Ith Sothoeuth, media director of the Cambodian Centre for Independent Media (CCIM) which oversees VOD, speaks to media at his office in Phnom Penh on February 13, 2023, after Cambodian Prime Minister said VOD would have its operating licence revoked. (Photo by TANG CHHIN Sothy and TANG CHHIN SOTHY / AFP)
Geneva: UN experts on Monday demanded the reinstatement of Voice of Democracy after the online Khmer- and English-language broadcaster, one of Cambodia's last independent media outlets, was stripped of its licence.
Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this month ordered VOD's licence revoked over what he said was an erroneous report about his eldest son.
"We are alarmed by the revocation of Voice of Democracy's licence without due process, and with immediate effect in the run-up to crucial national elections due in July," the three experts said.
"The revocation leaves virtually no free media outlets operating in the country," said the special rapporteurs on human rights in Cambodia, on human rights defenders and on the right to freedom of opinion.
UN experts are mandated by the Human Rights Council but are independent and do not speak for the United Nations.
Press freedoms have long been under attack in Cambodia, with The Cambodia Daily shuttered in 2017 and a score of outlets closed the following year ahead of the 2018 elections.
One of the world's longest-serving leaders, Hun Sen has increasingly cracked down on dissent as he prepares for polls in July, according to observers.
The special rapporteurs called on the Cambodian authorities to review the revocation of VOD's licence.
"Cambodia needs a vibrant civil society and independent media at this critical juncture, including media outlets that critically report on government policies," they said, given the forthcoming elections.
"We strongly urge authorities to reverse the decision."
