More Than 70 Journalists Harassed in Cambodia in 2020 , Report Finds

PHNOM PENH - Fear of physical violence and legal risks are a daily part of the job for Cambodia’s journalists, a new report says.

The Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association – also known as CamboJa – found 35 cases of harassment against 72 journalists in 2020. Imprisonment and violence were the most common press freedom violations documented by the rights organization, which was founded in 2019. Nearly all cases (64 incidents) involved journalists working at online news organizations. “Journalists who dare to cover and report on the interests of military and powerful officials are still being persecuted through a judiciary system that uses criminal law instead of press law and have been repeatedly beaten and subjected to violence,” Nop Vy, executive director of CamboJA, said in a statement. Meas Sophorn, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s Ministry of Information, questioned the report’s findings, saying that all journalists working in the country have “full rights and freedom to report.”