*CCHR Freedom of Expression Alert – Phnom Penh, 24 **May 2012* *Cambodian Government**** is drafting the **first ever Cyber Law* According to today’s article in *The Phnom Penh Post** entitled* ‘The “ill-willed spark cyber law: officials’, the Royal Government of Cambodia is drafting its first cyber law, a move designed to prevent “ill-willed groups or […]
*CCHR Freedom of Expression Alert – Phnom Penh, 24 **May 2012*
*Cambodian Government**** is drafting the **first ever Cyber Law*
According to today’s article in *The Phnom Penh Post** entitled* ‘The
“ill-willed spark cyber law: officials’, the Royal Government of Cambodia
is drafting its first cyber law, a move designed to prevent “ill-willed
groups or individuals” from spreading false information, government
officials said yesterday. Press and Quick Reaction Unit Spokesman Ek Tha
said the law is not intended to restrict media, but to ensure that the
“common interest is protected.” “The government right now is drafting the
first-ever cyber law, given the mushrooming of…modern technology like
Twitter and You Tube and email and all sorts of technology activity,” Ek Tha
said.
An article posted to the Press and Quick Reaction Unit’s website yesterday
suggested that the cyber law had been discussed during a meeting on Tuesday
between Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and EU Ambassador Jean-Francois
Cautain. According to the article, Mr Sok An illustrated the need for a
cyber law by pointing out that rumors had been circulated via text-message
of violent clashes near the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge between
supporters of the Cambodian People Party (CPP) and the Sam Rainsy Party
(SRP), but that these rumors were in fact “totally false”. Mr Sok An added
that “People use modern technology to spread false information, so we need
a law to regulate them.”
In February 2011, *The Phnom Penh Post* published the minutes of a
government meeting at which the Minister for Posts and Telecommunications
requested that internet service providers, including Metfone and Ezecom,
block the KI-Media blog – an opposition website that posts content often
highly critical of government officials.
*For more information, please contact:*
*Sorn Ramana**, Project Coordinator of The Cambodian Freedom of Expression
Project*
*Email: **ramanasorn@cchrcambodia.org*
*Telephone:** +855 17 65 55 91*
—
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) is a non-aligned, independent,
non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect democracy
and respect for human rights throughout Cambodia. For more information,
please visit www.cchrcambodia.org.
