-old Ta Prohm radio editor and re­porter, was gunned down Satur­day morning in front of his workplace.

Funcinpec and the Sam Rainsy Party are calling the killing a politically motivated attack.

Cambodian Communication Ins­titute trainer Moeun Chhean Nar­iddh said he feared the journalist’s death would cause re­porters to stifle news that is critical of the government.

“The opposition newspapers will slow down the stories that [cri­ticize the government], and the government newspapers will increase its writing to support the government,” he said.

Information Minister Lu Lays­reng also expressed concern over how the killing might affect the balance of news coverage.

The killers “want to shut up the reporters’ mouths and threaten the reporters’ spirit,” he said.

He added that he didn’t have any power to help protect journalists but urged them to practice unbiased reporting.

Meanwhile, international journalism organizations condemned Saturday’s attack.

The Southeast Asian Press Al­liance said this week it was alarmed by the killing, calling it “a grave violation of press freedom in Cambodia.”

“The delay and irregularity in the investigation into the case will bode ill for [the] Hun Sen government’s reputation as Cambodia has a history of suppressing political opponents and its court system has not been credible,” the Southeast Asian Press Alliance said in a statement.

Reporters Without Borders, based in Canada, also deplored the killing and called for the government to establish an independent inquiry to seek and punish the offenders.

General Khieu Sopheak, spokes­man for the Ministry of In­terior, said Wednesday police are investigating the killing.

 

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