Internet censorship comes to Cambodia
January 31, 2009
Reahu.net is currently not accessible by Internet visitors in Cambodia, while there is no issue with access in the U.S.
The Cambodian government had issue a note of blockage to many internet providers in Cambodia to block this website from the local people. If this kind of basic freedom is deny God knows what will happen next. Anyway, there are approximately 6 ISPs in Cambodia, some had taken the privilege to block the site from Cambodia, but others did not due to the lack of technological know how or it’s too costly.
Sacrava Toons also appears down. Attempts to reach sacrava.blogspot.com end up at the Thai government’s de facto banned page, http://w3.mict.go.th/(result may vary depending on your Internet service provider.) Perhaps there are others?
Using anonymous proxies will get you through to banned sites. The Privax Network is a good place to start. Privax offers dozens of anonymous proxy servers to use. Here’s just a few.
January 31, 2009 at 3:25 pm
A lot of internet traffic gets routed via Thailand so some sites may be blocked due to the Thai authorities rather than the Cambodians.
I am not sure how motivated the government will be in the long term over this type of thing.
It sounds like too much hassle and not enough reward.
There’s not really anyway for them to make money out of it…
January 31, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Cambodia’s government doesnt realize that there is no better promotion than banning something – provided at least some words get out about the act.
I expect increasing popularity for these site in the long run through this act of censorship.
February 3, 2009 at 12:07 pm
This time is not about making money. It’s all about their prestige, even though this damn government doesn’t understand what that means. It is not nationalism, not sexism, not racism, not ethnocentrism, not even classism, but rather the indwelling happiness of her people is the prestige of the nation.
By using forces against powerless and unprivileged people in Dey Kroham, has certainly ruined the prestige and reputation for the nation as a whole. This blood-sucker government should go after those pornography websites; instead they go after Reahu and Sacrava Toon. This is stupidity.
So many Cambodian Americans especially the older generation broke down and cried when they saw the images of the eviction of the people at Dey Kroham. One older woman said that it reminded her of what the Khmer Rouge did to the people of Cambodia in April 17, 1975. Almost all of these Cambodian Americans have provided and raised funds for the Cambodian soldiers that are facing Thai troops at Preah Vihear. Now they are very angry. They are in a dilemma whether or not to keep supporting the soldiers that have a bad reputation of beating and oppressing their own people.
February 3, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Before the save the world brigade get too het up about “this damn government” that has “ruined the prestige and reputation of the nation,” it’s perhaps worth noting that those sites are still viewable from the vast majority of ISPs (Sacrava from all). How PV and Dei Krahom is relevant here, I cannot fathom. Perhaps twisted knickers have cut off the blood flow to the brain…
February 4, 2009 at 5:16 am
Right now, sacrava.blogspot.com does not work for me. Neither does reahu.net. My ISP is Telesurf.
To the extent these sites work or do not work for others, I have no idea. I know only what works or does not work on my computer. I encourage others to help track these blockings either here or better yet on the ‘Web sites banned in Cambodia’ page by giving info about your isp and the status of these and/or other sites.
February 4, 2009 at 8:55 am
I can access reahu.net but not sacrava.blogspot.com
This is through Camshin ISP which is under Thai management so I am pretty sure the Thai authorities are involved on this one.
I believe sacrava had some anti-Thai content on there which would have resulted in ICT Ministry getting involved.