Sources: RFA and Kampuchea Thmey
Prime Minister Hun Sen has gone into a tirade against TV5, co-owned by the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and a Thai company, accusing it of failing to fulfill its duty of serving the army, report Radio Free Asia and Kampuchea Thmey Newspaper.
TV5, co-owned by a private Thai company and the Cambodian Defence Ministry, was given a license to broadcast programs related to the Cambodian defence and army, but recently it mostly broadcast music and entertainment.
In a speech during his visit to Cambodian troops in Battambang province on Saturday 27th February, Mr. Hun Sen ordered TV5 to stop using and displaying the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) name and its logo on the TV screen immediately. "Please take off the logo of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. It is not necessary, just use the name TV5 only because it uses the RCAF's name but it didn't broadcast much about the army's works, so it should be taken off. I only allow Haeng (derogatry term for 'you') to use the name of TV5 only but (you) must delete the RCAF's name from the station. All the pictorials ofthe army will not be allowed to be shown any longer", Hun Sen said.
According to Kampuchea Thmey, Prime Minister Hun Sen was so enraged that TV5 fails to broadcast his speech and activities during his visit to Preah Vihear and Ta Moan Thom temples early this month. In the Bambambang speech, Mr. Hun Sen directly blamed and blasted Gen. Neang Phat, Secretary of State of Defence Ministry and director of TV5, for failing to run TV5 in accordance with its originally aims of servingthe army. "Is it because Neang Phat wear too heavy military insignia that he forget to supervise this issue properly? I donned him with a lot of stars, but those stars are useless, they cannot perform their duty, so please sell all your share to Anh (derogatry term for 'me'). I will buy all the share because the TV is not reformed. It onlybroadcast my speech in the last few days, but before it never boradcast (my speech) at all, even if we went to visit the army, Vear (derogatory term for 'they') never broadcast my speech about the army, Vear never broadcast it at all, Ah Neung (derogatry term for 'that one'). So, I say that please don't use (the military logo) and when we return back (to Phnom Penh) His Excellency Tea Banh must examine this issue", Hun Sen declared.
Gen. Neang Phat, director of TV5, cannot be reached for comment. Defence Minister Tea Banh said the Defence Ministry will carry out Mr. Hun Sen's order.
Mrs. Chea Vannath, an independent analyst, said that a prime minister cannot order a TV station what to do. "No politicians or leaders can order any TV station what name they can or cannot use. If they write a letter in their capacity as private citizens, it is OK", she said.
TV5, co-owned by a private Thai company and the Cambodian Defence Ministry, was given a license to broadcast programs related to the Cambodian defence and army, but recently it mostly broadcast music and entertainment.
In a speech during his visit to Cambodian troops in Battambang province on Saturday 27th February, Mr. Hun Sen ordered TV5 to stop using and displaying the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) name and its logo on the TV screen immediately. "Please take off the logo of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. It is not necessary, just use the name TV5 only because it uses the RCAF's name but it didn't broadcast much about the army's works, so it should be taken off. I only allow Haeng (derogatry term for 'you') to use the name of TV5 only but (you) must delete the RCAF's name from the station. All the pictorials ofthe army will not be allowed to be shown any longer", Hun Sen said.
According to Kampuchea Thmey, Prime Minister Hun Sen was so enraged that TV5 fails to broadcast his speech and activities during his visit to Preah Vihear and Ta Moan Thom temples early this month. In the Bambambang speech, Mr. Hun Sen directly blamed and blasted Gen. Neang Phat, Secretary of State of Defence Ministry and director of TV5, for failing to run TV5 in accordance with its originally aims of servingthe army. "Is it because Neang Phat wear too heavy military insignia that he forget to supervise this issue properly? I donned him with a lot of stars, but those stars are useless, they cannot perform their duty, so please sell all your share to Anh (derogatry term for 'me'). I will buy all the share because the TV is not reformed. It onlybroadcast my speech in the last few days, but before it never boradcast (my speech) at all, even if we went to visit the army, Vear (derogatory term for 'they') never broadcast my speech about the army, Vear never broadcast it at all, Ah Neung (derogatry term for 'that one'). So, I say that please don't use (the military logo) and when we return back (to Phnom Penh) His Excellency Tea Banh must examine this issue", Hun Sen declared.
Gen. Neang Phat, director of TV5, cannot be reached for comment. Defence Minister Tea Banh said the Defence Ministry will carry out Mr. Hun Sen's order.
Mrs. Chea Vannath, an independent analyst, said that a prime minister cannot order a TV station what to do. "No politicians or leaders can order any TV station what name they can or cannot use. If they write a letter in their capacity as private citizens, it is OK", she said.
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