Prime proposition

I have had the pleasure of working with a number of fantastic Khmer journalists over the past two years, and through them I have learned just about everything I know about Khmer-language news broadcasts. A common criticism is that all of them, apart from Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), who both have Khmer broadcasts, is that they are worthless.

For this reason and many others that I will expound upon shortly, I was rather amused by Hun Sen's condemnation of the aforementioned outlets and their coverage of the Khmer Rouge tribunal. Below is a quote, as reported by Vong Sokheng for The Post, from Hun Sen, addressing his alleged interference with the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT).

"If [Voice of America and RFA] did not insult the CPP, they wouldn't have a salary. If [you have] no salary, come to work for the local radio and I will pay the salary. You are Khmer, you speak Khmer, you should do something according to Khmer values."

A choice selection of Khmer-language broadcast news outlets.

Now five thinly-sliced reasons why this quote is complete boloney.

1) The Prime Minister openly admits to being the de facto financier of every Cambodia-based radio news program, officially completing his collection of the four pillars of democracy.

2) Assuming that Hun Sen assumes himself to be the arbiter of such things, it is an impossibility that one could simultaneously "do something according to Khmer values" and do journalism.

3) If one were to oblige and move from VOA or RFA to a state-run radio station, they would also volunteer to cut their salary by some 75% (From $500-$1,000 range at a foreign service to $100-$400 at Cambodia-based competitors).

4) It is true that reporters for the VOA and RFA would forfeit their salary if they did not insult [read: criticize] the CPP, for they would be failing to fulfill their mandate of accurately reporting current events in Cambodia.

5) What Hun Sen is now calling an insult, that he is responsible for the closure of investigations related to cases 003 and 004 at the KRT, was a point of chest-thumping during his meeting with BanKi Moon in October, 2010, when he “clearly affirmed that Case 003 will not be allowed”, according to an ensuing statement from Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.