New social media law in the works ?
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 10:40 am
The Cambodian National Assembly meets tomorrow, when the lese majeste law is expected to be voted in. A new law concerning social media may also be on the cards, and everyone is well advised to learn the new rules.
13 February 2018
- The National Assembly is set to vote on controversial legal amendments on Wednesday, including a lèse majesté law, while the president of the body in charge of reviewing the changes said yesterday the government also has plans for a law to regulate social media.
After a meeting about the amendments to the Constitution and Criminal Code, Legislation and Justice Committee President Chheang Vun told reporters the committee had received the draft amendments and had sent a report to the upcoming plenary session for review.
“We need to put a heavy punishment in the law related to attacking and impacting, directly or indirectly, the king’s honour and power,” he said. A similar lèse majesté law is already in place in Thailand, where it has been used to punish political dissent.
The constitutional amendments include restrictions on freedom of association and political participation, and have attracted criticism from rights groups, especially since they were drafted behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, Vun yesterday unexpectedly turned to another potential law that would affect free speech.
“I would like to inform that in Cambodia, we will make a law about the use of social media in order to protect the nation and Cambodian people and our society,” he said.
“The one who comments and the owner of the account must be punished,” he continued, adding that other countries already had created such laws. If users were “attacking public figures illegally without evidence”, he said, the account owner could be considered at fault.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-p ... amendments
13 February 2018
- The National Assembly is set to vote on controversial legal amendments on Wednesday, including a lèse majesté law, while the president of the body in charge of reviewing the changes said yesterday the government also has plans for a law to regulate social media.
After a meeting about the amendments to the Constitution and Criminal Code, Legislation and Justice Committee President Chheang Vun told reporters the committee had received the draft amendments and had sent a report to the upcoming plenary session for review.
“We need to put a heavy punishment in the law related to attacking and impacting, directly or indirectly, the king’s honour and power,” he said. A similar lèse majesté law is already in place in Thailand, where it has been used to punish political dissent.
The constitutional amendments include restrictions on freedom of association and political participation, and have attracted criticism from rights groups, especially since they were drafted behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, Vun yesterday unexpectedly turned to another potential law that would affect free speech.
“I would like to inform that in Cambodia, we will make a law about the use of social media in order to protect the nation and Cambodian people and our society,” he said.
“The one who comments and the owner of the account must be punished,” he continued, adding that other countries already had created such laws. If users were “attacking public figures illegally without evidence”, he said, the account owner could be considered at fault.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-p ... amendments