PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Information has said that Cambodia is the only country in the ASEAN region, and the first in the world, to give Covid-19 vaccine priority to journalists in the country. Journalists are regarded as an equal priority group to medical personnel and the armed forces.

The Minister of Information, Khieu Kanharith, made this statement on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, under the theme "Journalism under Digital Siege," on 3 May 2022.

He added that Cambodian journalists should be proud to be a priority group to receive the Covid-19 vaccination, as there is no such priority given to journalists like this in the ASEAN region, and in other countries across the world.

"Only Cambodian journalists are prioritized by the government for Covid-19 vaccines, the same as doctors and armed forces. In the ASEAN region, or the whole world, there are no journalists who have the priority to be vaccinated (with Covid-19 vaccines). There are none," said the Minister of Information.

He further added that some journalists have not mentioned or talked about this benefit they have received, and instead talk about facing bans on reporting the news in closed areas, when those journalists could use their phones to contact sources and ask for pictures from people in the closed areas.

On 31 March 2021, the Commission on Covid-19 Vaccination in the nationwide framework of the Ministry of Health announced the launch of the Sinovac vaccination campaign from 1 to 7 April 2021, targeting 745,000 people, that included both national and international journalists.