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Phnom Penh Post's sale to PR director increases media freedom fears Phnom Penh Post: Firing and resignations after sale of Cambodian daily
(about 5 hours later)
A newspaper seen as Cambodia's last independent English daily has been sold to a Malaysian businessman, sparking fresh concerns about press freedom. Several senior journalists have left Cambodia's Phnom Penh Post, saying its new owners fired the editor in chief and demanded a story be removed.
The Phnom Penh Post's new owner is Sivakumar Ganapthy, director of a PR firm which has previously done work for the Cambodian government. The paper, seen as Cambodia's last independent daily, was sold to a Malaysian businessman at the weekend, raising concerns about its future.
He has said he will uphold the Post's legacy and editorial independence. New owner Sivakumar Ganapthy is also director of a PR firm which has done work for the Cambodian government.
But the sale comes amidst an increasing crackdown on independent media outlets, ahead of a general election in July. The sale comes amid an increasing crackdown on independent media outlets.
The Cambodia Daily, another independent newspaper, was last year forced to close after it received a $6.3m (£4.7m) tax bill that it could not pay. Bill Clough, Australian former owner of the Phnom Penh Post, confirmed the sale of the paper on Saturday, blaming falling advertising revenues.
Other independent media outlets have also reportedly been accused of not complying with tax obligations. US government-funded Radio Free Asia recently closed its bureau in Phnom Penh citing a "relentless crackdown" on independent media by Prime Minister Hun Sen. He identified the buyer as "well respected newspaper man" Sivakumar G, and said an outstanding tax bill had been cleared as part of the deal.
The former owner of the Phnom Penh Post, Australian Bill Clough, confirmed the sale of the paper on Saturday, blaming falling advertising revenues. In a statement, the owner said he would uphold the Post's legacy and editorial independence.
He identified the buyer as Sivakumar G, and said he was "a well respected newspaper man". 'I will not be returning to work'
The paper had previously been ordered by authorities to pay a tax bill of $3.9m, but Mr Clough said this had been resolved as part of the deal. But on Monday evening, journalists working on the newspaper said the editor-in-chief Kay Kimsong had been fired. Others have resigned or been sacked.
The sale has raised concerns in the journalism community about press freedom as the election approaches. The reason was not immediately clear, but several journalists said they had been ordered to take down an article reporting on the paper's sale.
The outlets which have faced problems had often reported on topics such as corruption and human rights abuses that embarrassed the government of Hun Sen, who has been prime minister for 33 years. The article, published on Sunday, included several quotes raising concerns about the new ownership, including that Sivakumar Ganapathy's agency, Asia PR, listed "Cambodia and Hun Sen's entry into the Government seat" as one of its former clients.
Former Phnom Penh Post editor-in-chief Chad Williams said it was clear the government approved of the sale. Among those resigning was managing editor Stuart White, colleagues said.
"From the outside looking in, the most troubling thing is the timing of the tax bill's settlement and the Post's subsequent sale. The odds of them not being connected seem incredibly remote," he told Reuters. There has been growing concern for some time about the state of press freedom in Cambodia.
"That's troubling because it suggests the Cambodian government may have used the threat of a shutdown to essentially coerce the sale," he said. Reporters Without Borders has accused the government of launching "an all-out war on independent media outlets with the aim of ensuring victory in the general elections scheduled for July".
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said there was "no plausible business rationale for an obscure Malaysian public relations firm to buy this newspaper, except to seek control for elite Cambodian friends". The Cambodia Daily was last year forced to close after it received a $6.3m (£4.7m) tax bill that it could not pay.
Other independent media outlets have also reportedly been accused of not complying with tax obligations. US government-funded Radio Free Asia recently closed its bureau in Phnom Penh citing a "relentless crackdown" on independent media.
The outlets had often reported on topics such as corruption and human rights abuses that embarrassed the government of Hun Sen, who has been prime minister for 33 years.
Huy Vannak, undersecretary of state at the Interior Ministry, had earlier told Reuters the sale of the Post was "normal business" and that it "remains a newspaper".
But Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said there was "no plausible business rationale for an obscure Malaysian public relations firm to buy this newspaper, except to seek control for elite Cambodian friends".
"This looks like the beginning of the end for the Phnom Penh Post as an independent and critical newspaper.""This looks like the beginning of the end for the Phnom Penh Post as an independent and critical newspaper."
Huy Vannak, undersecretary of state at the Interior Ministry, told Reuters the sale was "normal business" and that the Post "remains a newspaper". A former Phnom Penh Post editor-in-chief Chad Williams had said the fact the the paper's tax bill was settled at the same time as the sale "suggests the Cambodian government may have used the threat of a shutdown to essentially coerce the sale".