Journalists banned from covering Medvedev visit
ppp Mon, 23 November 2015
Taing Vida
The
Russian Federation has requested a journalist-free environment for
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev during most of his three-day state visit
to the Kingdom, which began last night.
Russia
made the request through Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where
it was signed by Secretary of State Long Visalo and sent to the Ministry
of Information.
In
a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting
between Medvedev and Prime Minister Hun Sen, aimed to strengthen ties
and cooperation between the two countries, is “private” and off-limits
to local reporters. The only exceptions were granted to one reporter
each from state-run outlets AKP and TVK.
Director
of the ministry’s Information Department, Phos Sovann, said that he
ordered “information coordinators” to join the event to later pass on
the information to the media, insisting it’s not a “completely” secret
event.
“Some
events are allowed to be broadcast but some are not, for example
[Medvedev’s] visit to the Royal Palace,” he said. “It is not just the
conversation with the King, he just wants to visit the Royal Palace and
he does not want it to be broadcast. If he meets Samdech, the event will
be broadcast as usual.”
To
provide security, National Police pulled out all the stops, deploying
10,000 officers to the visiting PM’s destinations in Phnom Penh and Siem
Reap, according to National Police chief Neth Savoeun.
He also instructed his officers to carefully check the backgrounds of all journalists wishing to attend events.
According
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Medvedev arrived in Cambodia at 8pm
yesterday at Siem Reap International Airport. He will spend today
visiting Angkor Wat and nearby temples before flying to Phnom Penh to
sign six documents with Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday.
The
deals to be signed include an agreement to exchange information about
money laundering and terrorism funding; two cooperation deals between
each country’s state-owned media outlets; an “interaction and
cooperation” agreement between the countries’ ruling parties; and two
memoranda on investment.
Moeun
Chhean Nariddh, the director of the Cambodia Institute of Media
Studies, said that it’s unusual for a visiting head of state to request
that reporters be kept at arm’s length.
He
said that the restriction of information is a way to get around freedom
of the press, which is enshrined in the Cambodian Constitution.
“It may have a domino effect,” he said. “Other leaders who have suspicious backgrounds may try to restrict media coverage.”
Additional reporting by Igor Kossov
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