Press Freedom

Recently Reporters without Borders ranked Cambodia at #144 of 180 countries evaluated in their survey of press freedom throughout the world. That was a drop of one place since the last ranking.

May 4, 2020: This was the prime minister’s contention in his acknowledgment of World Press Freedom Day.
April 9, 2020: Sovann Rithy, the editor-in-chief of TVFB, an online news outlet, was arrested for quoting a public statement of the prime minister. He was charged with incitement “to cause chaos and harm social security.” TVFB’s license was also revoked.

Invitation to Reflect….

The COVID-19 pandemic causes much pain and suffering. It may also offer us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and what we do as God’s children, as the church. Maybe we shouldn’t go back to “normal.” Maybe the old “normal” wasn’t so good but was just the path of least resistance, the easiest way to get by.

What is to come?

This building on Monivong Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Phnom Penh, shows a varied history. Probably a respectable colonial era building before the Khmer Rouge, it subsequently had a utilitarian top floor added. Now it is being renovated again—or maybe will be replaced. Will any of its colonial beauty be preserved? We’ll have to wait and see.