PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Agriculture, Dith Tina, has asked six British reporters from local media outlet, VOD, to explain why they presented information that, the Minister says, is different from what the Ministry originally posted regarding the new mediated price of rice in Banteay Meanchey and Battambang provinces.

Speaking at an open dialogue on agriculture in Cambodia on Tuesday afternoon, 6 December 2022, Minister Dith Tina called out the names of six VOD reporters and directly asked them to come out and defend their views. The Minister said that he thinks there have been misunderstandings either due to a matter of mistranslation, or because of the publication's editors.

"If to this day I am wrong, I will [issue a] correction. But to this day, I have only received alleged accusations," he said.

On 2 December 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a letter in response to a series of VOD articles stating that the Ministry of Agriculture was forbidding citizens from criticizing the Ministry for lowering rice prices, and also alleging that the Ministry had threatened to arrest those who make such criticisms.

The Ministry of Agriculture stated in the letter that it believed these articles were inaccurate and misrepresented the Ministry’s stance, seriously impacting public opinion.

"The failure of VOD journalists to monitor inaccuracies and representations of their journalists reflects a lack of professionalism, political bias or intent to defame the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the eyes of the public who receive information from VOD in English," the letter read.

The Ministry of Agriculture has suggested that the British reporters should remove, what it calls, ‘unprofessional’ news articles to demonstrate the publication’s responsibility and commitment to professionalism.