A new law in Cambodia has banned lawyers from giving interviews or discussing law on both Cambodian TV and Radio without special permission from the Ministry of Cambodia. According to an article in RFA [Radio Free Asia], the Ministry is attempting to avoid misrepresentations of Cambodian law. The Ministry of Information [Khieu Kanharith] said,
"In order to avoid any negative consequences arising from misinterpretation of the law and to ensure the quality of our shows, the Ministry advises all radio and television stations to ask the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia to assign guest speakers."
Cambodian radio and TV stations are not happy about this new restriction. The president of the Cambodian Center for Independence Media, Pa Ngoutaeng said that "the ministry wants to control us, and we will face more problems [from the new rules]."
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights has issued a statement expressing their thoughts on this new restriction as well. They are upset because the lawyers are needed to inform and educate the public on the legal aspect of issues that affect citizens' lives.
"Furthermore, considering the increased use of judicial harrassment to silence government critics - journalists, rights workers, activists, opposition politicians - over the past year in Cambodia, it is critical to highlight the important role that lawyers play in pushing for justice to be served in these cases.
Perhaps this is exactly the reason why the Cambodian Ministry has issued this new restriction. If journalists, rights workers, activists, and opposition politicans are more frequently speaking out in ways that the ministry may not agree with, this can be a way for them to make sure that nothing is pinned against them. If they control which lawyers are used in these cases, then they have more control over the outcome as well.
This new ban is another case in which Freedom of the Press, Media, and Freedom of Speech is restricted. Even the lawyers are being threatened with this ban if they agree to speak out in public without consent from the ministry. International Press Institute reports,
"The instructions were accompanied by a 'letter of warning' disseminated by the Bar Association among lawyers, ordering them not to give any public commentaries without prior authorization.
The recent restriction on the public commentaries of lawyers is only one way in which Freedom of Expression is in a continual decline in Cambodia.
(Occupy Corporatism, UN Ambassador: Control Free Speech With Legislation To Facilitate Civil Society, Feb 9, 2013)