Phnom Penh: The spokesperson of Cambodia’s Ministry of Information has denied the accusation by 57 civil society organisations (CSOs) in a joint statement over the Royal Government’s harassment of independent media outlets and their journalists.

This rejection was made here this afternoon by H.E. Meas Sophon, Under Secretary of State and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Information, stressing that the accusation is groundless.

It is only the strategy of those CSOs to attract overseas funds and interest, to gain popularity for their clan, to mislead the public, underlined the spokesperson.

According to H.E. Meas Sophorn, among the 57 CSOs, only 12 have been officially registered at the Ministry of Interior and 1 at the Ministry of Information.

Moreover, he reiterated the Royal Government of Cambodia’s adherence to promote the democracy, human rights respect, press freedom, and the freedom to publish in accordance with the Articles 31 and 41 of the Constitution and the Law on the Press of 1995.

The spokesperson also laid stress on the current media development in Cambodia, both in scope and means, and on the freedom of national and international journalists to exercise their professionalism everywhere in Cambodia without discrimination and intimidation.

H.E. Meas Sophorn took the opportunity to appeal to the journalists and media outlets to respect the law and not to infringe the rights of other people. by AKP