By Sathien Wiriyapanpongsa
The Nation
Published on October 19, 2010
Thai and Cambodian journalists agreed yesterday not to allow themselves to be used by politicians who make nationalistic claims for political gain.
They agreed that the media should be careful with coverage that could cause conflict between the two countries and resentment between their peoples. It was also agreed that media workers from both sides should meet regularly to correct misunderstandings.
A group of 12 journalists from Cambodia yesterday visited the Thai Journalists Association as part of a tour at the invitation of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which also includes meeting with senior Thai officials. At the TJA, the Cambodians were greeted by its acting president Chavarong Limpathapani and Thai Broadcast Journalists Association chief Visut Komwatcharapong.
Ath Bonny, from Cambodia's Bayon Television, said politicians from both countries often blamed the media for conflicts.
He also noted that journalists sometimes reported with nationalist sentiment that caused conflict between the two countries. He cited as an example reports about weapons training of the red shirts in Cambodia.
Cambodian journalists said their country's government officials had said there was no such training on their soil. Yung Khemara, from a Cambodian newspaper, said the media in that country did not follow up on the issue after insistence by high-ranking Cambodian officials that the claim by Thailand's Department of Special Investigation was untrue.
Huy Vannak, from the Cambodia Television Network, said his country's information minister described the DSI claim as "laughable", noting that Cambodia was a tourist destination and therefore any weapons training would be impossible to hide.
Chin Madepo, from the Rasmei Kampuchea daily, dismissed a perception that the Cambodian news media are under the influence of Prime Minister Hun Sen. He said the mass media there enjoyed "full freedom and democracy" and "can report on any news that is true".
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