Cambodia’s Leader Axes One of Its Last Independent News Outlets
The Cambodian prime minister accused the Voice of Democracy of trying “to attack” him and his son.
Cindy Liu/Reuters
The longtime head of Cambodia’s government late Sunday ordered the shutdown of one of the nation’s last remaining independent media outlets after accusing it of attacking him and his son. Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a social media statement that the Voice of Democracy will have its operating license revoked and will not be allowed to publish or broadcast from Monday morning onward. The minister’s move followed the publication of a Feb. 9, 2023 article that reported Hun Sen’s son, Lt. Gen. Hun Manet, had approved a $100,000 earthquake aid package to Turkey, exceeding the power of his position. Hun Sen said that the story had injured the “dignity and reputation” of the Cambodian government, and suggested VOD’s journalists “find new jobs at other places.” VOD, which was founded in 2003, had a reputation as a scrappy outlet unafraid to criticize Hun Sen, who ascended to power in 1985 and has often been labeled a dictator by his critics.
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