Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

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nerdlinger
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Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by nerdlinger »

I have no intention of getting myself actively involved with Khmer politics, but at the same time I have read various stories of people being arrested for posting stuff online and I'm curious about what's safe and what isn't.

For example is it as bad as China where the government have a blatant revisionist history and send people who tweet about the Tiananmen Square massacre or Taiwan's status off for "re-education" or mark them down on their "social credit" score? Or do they only give you grief in the KoW if you look like you're a serious political agitator with an active follower base? Would any of us be in danger of being hauled off if there was a casual thread on CEO about HE's involvement in the Khmer Rouge, in a way that deviated from the party line?
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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by blueman.cambodia »

Others will echo the same as me. In this country there is no legislated or constitutional freedom of speech. If your voiced opinion agrees with the government, you can speak as loud and as frequently as you like. However, if your opinion is opposed to the Government, the loosely interpreted laws can send you to prison. The lèse-majesté law that came in 2018 makes it a crime to embarrass the King. So being so loose, if you embarrass the Prime Minister, that in turn can mean you are embarrassing the King. If you criticize a section of government, in turn that can also embarrass the King. There are many examples out there of people who found how loose the lèse-majesté law is......
I won't say it, but most in Cambodia know the facts or the rumors...... however, one 17 year old lad in Cambodia got sentenced to two years in prison for questioning the Kings sexuality.
You can read of government opponents disappearing.....
Just adding this in an edit..... a UK guy had a hotel resturant in Phnom Penh back around 2017. He criticized the government on his facebook page. He travelled back to UK for a break and when trying to come back to Cambodia, found his visa cancelled.

I will leave it there. There is no freedom of speech or allowance of free thought in this country.
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Artisan
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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by Artisan »

The question has already been answered in its asking.
Luckily I know a guy who knows a guy who can help you flee. Bring cash.
Unluckily the city is in lock down. Bring more cash.
Details will follow later if you haven't been lifted off bed tonight...
I am only joking...
On a more serious note, imagine being mid air on a plane, would you consider shouting "I have a bomb!" ?
Anyway, sweet dreams.
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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by Anchor Moy »

nerdlinger wrote: Sat May 01, 2021 10:42 pm I have no intention of getting myself actively involved with Khmer politics, but at the same time I have read various stories of people being arrested for posting stuff online and I'm curious about what's safe and what isn't.

For example is it as bad as China where the government have a blatant revisionist history and send people who tweet about the Tiananmen Square massacre or Taiwan's status off for "re-education" or mark them down on their "social credit" score? Or do they only give you grief in the KoW if you look like you're a serious political agitator with an active follower base? Would any of us be in danger of being hauled off if there was a casual thread on CEO about HE's involvement in the Khmer Rouge, in a way that deviated from the party line?
In a short answer, assume that all that you write on the open forum or on social media (esp FB), will be read by someone. Whether they will care or do anything is another matter. A lot of the problem can be a question of timing. The 'line' can be redrawn daily.

At one stage, there was an official govt line which was that nobody was escaping from quarantine, and any reports to the contrary were deemed to be undermining the official line. There were veiled threats to anyone posting this information on social media. But once it became obvious that some people were breaking lockdown and escaping quarantine, the authorities had to let that go, because the horse had already escaped the stable, and it was impossible to pass off as fake news.
One day's fake news is the next day's breaking news. Impossible to know really. But if the govt say "something" (whatever), then this is the official truth in the moment, so don't come out on CEO and say it's not true. Sad to say, but we need to self-censor. Think about how you could rephrase your disbelief, as a question for example, and not a statement. Be creative.
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John Bingham
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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by John Bingham »

It's a thin line, back in the 90s the Phnom Penh Post and Cambodia Daily were able to get away with a lot of criticism. It's become increasingly difficult since. Discussing the present old guard's roles in the 1970s is a minefield. The big guy has given his narrative, and although it is vague he has the excuse that he was an army commander rather than a Cadre. Discussing some of the other leaders pasts is likely to get you in a lot of problems. The problem is that it's a murky period and solid facts are hard to come by. As for the present situation, they seem to be stamping hard on anyone who spreads unsubstantiated rumors about the COVID situation. In many ways this is understandable. We all know of the local's propensity to gossip and exaggerate. So when someone falsely reports a rumor that, for example, 5 people died of COVID in Kampong DooDaa, this is rightly seen as a threat to public security. These rumors spread like wildfire and can result in mass panic.
It's never been a country with free speech, the secret police in the 1960s were rightly feared for disappearing people, and in subsequent regimes it only got worse. Remember when Bernard Krisher wrote an article in 1965 which criticized acting Queen Kossomak - there were riots the next day and the US and British Embassies were sacked. It's amazing that he was able to ever return here and set up the Daily. I remember a time before the 2013 elections when things seemed to relax for a bit and locals would readily engage you with their opinions. Now it's back to a climate of fear, unless you are with very trusted friends it is unwise to discuss politics. People still have strong opinions but they suppress them.
Silence, exile, and cunning.
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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by phuketrichard »

Image

A society where dictator imposes censorship is not as tragic as a society where its citizens demand censorship in themselves and demand as well as support the censorship on others
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Matty9999
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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by Matty9999 »

Anchor Moy wrote: Sat May 01, 2021 11:41 pm
nerdlinger wrote: Sat May 01, 2021 10:42 pm I have no intention of getting myself actively involved with Khmer politics, but at the same time I have read various stories of people being arrested for posting stuff online and I'm curious about what's safe and what isn't.

For example is it as bad as China where the government have a blatant revisionist history and send people who tweet about the Tiananmen Square massacre or Taiwan's status off for "re-education" or mark them down on their "social credit" score? Or do they only give you grief in the KoW if you look like you're a serious political agitator with an active follower base? Would any of us be in danger of being hauled off if there was a casual thread on CEO about HE's involvement in the Khmer Rouge, in a way that deviated from the party line?
In a short answer, assume that all that you write on the open forum or on social media (esp FB), will be read by someone. Whether they will care or do anything is another matter. A lot of the problem can be a question of timing. The 'line' can be redrawn daily.

At one stage, there was an official govt line which was that nobody was escaping from quarantine, and any reports to the contrary were deemed to be undermining the official line. There were veiled threats to anyone posting this information on social media. But once it became obvious that some people were breaking lockdown and escaping quarantine, the authorities had to let that go, because the horse had already escaped the stable, and it was impossible to pass off as fake news.
One day's fake news is the next day's breaking news. Impossible to know really. But if the govt say "something" (whatever), then this is the official truth in the moment, so don't come out on CEO and say it's not true. Sad to say, but we need to self-censor. Think about how you could rephrase your disbelief, as a question for example, and not a statement. Be creative.
I have a Youtube channel that some people watch, not many, but still you never know. I had a video up describing some of my thoughts on how the government was handling CV in Cambodia, mostly just facts but also i didn't want it to come off as criticism, so I hid the video. I may very well repost it once I leave the country. Youtube doesn't really tell you who is watching the video so it could be 50 American tourists or 50 government officials who are following my every move.
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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by Bitte_Kein_Lexus »

Great question. As John says, I think all things considered, the environment is a lot looser than it was in the past. Sihanouk had a well-known security apparatus that would routinely round up people into cells south of Central Market (or elsewhere) and beat them up/interrogate them. Things only intensified towards the end of his reign as well as under Lon Nol. From what I gather, it was fairly well-known at the time that KSM and even one of the Consorts had their hands in a lot of pies (so did the countless princes), but people knew not to ruffle feathers and like now, journalists knew their place.

At the time of the 1993 elections, the SOC had an unfair advantage as it controlled key ministries as well as the state apparatus in the countryside, but it still used a lot of bullying and intimidation tactics on the other parties to prevent them from organizing. Several people died in the lead-up to the elections, but they were still a success generally-speaking.

The environment now is quite open in comparison. There are no secret detention centers (that we know of—but I’d ague it would be increasingly hard to keep the disappearance of someone a secret here in 2021). People can talk, albeit not openly and they’re always shy and very few will ask you about your opinion. The only ones I’ve heard talking about politics usually work for the state in one way or another (or are connected via $$$) and routinely feel the need to give these weird sort of semi-rehearsed speeches about the greatness of the government. Others tend to the keep quiet.

As a foreigner, we can get away with more, but it’s advisable not to be overly critical publicly (Facebook/TikTok), especially in the presence of Khmers. I think they tolerate foreigners discussing things amongst themselves, but they don’t want any “agent-provocateur” of sorts. The few here have been quickly dealt with (that Spanish guy with Mother Earth and semi-crazy Ozzie who was flying a drone at a CNRP rally come to mind). Those guys clearly crossed a line though as they were vocal on Khmer media platforms (especially the former).

The 2013 election John talks about was really an exciting moment. I mean I didn’t really care about the outcome as a foreigner, but to see hordes of youths on motorbikes with flags, stickers on the faces and chanting “Change! Change! Change!” was a sight to behold. Very different from the previous one. Since then, things have tightened up big time with some new laws and an increasing tendency towards using “defamation” or “disrupting public peace and stability” as excuses to lock people up. I think its fair to say that the last elections were a total joke. It’s a bit alarming to see, but whatever. I think Facebook has opened a pandora’s box of sorts in that free-speech can’t be totally stamped out, but people generally know what line not to cross and as long as they have rice in their bowls, it’ll be a long time before the middle-class demands more say/direct involvement in their future.

Cambodia has never been a democracy or a proponent of free-speech in the western sense, and never will be (at least not in our lifetimes, I'd give it a 2% chance). Decorum, respect for authority, knowing your position within the system and following protocol have always been part of the deal. It’s still a lot freer than some neighbouring countries though, and leadership is generally responsive in its own way.

What irks me a bit are the two or three of my Khmer friends on Farcebook who are really nice, but appear to be brain-dead politically-speaking. They’re always sharing government propaganda, commenting on the PM’s Facebook page with big hearts, “Thank you so much for your generosity!” and stuff like that. It’s cringey at best and almost looks like they want to get noticed to get a promotion or something. I always bite my tongue though, as it’s none of my business, but it admittedly annoys me to see such “my dear leader” displays and a general lack of critical-thinking or knowledge of history. Then again, I was taught to never blindly love a political figure of any sorts, so it’s understandable that there would be a large cultural gap there. Plus, the recent American elections have revealed that unquestionable love of the actions of political figures shouldn’t only be relegated to banana republics, failed state and developing countries like Cambodia.
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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by bittermelon »

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Re: Where does the govt draw the line on speech?

Post by Nobody »

blueman.cambodia wrote: Sat May 01, 2021 11:15 pm Others will echo the same as me. In this country there is no legislated or constitutional freedom of speech. If your voiced opinion agrees with the government, you can speak as loud and as frequently as you like. However, if your opinion is opposed to the Government, the loosely interpreted laws can send you to prison. The lèse-majesté law that came in 2018 makes it a crime to embarrass the King. So being so loose, if you embarrass the Prime Minister, that in turn can mean you are embarrassing the King. If you criticize a section of government, in turn that can also embarrass the King. There are many examples out there of people who found how loose the lèse-majesté law is......
I won't say it, but most in Cambodia know the facts or the rumors...... however, one 17 year old lad in Cambodia got sentenced to two years in prison for questioning the Kings sexuality.
You can read of government opponents disappearing.....
Just adding this in an edit..... a UK guy had a hotel resturant in Phnom Penh back around 2017. He criticized the government on his facebook page. He travelled back to UK for a break and when trying to come back to Cambodia, found his visa cancelled.

I will leave it there. There is no freedom of speech or allowance of free thought in this country.

I can't see what you have to complain about, Clutch has not banned you from voicing your opinion yet.
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