Tuesday, 13.2.2007: Do Not Sell Radio and Television Licenses. the Ministry of Information Prevents a War of Words on the Air Prior to the Commune Elections

The Mirror: Vol. 11, No. 495, Tuesday, 13.2.2007

“Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Information issued an announcement dated 8 February 2007, stating, ‘If anybody has a license to operate a radio or television station, the ministry does not permit them to transfer or sell such a license to anybody else. If the owner of a radio or television stations cannot afford to broadcast, the license has to be returned to the Ministry of Information.’ The Ministry of Information issued this letter because it had observed that some NGOs, and some foreigners, were trying to ask for the permission to buy a license that the Ministry of Information had issued to the holder of the original license, so that they could operate their own radio and television stations.

“In letter No. 27 of 8 February 2007, signed by Mr. Khieu Kanharith, the Minister of Information wrote that, in conformity with the practice of the Press Law, radio programs do not require to be monitored before they go on air.

“According to the letter of the Ministry of Information, whatever the origin of a program that is to be broadcasted on a daily basis, all radio and television station owners must pay attention to the contents of all programs, and they must keep a record of any program for at least 10 days, so that the Ministry of Information can monitor it if necessary. The letter continued to emphasize, ‘Anyone who has a license to operate a radio or a television station is not permitted by the ministry to transfer or sell their license. If the owner of a radio or television station cannot afford to air, the license has to be returned to the Ministry of Information.’

“Mr. Theang Vandarong, a Deputy Secretary of State of the Ministry of Information, told Koh Santepheap on the phone that this was a principle of the Ministry of Information, and he could not make any further detailed comments, but he confirmed, ‘Recently, I have sent this announcement of the Ministry of Information to news agencies as well as to radio and television stations.’ However, Mr. Khieu Kanharith, the Minister of Information, told Koh Santepheap by phone on 12 February‘ that this is a principle of the royal government, and the Ministry of Information issued this announcement to radio and television stations in order to prevent any possible problems, such as selling the licenses for operating a radio or television station in Cambodia.’

“The Minister reaffirmed, ‘ We do not prohibit them to contract air time of a radio or television station, which is licensed by the Ministry of Information, to any civil society organization. If we allowed station owners to sell their licenses freely, Arab countries, for example, might want to buy licenses to broadcast their religion, then other countries, such as China, Japan, Iran, Israel, or Iraq would also be able to do so with licenses given originally by our royal government to broadcast anything they want. If they wanted to utilize our airwaves to declare war on the air, it would also be possible. We must take precautions.’

‘This strict ban has been imposed by the Ministry of Information before approaching the Commune Council Elections. This is the first time that such a ban was imposed for the electronic broadcasting media. It has been often noticed that the Ministry of Information does not prohibit the printing of media, when some newspaper directors applied for legal publishing licenses in the Ministry of Information. But a small number of newspapers were circulated for only a few months, and then the licenses and names of the newspapers were sold to new owners, regardless of the name of the licensed newspaper which may not yet even have been published.” Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #5965, 13.2.2007

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday, 13 February 2007

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol. 13, #1268, 13.2.2007

• Malaysia and Thailand Want to Heal Old Wounds Again [the Malaysian Prime Minister pays a two day visit to Thailand to strengthen cooperation between the two countries and to alleviate violence in the area of the Muslim minorities’ located in southern Thailand]

Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6965, 13.2.2007

Do Not Sell Radio and Television Licenses. the Ministry of Information Prevents a War of Words on the Air Prior to the Commune Elections

[Hat Sareoun, 41, in Banteay Meanchey] Detonated Grenade to Commit Suicide After His Wife Refused His Request for Sex with Her

Neang Khmao, Vol.5, #71, 12-13.2.2007

• A [High] School building [in Banteay Meanchey] Is Inaugurated by [Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief] H.E Keo Kim Yan [a donation by him and his wife]
• People in Boeung Tumpon Receive Vitamin-Rich Medicines from [President of the Senate and of the Cambodian People’s Party] Samdech Chea Sim’s Khmer Development Fund [handover took place at the Cambodian People’s Party headquarters]
• The Cambodia Weekly Is Officially Launched [on 10 January 2007 under the auspices of H.E Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information, and the English newspaper was published on 28 January 2007]

Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3087, 13.2.2007

• Ngin Sotheavy, the Wife of the Convicted Heng Pov, Is Suspected of Being Involved with Fake US Dollar Notes

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4210, 13.2.2007

• The Person Who Incited the Land Disputes in Chraing Chamreh I Is Mr. Osman Hasan [an adviser of Prime Minister Hun Sen]
• Cambodia and Japan Will Sign an Agreement on the Protection of Investments in Cambodia [Prime Minister Hun Sen will visit Japan in 2007 to sign a bilateral agreement on the protection of Japanese investments in Cambodia]
• [A 25 year old woman had] Sex with Hundreds of Men After Selling Her Virginity to Solve Her Elder Sister’s Debt Problems

Reach Seima, Vol.2, #151, 13.2.2007

• Civil Society Holds a Meeting to Analyze Strengths and Weaknesses in Working with the Government [335 to 450 cases of land disputes occurred in 2006]

Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #330, 13.2.2007

• Hun Sen Forced Oknha [Sim Vanna, the owner of a rubber plantation] to Give Land Back to the People Prior to the Commune Elections [this order was also given to the Kompong Cham provincial authorities on 8 February 2007]

Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.14, #2968, 13.2.2007

• [Lay Sokha, provincial governor, and Keo Horn, deputy governor] The Heads of Mondolkiri Province, Are Grabbing Forest Land of Thousands of Hectares Each
• Civil Society Holds a Meeting in Seam Reap [from 12 to 15 February 2007] to Discuss Setting Up a Sub-Committee on Human Rights and Land Disputes

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