Media access and The Cambodia Daily online in Khmer

I was recently exploring the back roads of Kampot province, rice paddies, more rice paddies and the occasional little hamlet, bumping down narrow dirt roads in my beat up old Camry. Great car for rural Cambodia, but she was suffering that day. The engine was getting ready to give up the ghost 20km out in the backcountry, overheating and burning off water. Trying to get back to the main road I had to stop every couple of kilometers to refill the radiator. Midday, temp gauge topping out again, I pulled off in a village at a thatch shack full of Khmer countryguys sipping tea and coffee and watching the community TV. A no-English situation. I asked for water for the car. One guy motioned to a cistern beside the shack and handed me a scooper. "Thank you very much." But the engine was too hot and needed a few minutes to cool. I pulled up a chair, ordered a black coffee and settled in.

The guys gave me a curious glance now and again, and finally one brave soul started asking me questions (in Khmer) - the usual - what's you name, how old are you, are you married, and finally, what are you doing here? I answered in Khmer, and they understood most of what I said, but when I tried explaining that I was out there writing a piece for a travel magazine, they just didn't seem to get it. Probably my fault. I was struggling with the word for 'magazine.' Frustration building and trying to simplify things, I switched to 'newspaper,' an easy and common word. "Ahhh, cassette, cassette, ko'ot traukah cassette" ('he works for a newspaper') one guy said, and everybody seemed satisfied and went back to watching TV.

Figuring the engine was now cool enough to take water, I fetched a scoop full from the cistern and went to remove the radiator cap, but it was too hot to touch. I rummaged in my car for a rag, found an old copy of the Phnom Penh Post and used it as hand protection to remove the radiator cap. Noticing what I was doing, one of the TV watchers announced "He works for the Phnom Penh Post!" This drew everybody's attention. I tried explaining that I don't work for the Post, but nobody was listening. To my surprise, one guy was exclaiming how great the Post was, talking excitedly, "Oooo, Borei Keila, Boeung Kak, I read it in the Phnom Penh Post. Post is very good, very good. Borei Keila not good, very bad. They steal! People's houses! Post very good!" and so on. Others grunted emphatic agreements.

I wasn't surprised that they thought that the Post was good, but that back here in the middle of rural nowheresville they knew it at all. And more, that they had learned about controversial land-grabbing issues from it. And even more, that they were greatly appreciative to have that information, presumably in contrast to the say-nothing local Cambodian press.

Most of the local Cambodian press, whether government controlled or cowered into self censorship, remains almost silent on controversial issues such as land-grabbing and the attendant protests. The English language press in Cambodia (The Cambodia Daily and The Phnom Penh Post) regularly reports on these controversial topics and is largely tolerated by the government, presumably because (even in its Khmer language version) it is thought to have very little penetration into the Khmer market, especially in the countryside where most of the population resides.

For at least the last decade and a half the government has shown sensitivity to foreign news about Cambodia (especially news with a critical/anti-government lean) reaching into the countryside. As early as the 1998 election period, back when rural folk got much or most of their news from radio, I heard regular reports of village chiefs patrolling at night, listening under the thin floored stilted houses for people tuned into VOA (broadcast in Khmer), and then threatening them to turn it off. More recently, in the last commune elections (2012), for the first time ever the government ordered VOA and RFA off-the-air on election day.

Sitting back in the rural countryside 20km from the nearest paved road, and seeing the impact The Phnom Penh Post was making back there, I wondered how long the tolerance of the English language press and its unrestrained reporting could last in Cambodia. On a related note, with Internet penetration expanding exponentially and Facebook users now likely exceeding a half-million in Cambodia, I have also wondered whether the ruling party's recent paranoid-seeming tactics in the run-up to the national elections may be due in part to their fear of losing grip on the media and the flow of information in Cambodia.

Which brings me to The Cambodia Daily. The Daily, in my opinion, like most of the English language press, leans anti-government, and has been hitting hard in the last couple of months as the election approaches, (not that there is anything wrong with that in a country that supposedly enjoys freedom of the press.) Last week, the Daily launched an online version of its publication in Khmer language, free of charge, including all of its election coverage and stories critical of the ruling party and government. This is a timely and, in my opinion, gutsy move on their part, especially during this very tense pre-election period and on Internet where the government feels its media control slipping. This is also a fine example for other in-country media that self-censors for fear of reprisal. Granted, it is easier for the Daily than the Cambodian press because it is run mostly by foreigners and has far less penetration in the Khmer market, but as demonstrated by the impact of the Post deep in the country, this latter part is changing.

It will be interesting to see what happens. If the online Khmer Cambodia Daily catches on, if it begins to penetrate deeply into the Khmer market, will it face temporary suspensions during sensitive times like VOA/RFA, or worse, threats and intimidation like the Khmer press? Or will it perhaps help lead the way to a freer press in Cambodia?

The Cambodia Daily - Khmer version

Internet Freedom in Cambodia - A Timeline

The following is a timeline of the development of Internet restrictions/censorship in Cambodia and is meant to serve as a resource for those studying the issue. Also included is some general Cambodia Internet history and milestones in order to provide background and context. I have tried to supply (functioning) links to source articles to facilitate research and provide additional information.

While this timeline traces the development of Internet censorship in Cambodia, in fact, Cambodia has a relatively good record on Internet freedom, far from perfect, but also far from an 'enemy of Internet' like some of her neighbors. It can even be said that Cambodia has some of the freest Internet in the region. Still, over the last three years, that free space has slowly been shrinking, some 'political' websites have been blocked and the government has repeatedly expressed the desire to enact some sort of Internet law or official regulation. It's an issue to watch, especially as we move into a election year when freedom of speech and media access will likely become hotter topics than they already are.*

Notes: I am not a tech guy so I may have used some technical vocabulary imprecisely. Also I realize some of the quoted figures are a matter of debate (e.g. Internet penetration in Cambodia.) I tried to avoid linking to KI Media or Khmerization except when that was the only source I could find for old articles. Both are difficult to use in Cambodia and I don't particularly like KI. If you find an expired link, try Googling the title for other sources. Unfortunately most Cambodia Daily articles are not available online. Lastly, the recent CCHR report, 'New Media and the Promotion of Human Rights in Cambodia,' is an excellent resource, providing a concise and well referenced history of Internet restrictions in Cambodia.


The Beginning of Internet in Cambodia

Early 90s. After more than two decades of war an isolation, Cambodia opens to the world with the UN sponsored elections of 1993. Low level war with the Khmer Rouge continues. The country, including the capital city Phnom Penh, lack many basic services. E-mail and the World Wide Web are relatively new even in the west and Cambodia has never had access. This changed in 1994 with Cambodia's first e-mail access and much more concretely in 1997 when Cambodia established its first direct internet connection. For the first several years of  Internet in Cambodia, it was very slow and expensive, Internet penetration was very low and content regulation, or even the suggestion of it, was non-existent. The following are just a few of the highlights to provide background and context. 


1994
Despite Cambodia’s lack of direct Internet access, Norbert Klein offers Cambodia’s first public e-mail service though Open Forum for Cambodia, connecting to a modem outside Cambodia by long-distance telephone from Phnom Penh . Price, US$5/minute
The Evolution of Internet, The Phnom Penh Post  
The Influence of the Internet on Cambodia Khmer Internet: A Case Study 

1996
The effort to bring Internet to Cambodia gains steam. The government conducts talks and negotiations with several telecommunications providers.
Internet Link May Finally Connect Cambodia to the World, The Cambodia Daily, February 12, 1996  
Internet May Soon Come to Cambodia, But at What Price?, The Cambodia Daily, March 18, 1996
Japanese Initiative May Wire Phnom Penh for Free Internet, The Cambodia Daily, June 10, 1996 

Early 1997
A partnership is formed between the Canada’s International Development Research Center (IDRC,) facilitated by Bill Herod, and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication’s (MPTC) ISP known as Camnet. Through this partnership, plans are finalized for Cambodia to open its first direct Internet connection.  
Cambodia Poised to Link Up to Internet, Deutsche Presse Agentur (pre-edit) April 1997  
Khmer Internet: A Case Study

May 7,  1997

Cambodia is connected. The first direct 24/7 Internet connection is opened by Camnet – a 64kbps line with Singapore.  
Internet Provider Now On-Line, The Cambodia Daily, May 7, 1997  

June 1, 1997
Australia’s Telstra launches Telstra Bigpond Cambodia, Cambodia’s first commercial ISP. Price, US$0.15/kb (~150 characters) (Several year later Cogitel Ltd. acquires Telstra Bigpond and changes the name to Online [now under AZ Communications Co., Ltd,] which is still in operation today. - August 2012.)

Late 1997-1998
Bill Herod is instrumental in establishing Licee Khmer and later KIDS (Khmer Internet Development Services,) offering public internet and website services.

1998
Internet penetration is estimated at 1,957.
UN Data

1999-2002
Internet cafes and shops proliferate in Phnom Penh. There is internet access in many Cambodian cities, though often limited to one or two internet/phone shops in non-tourist cities.

2000
Internet penetration is estimated at 5,853.  
UN Data

June 2001
Internet penetration is estimated at 8000 users.
Khmer Internet: A Case Study
Internet penetration is estimated at 9,738.
UN Data

2002
Internet penetration is estimated at 29,157.
UN Data

Early 2003
A partnership between Asia Foundation, (with funds from USAID and Microsoft) establishes a network of Community Information Centers (CIC) with public Internet access and training in 22 provinces.

2003
Internet penetration is estimated at 33,937.  
UN Data

2004
Internet penetration is estimated at 39,639.
UN Data

January 2005
The first Khmer Unicode is released allowing Khmer script to be used and displayed on Internet.

2005
Internet penetration is estimated at 42,386.  
UN Data


Prelude- Setting the stage
In the mid-late '00s internet penetration continued to rise, the websites that would later be banned were first established and the Cambodian government expressed its first concerns about internet content and a desire to limit it. These first concerns, at least those stated, were over "pornography and debauchery." Unlike later efforts to control internet, this plan wasn't to block websites but to limit internet access by banning 3G.

July 2005
KI Media (Khmer Intelligence) website is launched, leans strongly anti-ruling party and is highly critical of the RGC and government officials. The website is based outside Cambodia.

June 2006
Expressing concerns regarding pornography and debauchery on Internet and citing the need to protect the morality of the country, the Prime Minister announces a 10-year ban on 3G. The announcement to ban 3G is met with shock, incredulity and bemusement by the industry. Within days the government backpedals and alters the ban to 3G video streaming only.
Cambodia Ban on 3G Astounds Phone Industry  
Cambodia Bans 3G Mobile Services  
Porn fear sparks Cambodia 3G ban 

2006
Internet penetration is estimated at 63,303.  
UN Data

2007
Internet penetration is estimated at 70,000 users.
Cambodia Artists take on Internet Censorship
Internet penetration is estimated at 66,982.
UN Data

October 11, 2007
Khmerization website is launched, leans strongly anti-ruling party and is highly critical of the RGC. The website is based outside Cambodia.  
Why I Created This Blog?

2008
Reahu.net goes online, displaying Rick Lor's controversial "sexy apsara" art. The website is based outside of Cambodia.

2008
Internet penetration is estimated at 70,495.
UN Data


First Blocked Website – Art

Citing the dignity of women and the protection of Khmer culture, the Cambodian government calls for the first website ban - reahu.net with its R-rated 'sexy apsara' art. Both the concern and the request for the ban by the government are clearly and publicly stated. Some bloggers and opposition party politicians express opposition, but public opposition to the ban seems weak. Many seem persuaded by the threat to culture and dignity with even some prominent artists and an HR advocate voicing support for the ban. The ban is requested by the government, enacted by the ISPs (not by government controlled filtering/blocking,) stays in place for a good long while, and in the future is repeatedly cited as a precedent in other moves to regulate internet and/or its content. The government speaks for the first time of drafting an Internet law aimed at controlling content. A week after reahu.net is blocked, a Global Witness report is also blocked.

Early December 2008
The Minister of Women’s Affairs complains of offensive images on the website http://reahu.net, which displays the art of Cambodian-American artist Rick Lor, known as Reahu. Reahu's art includes images of topless Khmer women in traditional Cambodian clothing and settings and of scantily clad Khmer Rouge soldiers.
‘Owner of Controversial Website Claims Gov’t Blocked Access’, The Cambodia Daily, February 2, 2009

December 18,  2008
Cambodian government criticisms come into focus and plans for the country’s first website ban are put into motion. Citing potential negative effects on Cambodian culture and danger to the dignity of Cambodian women, the Ministry of Women's Affairs issues a statement that the Ministry is preparing to block access to reahu.net. 

The Ministry of Women's Affairs claims that 70%-80% of Cambodian women offended by such images.

Lending some weight to the Ministry’s claim of popular support, a large number of comments left on the Reahu.com site support the government’s plan for a ban. Somewhat surprisingly, some prominent Cambodian artists also express support for the ban as does a the Deputy Director of Communication and Advocacy of LICAHDO, a prominent Cambodian human rights organization, arguing that Reahu.net should be blocked "…because it appealed too much to young Cambodians."
Gov’t officials criticized the half-naked Apsara dancers on Website  
Cambodia: Internet censorship targets artists

December 19, 2008
Reahu defends his art, posting on his website:

“I believe in constructive criticisms! But lately, I’ve received many unwanted complaints regarding some of my works disgraced the Khmer culture. Judging from the complaints, I wonder how we as Khmer will be able to make it in the 21st Century. Please be open-minded, you must be able to see beyond the four walls surrounding your hut. So please! My prohook eating brothers and sisters this is art, one mans point of view captured on canvas: An admiration of Apsaras as celestial beings. If this brings down the Khmer culture, then your Khmer culture is still under the Khmer Rouge. So, I take the pleasure of deleting them. A good Khmer Rouge is a naked one."

What People Care About  
Gov’t officials criticized the half-naked Apsara dancers on Website  
Khmer Blue has Purists Seeing Red  
Controversial artist fights back, The Phnom Penh Post

January 7, 2009
Cambodian newspapers report that the Ministry of Information has announced plans to draft law to regulate publications on the internet. A government spokesman cites the website of Reahu.net as prompting the need for new regulation. The reports  cites “advances of new technologies” and the need to “protect the respect of tradition and morality.”

Part of the new rules include the requirement for ISP providers to acquire a license not only from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) but also the Ministry of Information, which could presumably require them to follow media law.
The Ministry of Information Has the Intention to Regulate Publications on the Internet
Cambodia drafts law to regulate internet strictly

January 8, 2009
The Minister of Information denies that the new law will regulate internet or content. he states that the media law is directed primarily at radio, TV and print media, not at the Internet   

Late January 2009
Internet users report access to reahu.org is blocked by several domestic ISP providers.

February 2, 2009
Artist Reahu writes on his website that his website has been blocked by several ISPs in Cambodia

“Dear Fans and Supporters, 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.

There are ways around this if you are accessing this site from Cambodia. Do not use Internet Explorer, instead use Mozilla Fire Fox. Meanwhile, I'm trying to get my hosting provider to change the IP address. Or any of you know another way, so that we can provide our Khmer people equal access.

May Buddha bless those in charge of the country so they can see that the glass isn't always half empty.”

A Minister of the MPTC confirms that a letter requesting the block was sent to the internet providers, but also claimss he did not know what effect the letter may have had.  
Reahu.net owner claims his website ordered blocked in Cambodia Censorship: Thousands of Crude Porn Sites Accessible on Internet – One Khmer Artist Blocked‘
Owner of Controversial Website Claims Gov’t Blocked Access’, The Cambodia Daily, February 2, 2009

February  9, 2009
A second important internet block is put in place.

On January 5 Global Witness releases its report ‘Country for Sale,’ which comes under immediate heavy criticism by the RGC. On January 9 one ISP in Cambodia (AngkorNet) blocks access to the Global Witness website. The ISP confirms that the site has been blocked but declines to comment further. The block seems to be short lived. (A similar Global Witness report in 2007 (i.e. 'Cambodia's Family Trees') was also banned by the RGC, but there was no mention or effect on internet.)
NGO website barred in Cambodia for releasing scathing report

February 2009
Images of Reahu’s art begin to appear on several other websites and blogs, in large part due to news of the controversy surrounding the ban on Reahu.net in Cambodia.

March 3, 2009
A secretary of state for the Ministry of Women's Affairs confirms that her office cooperated with the MPTC to have the reahu.com website blocked as well as "some other websites that show sexy pictures ... such as websexplace.com and thomsunder.com… Apsara images like those in the reahu website have a bad effect on our culture. The Aspara is supposed to show women as being gentle, not looking very sexy."
Govt moves raise censorship fears, The Phnom Penh Post

After the block
The block on Reahu’s site lasted at least months, perhaps longer. I checked a few times in the subsequent months but didn’t follow up after that. The block is no longer in place (August 2012.) I am not sure when it was lifted.

July 2009
Citing security concerns, the MPTC tells local ISPs to bar VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol) for domestic calling. VoIP is used for services such as Skype. According to government spokesmen the ban is not intended to affect international VoIP. To date (2012), nothing seems to have come of it.
Gov't Cites Security in Local VoIP Ban 

2009
Internet subscribers is estimated at 29,589. 
The Phnom Penh Post


Plans for a state-run Internet hub
The government contemplates formalizing and expanding Internet censorship. The government proposes the formation of a 'morality committee' that would review websites for suitability and ban them as necessary. Government spokesmen suggest that all internet traffic would be funneled through a single state-run hub in order to facilitate controlling content. The plan is eventually dropped, but not necessarily abandoned.

2009
Internet penetration is estimated at 74,083.  
UN Data

October 2009
The MPTC issues a prakas instructing all ISPs to connect to Telecom Cambodia - stipulating “inter‐network connection between all telecommunication operators shall be through a central center of Cambodian Telecommunication”.
State-run Web hub would filter sites, The Phnom Penh Post

February 3, 2010
The undersecretary of the MPTC announces plans to block websites that conflict with national values. An undersecretary of state at MPTC announced plans hold regular ‘morality committee’ meetings to review websites and consider blocking offending sites. The committee would include representatives of the MPTC, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Women’s Affairs as well as local ISPs.

During the annual conference of the National Committee for Upholding Cambodian Social Morality, Women’s and Khmer Family Value the under secretary stated that “As young Cambodians have access to such technologies, they indulge and commit wrongdoings that deviate from our customs and traditions by accessing and replicating erotic and pornographic pictures over Internet sites.” She also expresses concerns about "modern information technologies" and cited the blocking of the Reahu.net website last year.
Cambodian govt panel to target racy images, The Phnom Penh Post 

February 23, 2010
Telcom Cambodia indicates government plans to have all ISPs’ web traffic funneled through a single, state-run Internet hub – a ‘Domestic Internet Exchange’ managed by Telecom Cambodia. Telecom Cambodia officials state that it is for the purpose of controlling content and block access to sites deemed “inappropriate.” A Telecom Cambodia official states, “If any website attacks the government or any website displays inappropriate images or pornography, or it’s against the principle of the government, we can block all of them.”

In contrast to the MPTC announcement, the Ministry of Information states there is no plan to filter content.
State-run Web hub would filter sites, The Phnom Penh Post 
Cambodian govt panel to target racy images, The Phnom Penh Post 

Feb 26, 2010
The Ministries of Information and MPTC continue to express differences about the degree to which internet content would be filtered by the new central exchange, if at all. The MPTC states that internet would be monitored for "inappropriate content" and blocked as necessary. The Ministry of Information spokesmen repeats that there is no plan to block or filter internet and that it is inappropriate to do so.

April 12, 2010
The MPTC announces that it has dropped plans to funnel web traffic through Telecom Cambodia.
Plans for Internet Monopoly Shelved
Govt axes Internet monopoly plan, The Phnom Penh Post


Interlude – New Penal Code 
A new penal code is enacted, sections of which many observers warn may impact free speech. Shortly thereafter a UN staffer is arrested under the new law for distributing 'seditious' materials he got off of the KI Media website. He is quickly convicted and jailed under the new code, though not under any internet law. One month later KI Media will be blocked by the ISPs at the government's request.

December 1, 2010
Cambodia enacts new penal code which includes several articles which may impact on free speech
Concern Over Liberties as New Penal Code Is Enacted
New Cambodian laws may suppress free speech: rights groups  
New Penal Code a Setback for Freedom of Expression Issues
Relevant provisions in the draft Penal Code that may affect the free speech

December 16, 2010
A high ranking government official complains about KI Media and its attacks on government officials. He ask that it be blocked, stating, “I asked the government to shut down this website on 31 December, soon.”
The government to shut down KI-Media website at the end of December (RFA)

December 17, 2010
Local UN staffer is arrested for disseminating 'anti-government' material that he got from the KI Media website.
UN staffer jailed for ‘anti-government’ materials, The Phnom Penh Post

December 19, 2010
The UN staffer is tried and jailed for disseminating 'anti-government' material he garnered from the KI Media website. He is convicted under the 'Incitement' section of the new penal code.
Cambodia: New Penal Code Undercuts Free Speech 

2010
Internet subscribers is estimated at 173,675.
The Phnom Penh Post

Internet penetration is estimated at 178,142.
UN Data


The Blogspot Fiasco: Goodbye KI

Cambodia stumbles into the world of political Internet censorship, quietly blocking politically related sites (including KI Media and Khmerization) with all the subtlety of a three-legged elephant stumbling through the living room. Unlike the Reahu.net block, neither the government nor the ISPs want to own this one, both initially offering confused explanations and denials. Shortly thereafter the media (The Phnom Penh Post and The Cambodia Daily) acquire documents that show what probably happened was that the government made a strong request to block the websites and most ISPs accommodated, if a rather clumsily. Again, the government cited pornography, protection of Khmer tradition and morality, as well as Internet that "affects government." The block holds firmly to this day (August 2012.)

Early January 19, 2011
In the morning hours rumors and report circulate on Twitter and internet discussion forums of some sort of internet block in Phnom Penh. Some websites cannot be accessed on some ISPs, including all of Blogspot, a popular blogging platform hosting thousands of blogs including the controversial KI Media.

The ISPs give conflicting stories. Some say that there is a technical problem and that they are working on it. One ISP posts a notice that the website has been banned by order of the Ministry of Interior. ISP Ezecom phone representatives tell customers that the websites have been blocked by order the government, stating "the Ministry of the Interior has requested that all ISPs block all blogger blogspot.com sites."

The MPTC denies any official directive to block websites.
Cambodia blocks blogspot  
‘Blogging Site Blockage Sparks Censorship Worries,’ The Cambodia Daily, January 20, 2011

Late January 19, 2011
Denials all around. The ISPs (that comment) deny that they received a directive from the government. The MPTC denies issuing a directive. The Ministry of Information denies knowledge of issuing directive.
Cambodia blocks blogspot

January 20, 2011
Blogspot is accessible through most ISPs again. (All but Metfone according to the CCHR Report) Ezecom sends a notice to its customers in response to press reports, denying it received a directive from the government to restrict access to any website. “As the CEO I can say, we have received no directive, nor did we block access to any websites on our service.”

The Minister of Information states that he is unaware of any order to block access to the site. “Until now I am still in the dark about who made the order. My ministry never issued such an order.”
ISP denies blocking blogsite, The Phnom Penh Post  
The curious case of the banning that wasn’t 
‘Internet Firms Deny Gov’t Silenced Blogs,’ The Cambodia Daily, January 11, 2011

January 22, 2011
Some Internet users report that KI Media is inaccessible. Other Blogspot sites are still accessible on most ISPs.

January 24, 2011
KI Media sets up a ‘mirror site’ on WordPress, another blogging service.

Late January 25, 2011
Government officials continue to deny knowledge of an official block or order to block. ISPs continue to give conflicting stories.

The block seems inconsistent. Many users report Blogspot available. Some users report the KI Media is available sporadically.

‘Mystery Continues to Surround Opposition Site,’ The Cambodia Daily, January 25, 2011

February 2, 2011
The MPTC issues a draft prakas providing for the registration of internet exchange points. The draft parkas includes several stipulations, including the requirement that that internet exchange points follow the rules and regulations of Cambodia, including those related to pornography.

Early February
By the end of the first week of February there are increased reports from Internet users on different ISPs that they are consistently unable to access KI Media.

February 10, 2011
On February 15 the Phnom Penh Post acquires the minutes from a meeting between the MPTC and the ISP representatives that took place today, February 10. The Post quotes: “In the meeting, His Excellency said that the Royal Government did not have a principle of blocking some websites, but His Excellency made a request to all operators to cooperate in curbing some websites that affect Khmer morality and tradition and the government through using the internet…He suggested that all operators help to cooperate and report on time so that the Ministry is able to offer its report to the government.”
Ministry denies blocking website, The Phnom Penh Post 

February 14, 2011
Internet users report KI media inaccessible on several ISPs. Users trying to access KI Media through WiCam get a message stating that the site had been “blocked as ordered by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Cambodia.” The Post reports that a WiCam employe told them “the ministry sent an email to the company several weeks ago ordering them to block access to the site because it 'impacts the government.’” Other ISPs either refuse comment or deny receiving any directive.

The MPTC continues to deny issuing “any order” to block the site.
Opposition site blocked, The Phnom Penh Post 
‘Government Continues to Deny It Blocked Blog,’ The Cambodia Daily, February 16, 2011

February 15, 2011
KI Media, Khmerization and political cartoonist Sacrava websites all remain unavailable. From the Phnom Penh Post: “Internet users have reported to The Post that they were unable to access the website KI-Media through four ISPs: Online, WiCam, Metfone, and Ezecom. Two other sites, Khmerization and Sacrava, which carry content that overlaps with KI-Media, could not be accessed through Ezecom.”
Ministry denies blocking website, The Phnom Penh Post

Wicam takes down message. The MPTC denies ordering a block.

The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) condemns the internet block.:

“By extending its censorship to the internet, the government is likely to create further discontent amongst the people. It is only by joining the online dialogue and by responding to criticisms with reasoned argument that the government can hope to avoid the criticisms it seems so intent on suppressing.”

February 16, 2011
The Phnom Penh Post obtains a copy of an email from the MPTC to 10 local ISPs thanking them for their efforts to block several websites. The e-mail stated, “I am writing to extend my appreciation to you all for your cooperation with MPTC” and that it was sent to Ezecom, Metfone, Citylink, Digi, AngkorNet, WiCam, Telecom Cambodia, Camnet, Online and Camintel. The ISPs continued to either decline comment or deny knowledge of any email or memo.  
Ministry denies blocking website, The Phnom Penh Post Tangled Web Reveled, The Phnom Penh Post 
KI-Media ban confusion, The Phnom Penh Post

LICAHDO condemns the blocking KI Media and other websites.  
LICHADO issues a condemnation of blocking websites 

February 18, 2011
The Cambodia Daily reports it has copies of emails from the government dated Feb 9 and Feb 11 strongly requesting that ISPs block certain website. Government spokesman soften their denials, now saying that there was no official censorship policy but that ISP providers were free to decide to censor their own content. The email was sent to several people by name including the CEO of Ezecom.

In what was perhaps the most memorable quote of the whole affair, when a Cambodia Daily reporter phoned the CEO of Ezecom for a comment about the government emails, he snapped "can't hear you" and hung up the phone.

One ISP states that it has not blocked anything but would if formally asked.

‘E-Mail Points to Collusion in Gov’t Censorship’ The Cambodia Daily, February 18, 2011

Interlude - After KI
Over the following weeks the blocked websites gradually disappear from the press, appearing only in the occasional NGO report. But the block itself stayed firmly in place and slowly became part of the background. KI Media and Khmerization ISPs have remained consistently unavailable through most ISPs to this day (August 2012.) ISPs continue to deny knowledge or evade the question when asked. Those who want access to the blocked websites either use a proxy server or an ISP such as Mobitel that does not block sites.

June 2011
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) releases a report calling for greater Internet freedom in Cambodia.
 Internet Censorship: The Ongoing Crackdown on Freedom of Expression in Cambodia

January 2012

Internet penetration doubles in one year and is estimated at 449,160 users at the end of 2011.  
Cambodia's Internet penetration more than doubles


Pending Internet Law
Though the exact figure is a matter of debate, Internet penetration in Cambodia is increasing rapidly and at an accelerating pace. Facebook subscribers now number near a half-million. The Commune Elections have just passed at the National Elections are now less than a year away. After months absent from the press, Internet in Cambodia makes news again with the government's announcement of plans to enact an Internet law, purportedly to prevent the spread of dangerous 'false information.' Nothing has come of it yet (as of Aug 15.)

May 24, 2012
The Phnom Penh Post reports that the RGC is once again drafting and planning to enact a new Internet law. Noting 'mushrooming modern technologies' and citing a recent SMS-spread false rumor of a clash between political demonstrators in Phnom Penh, a government spokesman stated, “We need to prevent any ill-willed people or bad mood people from spreading false information, groundless information that could tend to mislead the public and affect national security or our society. We need to control this.”
The ‘ill-willed’ spark cyber law: officials, The Phnom Penh Post
The ‘ill-willed’ spark cyber law: officials, The Phnom Penh Post
Cambodia Law Blog: Internet Speech Law in the Works: Can you Handle the Truth?

June 2012
A blogger posts a rough translation of a legal circular issued by the Ministry of Interior and MPTC in February 2012 outlining new rules for telecommunications providers and users, including Internet, though this is presumably not the expected ‘Internet law’ reported last month. For a complete copy of the circular see: Cambodia’s Default Internet Law – Draft Translation

July 2012
CCHR releases new report “exploring the extent to which new media, namely mobile phones and the internet, are used in Cambodia, and in particular how they are used to promote and protect human rights,” including a detailed history of Internet censorship in Cambodia.
New Media and the Promotion of Human Rights in Cambodia

First week of August 2012
False rumors of the death of Chea Sim spread from Facebook. The rumor is strongly denied by government spokesmen and Chea Sim makes an appearance, putting an end to it. A Council of Ministers spokesman is quoted as saying, “We’re living in the free world, every one has full responsibility, people should not create rumors to jeopardize the social order. Those people abuse their freedom of expression.”
The Phnom Penh Post: Senate President Chea Sim's health 'no problem'  

* Edit: Several typos corrected and this brief intro paragraph (which was somehow omitted in the original upload) inserted (August 17, 11:45PM.) 

Better late than never - 2011

Newly completed Phnom Penh Tower, the city's second highrise.

Running a couple of weeks late on this post. Stray thoughts of Cambodia last year.

2010 At the end of last year, the on-going conflict with Thailand over Preah Vihear was probably the most talked about issue of that moment and perhaps the year. A decades old dispute, the flare up of the last few years was largely the result of Thai political instability stemming from the 2006 coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. After months of deadly border skirmishes in 2010, political and military tensions had begun to ease in December, only to spike again with the arrest of a Thai politician and yellow-shirt activists on the Cambodian side of the border. And so began 2011.
Preah Vihear: the Thai-Cambodia temple dispute 
New developments in the Thai-Cambodia conflict (Dec 30, 2010)

Cambodia Daily

Voluntourism The international press turned a long overdue critical light on Pity Industry tourism, including orphanage tourism and commercialized voluntourism. Prompted by a study of orphanage tourism in Africa, papers such as the Guardian and the Telegraph published critical pieces toward the end of 2010, sparking several other unfavorable articles, blog entries and internet debates throughout the year. In October 2011 the high-respected NGO Friends-International in Cambodia launched an important new campaign aimed at bringing an end to orphanage tourism.
Guardian: Before you pay to volunteer abroad, think of the harm you might do
Telegraph: Volunteer holidays 'do more harm than good'
Inside the thriving industry of AIDS orphan tourism
Taking Aim at Voluntourism
The Independent: Cambodia's orphanages target the wallets of well-meaning tourists
When Children Become Tourist Attractions

Internet censorship Cambodia stumbled clumsily into the world of Internet censorship in February. After a ham-handed start in which all of BlogSpot was suddenly blocked and ISPs initially affirmed then denied knowledge of the blockage, the outage narrowed, leaving only the highly provocative KI Media and Khmerization permanently unavailable through some ISPs in Cambodia. Both the government and the ISP’s denied responsibility. The media squawked about it for a month or so, but the story has since been relegated to NGO reports. The blocked sites are still unavailable through many, perhaps most ISPs in Cambodia. That said, Cambodia still has some of the most unrestricted internet access in Southeast Asia, significantly better than its immediate neighbors.
The Curious Case of the Banning that Wasn't
LICADHO Condemns Censorship of Web Sites Critical of Government

Sam Rainsy Mid-March, Sam Rainsy was stripped of his seat in Parliament. It seemed much less of a story than it would have been in years past.
Cambodia opposition leader loses parliamentary seat

US Maintains Ban on Cambodian Adoptions  There has been a US imposed ban on the adoption of Cambodian children by Americans since 2001. After reconsidering the ban in March, the US ultimately declined to rescind it.
Cambodia Law Blog: Can expats adopt Cambodian children? Dispelling the myths

Unhappy Hippi In May Sihanoukville’s fabled Happy Hippi lost its smile.
K440: Happy Hippy smacked

The Cows of Spring On Royal Plowing Day in May the Royal Oxen ate beans and corn, eschewing the rice and other offerings.

Phsar Thmey and wart

Central Market After more than two years of work, during which many vendors were displaced to temporary buildings next to the market, the renovation and refurbishment of Phsar Thmey was completed mid-2011, including a brand new bright yellow paint job. (And it grew a wart in the form of a new, completely out-of-place 7-story building on the market square.) What a fantastic building, even with wart.

Preah Vihear In July elections were held in Thailand. The Pheu Thai party won. Thaksin’s sister became PM, Thailand’s political turmoil eased a bit, the yellows quieted, and the Preah Vihear situation has been getting better ever since. Come the end of 2011, Thai activist Veera remains in Cambodian jail.
Cambodia congratulates Pheu Thai Party on election win
Yingluck's visit to improve relations: Cambodian deputy PM
Cambodian PM stresses good relations with Thailand

DVDs at Russian Market

Legend In July The Legend Theatre opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s first ‘international-standard’ cinema. Full size screen, proper theater seats, quality projection and sound and the first screen in Cambodia to (legally) show Hollywood first run movies, including 3D movies. As a result there has been a threatened crackdown on bootlegged DVDs of certain first run movies.
Cambodia Law Blog: New moves on pirated movies

Tonle Sap Prime Minister Hun Sen continued to make the health of the Tonle Sap a priority, apparently with significant success. Illegal reservoirs and fishing lots were ordered shut down and the orders were enforced. Initial reports indicate the annual total fish catch is way up.
Fishing licenses around Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake revoked
Hun Sen extends Tonle Sap fishing lot closure
AKP: Large Scale Crack-down of Illegal Fishing in Tonle Sap to Come

Former brothels on 63

Brothels closed on 63 Sometime in July, the long-running string of brothels on Street 63 was raided and closed. I posted about the bust of one in this group back in 2010. The place was back in operation a couple of weeks later, business as usual. Clearly well protected. But all of the brothels are gone now. To my knowledge those places on 63 were the last openly brothel-like businesses in central Phnom Penh. They have been there as long as I can remember and survived years after every other city center brothel had been shuttered. There must have been dozens of girls there. Closing them was probably one of the biggest brothel raid/ closures in the country this year. But to my knowledge the raid went unreported in the English press in Cambodia.

A Brief Tour of the Cambodian Sex Industry Best article on prostitution in Cambodia by an international journalist in recent memory. I don’t agree with everything he wrote, but unlike many of the weepy, sensationalistic, pre-scripted reports in the international media of late, he drew his conclusions from the evidence rather than looking for evidence to support his conclusions.

Faintings There was a spate of mass faintings at several different garment factories and even a couple of schools in Cambodia. Many observers were understandably quick to cast a suspicious eye on factory conditions, but the cause is still a matter of investigation. The mass faintings began suddenly and have occurred over a relatively short span, the only obvious commonalities being most happened in the factories and were exclusively amongst the laborers. It would be an extraordinary coincidence for such a cluster to occur, yet not have some common cause or link between the incidents – e.g. some new chemical, pesticide or product in use, a new ventilation system, a illness of some sort being passed around, longer working hours or increased production requirements, some new practice common to all of the affected factories.

Different causes have been suggested by investigators and labor advocates. In fact, there have been almost as many possible causes cited as there have been fainting incidents – chemicals, smells, ventilation, long hours, hunger, food poisoning, dehydration, etc., but nothing definitive and nothing new and common to all of the affected facilities. Working conditions in the factories appear to be pretty much the same as they have been for years.

In lieu of evidence of a common cause I am inclined to agree with Time Magazine. The mass fainting are, for lack of a better term, ‘mass-hysteria,’ but by that I don't mean to diminish their significance. These factory workers are largely poor young women, often rural girls accustomed to rice farming and country living, now working in gray, stuffy, unpleasant conditions, feeling homesick, pressured by family (for money) and harsh supervisors, and doing mind-numbingly repetitive work for very little compensation (averaging $55-$61/month,) often for long hours. Though the factories are not 'sweat shops,' this is still the kind of work that is undesirable enough to drive some young women to choose prostitution in preference. In my opinion, for whatever reason that first mass fainting happened, it sparked a chain reaction of all the faintings that followed - it was the spark for a sort of involuntary protest by these young women against the unhappy and oppressive circumstances in which they find themselves.
Hundreds sick in mass fainting at Cambodian factory
Mass Fainting In Garment Factory
Mass faintings at H&M factory in Cambodia
What's Causing 'Mass Faintings' at Cambodian Factories?

Siem Reap, September 2011

Floods The wet season was too wet this year. Cambodia (and Thailand) saw some of the worst flooding in more than a decade. In Cambodia huge swathes of countryside along the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers were submerged, hundreds of deaths, enormous crop loss and property damage. Government response was slow and inadequate. In an unprecedented but widely supported move, the government cancelled the Water Festival boat races in Phnom Penh. Just as the press was beginning to take note of the flooding in Cambodia, especially with the repeated flooding of Siem Reap town, Bangkok came under flood threat and story in the international press changed focus to Thailand and never really returned to Cambodia. Interestingly, even with the flood related crop loss, Cambodia managed to produce more rice in 2011 than the previous year.
Flood reports, photos and links
Cambodia's rice yield stable in 2011 despite flood devastation: PM

Most self-absorbed article of the year Amidst stories of captive Cambodian women jumping from upper floor windows to escape Malaysian recruitment agencies and of repeated allegations of abuse, torture and rape of Cambodian maids in Malaysia, the Cambodian government has banned its citizens from working as maids in Malaysia. Reporting on the ban in ‘this article’ the Malaysian press complained of a “dire maid shortage”in Malaysia and of how the ban will hurt their recruitment agencies. "Dire." Never mind the abuses suffered by these maids in Malaysia or captive women jumping from windows to escape these so called 'recruitment agencies' in Phnom Penh, it sounds like tough times in Malaysia. It's dire. They're having to make their own beds and there's nobody to do the dishes. 
“They Deceived Us at Every Step”
Recruiters Round Up Cambodians to Work in Malaysia

Rice wine deaths There were several mass poisonings attributable to bad batches of homemade rice wine. A regular motodup on my street died a couple of months ago after being poisoned. In one tragic case the better part of a village was wiped out. One poisoning incident:
12 Cambodians died of wine poisoning

Top Ten Tycoons The essential Who’s Who

Land Next to the floods, the rampant land-grabbing and mistreatment of evictees was the story of the year. So much has been written on the subject I am not sure what more is to be said. The problem continues and is growing. It is involving ever more people and confrontations between evictees and authorities are becoming more violent. In terms of politics, it is a gift from the ruling party government to the opposition. While I accept it is unrealistic to expect there will not be evictions as the city and country develops, I don’t understand from either a human or political POV why it is being handled so badly and the evictees treated with such callous inhumanity. It is sowing the seeds of dissent and future conflict in ever growing numbers. As one Kampong Speu evictee put it, "If there was still a Khmer Rouge hiding in the jungle, I'd join." In the long and even medium term, these pitiless evictions don't make moral or even Machiavellian sense.

NGO Law The government wants to regulate NGOs and has proffered a law. The NGOs are suspicious of the government’s intent but split between those who say the proposed law needs modification and those who say there should be no law at all. Much ink has been spilled on the subject with the highlight being an exchange between Elizabeth Becker and an anonymous commentator at AKP, the government media mouthpiece. The proposed law is currently in its fourth draft and the debate continues. The Prime Minister recently calmed the debate by saying that there was no rush, that they would work as long as necessary to craft a law acceptable to both sides. But, of course, this also takes the ‘no law’ option off the table.
Catalogue of artcles related to the NGO Law
Hun Sen Calls for More Talks on NGO Law
Elizabeth Becker/AKP exchange
Silencing Cambodia's Honest Brokers By ELIZABETH BECKER
AKP: Commentary: Elizabeth Becker and the Campaign to Put NGOs above the Law
Response To Anonymous Critique by Elizabeth Becker

The King, King Father and Queen Mother on the occasion of the 90/20 celebration.

90/20 King Father Sihanouk celebrated his 90th birthday and 20-year anniversary of returning to Cambodia. A truly historic occasion.
Birthday of King Father Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia

Mu Sochea proves to be a continuing force, making her mark (and political hay) taking a hands-on approach and focusing on issues that directly affect the poor and disadvantaged such as land grabbing and maid trafficking. Like I said last year, keep an eye on this lady, especially in the coming election year. She’s going places.

Kristof Tweets In November Nicholas Kristof parachuted in to Anlong Veng to tweet a brothel raid and promote his favorite anti-trafficking NGO in Cambodia. His dramatic tweeting of the raid probably did more to raise public awareness of his questionable ethics in the reporting of sex trafficking than anything he has done since purchasing two underage girls in Cambodia in 2005.
Nick Kristof to the rescue!
Nick Kristof Live Tweets a Raid on an Underage Brothel – And Not Everyone is Thrilled
Fighting back, one brothel raid at a time
A human trafficker defends Cambodian sweatshops
Be Aware: Nick Kristof’s Anti-Politics

Laos threatens to construct the first hydropower dam on the Lower Mekong.
Laos' Mekong Xayaburi dam plan delayed again

@Faineg Tweets KR trial The KR trials continue under a darkening cloud of criticism from disparate quarters. Growing feelings that the trials may be fundamentally flawed, talk of UN incompetence, accusations of government interference, a judge resigned, acrimony between the government and UN, and that's just the now of it. Case 002 is underway. Nuon Chea (Brother #2) has been on the stand and has put on quite a show, well-worth a hundred million, see-sawing between denying knowledge and blaming Vietnam. In an innovative and powerful use of Twitter, Faine Greenwood, aka @faineg, (and others more sporadically,) has been live tweeting the proceedings from the courtroom. This is journalism. ( Recently @KRT_Monitor has taken up the blow by blow.)

Plane to Sihanoukville Cambodia Angkor Air began regular flights between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville in December. If memory serves, this is the first regular air service to Sihanoukville since Royal Air Cambodge stopped flying to Sihanoukville in late 1997…except for PMT’s short-lived ill-fated venture on the same route a few years back. 

Tourism grows and grows At year’s end the government announced that tourist arrivals were up 14% over last year, Vietnamese leading the way. Tuk-tuk drivers in Siem Reap complain that the increasing numbers of Asian tourists, often on packages, is driving down local transport prices. Still, Siem Reap is booming and some of it is spilling off to Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.
Cambodia's foreign tourist arrivals up 14% in 2011

Gold Tower 42, The Phnom Penh Tower and The OCIC Tower

Phnom Penh towers At the site of the old Ministry of Tourism, Phnom Penh's second highrise after the OCIC Tower (Canadia Tower,) the new Phnom Penh Tower on Monivong Blvd, was completed and opened for business. Stalled project Gold Tower 42 (aka Grey Tower 31, aka Bassac Thmey) has been idle now for 15 months.

The Riel The Cambodian Riel held its own against the US dollar throughout the year, varying only about +/-50 Riel over the course of the year, beginning 2011 at about 4055KHR = US$1 and finishing around 4075KHR = US$1.

New bridge to Koh Pos, Sihanoukville, 2/11. Construction is now complete.

Outrage In the final week of the year Cambodia publicly soiled itself and walked around stinking of shit in its pants all week after pardoning and releasing convicted Russian pedophile Alexander Trofimov. Alexi first arrived in Cambodia heading up a high-profile US$300,000,000 Koh Pos investment project before being caught diddling dozens of prepubescent girls in Sihanoukville in 2007. His subsequent handling by the Cambodian judiciary was riddled with irregularities and he had served only a fraction of his original sentence before being freed by royal pardon. Juice speaks. He has since disappeared into Cambodia somewhere, doing what...we can only imagine. After he was released all of the authorities that should have been in-the-know did a Sgt. Schultz style, "I know nothing...nothing!" all denying knowledge of how he got on the pardon list. His former company even denied knowing who he is. Yeah, right.  
Cambodia pardons Russian in paedophile case
Phnom Penh Post: Petition to deport pedophile Alexander Trofimov

Ten Cambodia Tweeps to Follow
khmerbird
peter_k440
faineg
nate_thayer
dickonverey
HunSensEye
ChrisInCambo
SimOliver
MuSochua
mybigfatface
JaredsCambodia

Cambodia News and Info on Twitter
phnompenhpost
voakhmer
tweetcambodia
cambopedia
cambodianews
Canby_Cambodia
USEmbPhnomPenh
EyeOnCambodia
KRT_Monitor

New Cambodia Blogs of Note
Faine Opinines
Nate Thayer

News from Cambodia

Over the last few of days I’ve spoken with friends who live and work in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and China. A few happen to be in town visiting this week and others through Facebook and such. Amongst beers and pool games and casual banter, we’ve also touched on the Cambodian NGO Law debate and criticisms, and the land-grabbing issue, especially in light of the recent violent confrontation between police and Lake residents caught on video.

Interestingly, at some point in the various conversations, mostly just in passing, each one registered some degree of surprise or awe at the open debate and availability of information in Cambodia. In the case of the NGO law, that there has been extensive public criticism and debate and that the government actually seems to be taking some of it on board. In the case of the Lake confrontation, that local and foreign reporters were present, that it was openly photographed and videoed and that it’s all available on internet in Cambodia. To varying degrees, all of these activities would have been much more restricted, if allowed at all in my friend's various countries of residence. Reflecting this observation, the Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index ranks Cambodia a moderately weak 128, but still better, in some cases significantly better than all of the surrounding countries - which says something about both Cambodia and her neighbors.

As we spoke, qualifiers such as the introduction of more restrictive laws over the last couple of years, the illusion of freedom amongst self-censorship and the apparent blocking of some websites did not go unnoted. But still, most were struck in one way or another by the fairly sharp contrast between the state of press and internet freedom in Cambodia as compared to their various East Asian homes. In this regard at least, Cambodia is the brightest spot in the dim landscape of Southeast Asian press freedom.

The curious case of the banning that wasn’t

Two days ago rumors flew that the Cambodian government had blocked all blogspot websites, presumably to prevent access to the controversial blog KI Media and possibly Khmerization as well. Blogspot sites were unavailable through some ISP providers in Cambodia for most of the day.

That night and again yesterday, the Cambodian government denied that it had ordered any such ban. And by the following day blogspot was once again accessible through most ISP providers in Cambodia.

So how did the rumors of the blogspot ban begin?

On the morning of the 19th internet users in Cambodia noted on social media and discussion forums that blogspot seemed to be either partially or wholly unavailable in-country. Some were quick to suggest that an official ban had been imposed. Such a move by the government was not wholly unexpected as they had threatened to regulate internet access before and had very recently expressed strong concerns over the blogspot site KI Media.

By midday tell had it that an ISP provider was informing its customers that it had blocked blogspot on the request of the Cambodian Ministry of Interior. So around 2PM I phoned the provider, spoke to a customer representative and asked straight out, “Have you blocked blogspot?” to which she responded with a quick and unequivocal “Yes…the Ministry of Interior has requested all ISP providers in Cambodia to block all of blogspot.” I called them again a few hours later at the end of the workday, asked the same question and received the same answer, virtually verbatim, sounding very much like a prepared statement. I probed a bit, asking if they might narrow or lift the ban in the future and was told it depended on instructions from the Ministry.

The following day the Phnom Penh Post reported that upper management of the ISP provider was denying having received any instructions from the government and that the outage had been caused by a “technical glitch.” This is curious.

This would seem to imply that the information the customer service reps had been giving all day was the result of some sort of communication breakdown. But if a misunderstanding, how did the reps come to deliver such a specific confirmation of a government ban, right down to naming the ministry and other details of the ban? If it was some sort of miscommunication within the company, it is difficult to imagine the mechanics of it.

Did the company techs tell their customer rep staff there was “a technical glitch causing inaccessibility of some sites” that they somehow misheard as “the Ministry of Interior has requested that all ISP providers in Cambodia block all of blogspot”? That would be quite the misunderstanding. Did some manager simply assume the outage was a result of a government ban as well as all the other attending details and pass that on to the customer reps? That would be quite the assumption.

It would seem that there is more to the story than a mere technical glitch. Perhaps... Testing the waters? Somebody jump the gun or overstep their authority? Idle talk mistaken for a wink and a nod? A subtle move screwed up by loose lips and/or heavy handed techs? An honest misunderstanding of enormous coincidental proportions? In lieu of additional information, what that ‘more’ might be is a matter of speculation.

If nothing else, the episode provided a glimpse of what would happen if such a ban were implemented. Almost immediately there was an outcry from observers both in and outside Cambodia, within hours information on how to bypass the block via proxy servers was circulated, KI Media began to set up mirror sites outside of blogspot and it all turned into a huge publicity boom for the site, acting to promote KI Media rather than suppress it.

All this said, as of today there is no official ban on blogspot (though a couple of providers still seem to be suffering some sort of 'technical glitch') and, to its great credit, Cambodia still has the freest and most open internet access in mainland Southeast Asia.