Khieu Kanharith: “A Spokesperson Must Tell the Truth, but Just Some Truths Cannot Be Told” – Tuesday, 14.7.2009

Posted on 15 July 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 621
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Phnom Penh: After last week’s training of spokespersons for the military and for the national police was finished, the Ministry of Information opens a new training course for civil officials of the Royal Government, and the Minister of Information described it as an essential task.

“The Minister of Information, Mr. Khieu Kanharith, said during the opening ceremony on 13 July 2009 of the course for spokespersons, that to communicate with journalists and with people in general is really important – so that they can understand the policies and the positions that their respective institutions, ministries, and province administrations area taking or have achieved.

“The Minister added, ‘What a spokesperson handles in public communication cannot do without an ethical attitude, as the task of a spokesperson is not easy, but we are persons in leading positions who can change the faces of our ministries or institutions, after something wrong has been done, as we can intervene to lessen controversies through the use of words.

“Mr. Khieu Kanharith went on to say, ‘The spokespersons must tell the truth, but just some truth cannot be completely told – but there must be no lie. This is the principle that must be remembered, it is the golden principle that all spokespersons must remember.’ The Minister said that a lie by a spokespersons will initiate a loss of trust that will last forever. The task of a spokespersons is not just to communicate with journalists, but also to directly communicate with the public, and moreover with the public opinions expressed through the media, because a democratic society must have three elements: a multi-party system, an active civil society, and a strong and independent press.

“Twenty six officials from the Ministry of Rural Development, the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Land Management, Urbanization, and Construction, the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports, and from the provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Kompong Cham, Ratanakiri, Pailin, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Battambang, and Mondolkiri participate in the training with support from the US Embassy, and the training will be completed on 17 July 2009.

“The US ambassador to Cambodia, Ms. Carol A. Rodley, said through a translator, ‘The tie of the Royal Government with journalists is not always smooth. Working with journalists is a challenge. I know well that spokespersons have their roles as part of their tasks. I would like to emphasize that our spokespersons must cooperate with colleagues in the press. Working with journalists, we must be sure that the policy and the priorities of our government are clearly shown to the citizens.’ She added, ‘A spokesperson must be aware to be leading, to bring information to journalists in order to rule out rumors and untrue information, and to bring all this to the public. Working with journalists is not always easy and sometimes, we have to deliver also bad information about ourselves for which we get criticized by citizens as well as by journalists.’ She continued to say, ‘Please remember that sometimes the Cambodian public will praise the work of spokespersons which reaches them through the work of journalists, and this happens in your role of responding to the public by delivering clear information.

“Mr. Tommy R. Vandam [?] who had been a spokesperson of the US Air Force and the US Police for several years and has rich experience, is a trainer in this crucial training.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.8, #1995, 14.7.2009
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Tuesday, 14 July 2009