ទិវាសេរីភាពសារព័ត៌មានពិភពលោកនៅកម្ពុជា បានរៀបចំឡើងនៅថ្ងៃទី០៣ ខែឧសភា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ ដោយអង្គការយូនីស្កូប្រចាំកម្ពុជា រួមសហការជាមួយទូតស៊ុយអ៊ែតនិងក្រសួងព័ត៌មាន ដែលមានអ្នកចូលរួមប្រមាណ២០០នាក់ មកពីបណ្តាញសារព័ត៌មានជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិ ក្រសួងនិងស្ថានទូតពាក់ព័ន្ធ ព្រមទាំងអង្គការសង្គមស៊ីវិលដែលធ្វើការលើវិស័យសារព័ត៌មាន។ ប្រធានបទឆ្នាំនេះស្តីពី “តួនាទីប្រកបដោយសក្តានុពលរបស់ព័ត៌មានក្នុងការគាំទ្រ សន្តិភាព និងប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ” ដែលប្រធានបទនេះស្របទៅនឹងគម្រោងដែល ACT កំពុងអនុវត្ត បញ្ជ្រាប និងពង្រឹងសារសន្តិភាពទៅក្នុងប្រព័ន្ធផ្សព្វផ្សាយសង្គមនិងសារព័ត៌មាននៅកម្ពុជា។
This year 2019, World Press Freedom Day celebrated on 3rd May 2019. Cambodia under organized by UNESCO celebrated this event at Le Royal hotel with the cooperation with Sweden and Ministry of Information (MoIFo). The theme this year focused on “Media’s potential role in supporting peace and democracy” that line with the current Alliance for Conflict Transformation (ACT) through Media for Peace project is doing and ACT were invited to attend as an honoured guest in this event as well to talk about Media in Peace and Democracy in Cambodia context.
To be the meaningful event, there were many acknowledgeable key speakers who came to deliver the report from Government sector which is Ministry of Information and International NGOs. Not only key speakers but the involvement from approximately 200 participants also such as ambassadors from many embassies, journalists, senior journalists, relate ministries, and students from DMC department of Royal University of Phnom Penh.
The welcome remarks and message of Director-General of UNESCO Delivered by Mr. Sardar Umar Alam, UNESCO Representative to Cambodia. The statement mentioned about the situation of media in Cambodia which really needs the support, so UNESCO still supporting technical in strengthening the legal legislation to MoIFo, developing capacity to young professional journalists, and addressing issues related to hate speech and rapid spread of fake news. Remarks by Mr. Andreas Johansson, First Secretary, Embassy of Sweden in Phnom Penh, emphasized on the points that “by a free exchange of information, greater trust is in the long run built throughout all parts of society”, and noted that “a free media positively contributes to democracy”. Address by H.E. Khieu Kanharith Prime Minister of Information, took this chance to talk about the newly legalized the law and legislation for media in this digital era. He added up about stakeholders have the right to request to MI to readjust in any illogic points.
The last session in this remarkable event fall to panel discussion which is, an Executive Director of ACT, Ms. Sotheavy was one of the panellists. All the panellists utterly support the theme and willing to promote democracy by the role of media. Throughout discussion, Ms. Sotheavy, analyst the overview of how is the Peace (both negative and positive peace) reflect to the current situation of the freedom of expression, human right, social justice, core value, and morality in society in term of political, business, and working structure. She also shared so far report about the situation of media in Cambodia with agrees that media in Cambodia has been improved but in the very limited in the democratic ways. The report internally survey among the target participants of the ACT Media for Peace project in 2017-2018 included that the suppression on releasing the accurate news is 41%, the restriction on social media and journalists 42%, the harmfulness on independent media 52%, cannot receive the thorough news 38%, the decreasing the right of expression 34%, the remote citizens who can get the accurate news 66%, and the loss of trust in media 52%.
At the panel discussion brought so much knowledge to audiences regarding to current media situation. This event was successfully celebrated with high hope that Cambodia can improve more in positive peace and the democracy by producing news in the professional manner which will contribute much to the general people and the journalists can be respected genuinely. ACT would thanks to donors, MoIFo, and other agency who cooperate and support for such event of remembrance of the Freedom of Expression at the World Press Freedom Day and wishes to have future cooperation from all sector to illustrate the positive peace in Cambodia Social Media and Journalist.