In the name of tradition and culture

January 9, 2009

The Ministry of Information has designs on censoring the Internet.

[T]he Ministry of Information has the intention to put ‘publishing services through electronic systems’ under the control of a law which is being drafted. The Ministry of Information said that electronic news (such as newspapers) will not be affected by this new law, because the major intention of this law is to control the publishing of audio-visual data, of games, and of entertainment programs and advertisements through the Internet, to ensure moral respect.

[...]

“Mr. Nov Sovathero referred to another example that pictures were published by individual Internet users showing Apsaras with naked breasts with sexual postures.

“For him, such pictures can evoke sexual feelings of viewers.

“Thus, he believed that this law can control the publishing of such pictures. He mentioned another example, ‘If a website publishes the beautiful face of a Khmer actress by cutting her face out of another picture and put it onto the naked body of another woman, it is not clear at present which ministry will be responsible for it? The Ministry of Information, or the Ministry of Interior? According to this new draft law, the Ministry of Information is the first to be responsible for it, because it will control all publishing of audio-visual material.’”

Is the government really going to start blocking web sites it considers detrimental to Cambodian culture? That’s sure what it sounds like. Stay tuned.

Posted by DAS
Filed in Cambodia, Human Rights, News, Tech
2 Comments »

2 Responses to “In the name of tradition and culture”

  1. Tommickx Says:

    January 11, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    “If a website publishes the beautiful face of a Khmer actress by cutting her face out of another picture and put it onto the naked body of another woman, it is not clear at present which ministry will be responsible for it?”
    Why would ANY ministry need to be responsible for this? You would think governments in developing countries in the middle of a serious economic crisis have better things to do than monitor who mashes up nudie pics of pop stars. If the pop star in question feels offended, there are plenty of existing laws she can call upon to sue the offender.
    Then again, the Internet makes it just about impossible to censor and regulate content. It’s the ultimate freedom of speech tool, because it is the ultimate copying device. Only way to stop it is to shut it down completely. And that’s next to impossible.
    People will have to start to accept absolute freedom of expression as a given, not as something to limit. People need to learn not to be sissies!
    HAIL the Internet revolution!

    Have you read this week’s Sunday Bangkok Post’s Spectrum? Reahu.net’s Khmer Rouge girl on the cover, and a two-page spread with an interview and reproductions of their/his most controversial work. Interesting article. Unfortunately the Spectrum section of the Bangkok Post website hasn’t been updated since 15 Dec 2008 so it’s not online (yet).

    Reply

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