Cambodia net censorship is coming!

Net censorship in Cambodia is rearing its ugly head again as Cambodia’s government revisits a
Cybercrime Law and a Law on Telecommunications that will seriously impede Cambodian netizens’ right to freedom of speech and expression – internet censorship is on its way!


Where freedom of expression is heavily restricted in countries such as China and North Korea, Cambodians currently enjoy relatively uncensored net access thanks to low-cost handsets and affordable monthly ISP charges, allowing them to voice their opinions freely on social media platforms such as Facebook (which has 1.76 million registered Cambodian users) and Twitter. But with increased numbers of Cambodians using the internet, the Cambodian government is preparing its Cybercrime Law and Law on Telecommunications to restrict free speech, to crack down on political dissidents, and to conduct mass surveillance on Cambodian internet users.
Or as a Cambodian spokesman puts it, the cybercrime law is meant to crack down on “hackers.”
Unfortunately, it does look like Cambodia internet censorship is coming!

A new report from the rights group Licadho “Going Offline? The Threat to Cambodia’s Newfound Internet Freedom” details Cambodia’s plans to stifle freedom of expression on the net – to match censorship which already exists in broadcast media and in print in the country.
Am Sam Ath, technical coordinator at Licadho said in a statement “Freedom of expression is a right that many Cambodians have never truly experienced. It comes as no surprise that as soon as Cambodia found a way to have their voices heard, the government has begun a comprehensive effort to once again silence them.”

Cambodia’s Cybercrime Law was first announced in May 2012, and in 2014 a draft version of the Cybercrime Law was leaked to the public which revealed that the government were leaning towards suppressing freedom of expression in the country by making it an offense to post content that “generates insecurity, instability, and political cohesiveness.”

The draft Cybercrime Law was “scrapped” in December 2014, according to Licadho “one official claimed that it was ‘not a priority’ any longer.” But now government officials have changed their minds, it is now a priority. The Cambodian government hopes that the draft Cybercrime Law, and the draft Telecommunications Law will thwart online internet crimes, such as hacking. However, this raises the question – how far will the Cambodian government go? According to Licadho’s report, the “provision of the Cybercrime Law are so broad and vaguely defined that the law could be stretched to encompass nearly any form of critical online content…that could easily apply to routine news postings, citizen journalism and online commentary.”

The Law on Telecommunications brings grave concerns that the Cambodian government could use mass surveillance technology to spy on its citizens’ online activities. Both these laws, the Cybercrime Law and the Law on Telecommunications would stifle freedom of expression, and place a stranglehold on free speech, stripping Cambodians’ right to freedom of opinion. Imagine not being able to voice your opinions on Facebook or Twitter in fear that your government will come down on you like a ton of bricks?!

Naly Pilorge, director at Licadho told Voice of America “The draft Cybercrime Law and Law on Telecommunications are a clear attempt by the CPP (Cambodian People’s party) to establish complete control over Cambodia’s Internet.  The extreme discretion that the Cambodian government would wield under these laws could and likely will be used to suppress virtually any form of critical online content.”

The Cybercrime Law, if made law, would seriously impede Cambodians right to privacy and freedom of expression, by imposing censorship on those with opposing political views – and that is never a good thing! However, it’s OK, because Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications spokesman Meas Po says that the draft Cybercrime Law will be debated by the end of year and said “We made the law to guide and to monitor…we did not make the law to create problems.” Phew!

While Cambodian net censorship is under threat – many canny Cambodians use virtual private networks (VPNs) to gain access to blocked websites – largely political opposition driven sites. For more information about HMA! Pro VPN visit our website.

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