Phnom Penh, October 1, 2024—We, the undersigned communities, media organisations and civil society groups, are calling for the immediate release of Cambodian journalist Mech Dara who was charged with incitement and sent to pretrial detention by the Phnom Penh Capital Court on October 1, 2024. A court prosecutor questioned Dara on Tuesday morning and the
OPCC elects new board for 2024
The Overseas Press Club of Cambodia (OPCC) elected a new board on Jan. 11, 2024 with many board members from 2023 returning for another year of serving the journalism community in Cambodia. Seven candidates ran for seven open positions on the board this year. Government crackdowns have had a chilling effect on media freedoms in
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Statement on the passing of John McBeth
New Zealand-born John McBeth, one of Asia’s pre-eminent journalists with a record of scrupulous and ground-breaking reporting, died on December 7 after a short illness. He was 79. Over a career spanning more than 62 years McBeth’s reporting helped shape events in countries including South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. McBeth was
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Joint Statement: Government advances censorship of critical news sites in the lead-up to national elections.
Phnom Penh, July 18, 2023– We, the undersigned institutions, express serious concern over the government’s decision to block critical media websites and a public database ahead of the national election as a serious violation of the people’s right to information. Last week, the Ministry of Information ordered the Telecommunications Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) to block
Joint Statement: Media and civil society groups deeply disturbed by government’s decision to revoke VOD’s media license and the sexual harassment of a female reporter
Phnom Penh, February 13, 2023 – We, the undersigned media and civil society organizations, are deeply disturbed by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s order to revoke the license of Voice of Democracy (VOD), one of the last remaining independent media outlets in Cambodia. We also condemn the recent sexual harassment and intimidation of a female VOD
Statement on the passing of Jose Rodriguez T. Señase
The OPCC is saddened to learn that Jose Rodriguez T. Señase, a long-serving journalist and member of the OPCC, passed away on Feb. 1, 2023 at the age of 41. Jose will be remembered by Cambodia’s journalist community as a smiling, friendly face – a frequent sight at OPCC events – and a hard-working, prolific
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