PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that the offer of civil state employment to former Voice of Democracy (VOD) journalists was based on the understanding that these employees were affected by the mistakes of the media outlet’s management and were not at fault themselves. He added that there is no problem for those who do not wish to work for the state, and, instead, he thanks them even more.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony for students of Human Resources University on Monday morning, 20 February 2023, at the OCIC Conference Hall in Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that shutdown of the online media outlet, VOD, was due to the publishing of false information that not only hurt the Prime Minister, but negatively affects his family and especially the Royal Government as well.
“The goal was to attack me with a story [of the same scale] as a tsunami or the Russia-Ukraine war! I listened [to the news], I explained to them [their mistake] and left [them time] to apologize, but they did not do it, so it was my chance [to close them down]," he said. "I left time for them to apologize, not for me to forgive them! I said apologize!”
The Prime Minister has stated that he does not blame the journalist who wrote and published the false information, but rather places the blame entirely on the VOD editors.
"We cannot blame [the journalist who wrote the article]. It is the editor, who is to blame," he said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen explained that at first, he gave VOD 72 hours to apologize for their mistake, but certain comments made by two individuals adding fuel to the fire prompted him to reduce the time given. These two individuals are a man named Min Pov and a woman named Kann Vicheka.
“I know the refusal to apologize and only express ‘regret’ was [because of foreign influence]," said Prime Minister Hun Sen. "Then a woman named Vicheka came out and said to me, "Samdech, they used the word ‘tolerance’,” oh, Miss, remember for sure that if the word ‘tolerance’ was the same as ‘apology’ then Samdech Chuon Nath (writer of the Khmer dictionary) would have deleted [that world] a long time ago. You also helped to kill off this media outlet.”
The Prime Minister continued that after ordering the shutdown of VOD, he decided to offer civil state jobs to the media outlet’s foreign staff with understanding that they were innocent and not at fault.
"This is a great favor I am doing!" he said. "Some of our aspiring officials have not passed the government exam many times, but we have agreed to give positions to [ex-VOD staff]. But if they do not accept, then I thank them even more.
"If you know how to find a job, then you can do it, no one is begging you [to join the government], but I give my understanding for those who are not at fault, and those who are afraid that if they begin working for the government, they will get condemned for giving up their ideals! Oh, there is no need to [join the government]. These are the words of the opposition," he further added.
VOD’s broadcasting license was officially revoked by the Ministry of Information on the morning of 13 February 2023 after the media outlet failed to write a letter of apology to the Royal Government of Cambodia and Lt. Gen. Hun Manet after falsely publishing the Lt. Gen. had signed off on the provision of aid to Turkey on behalf of the Prime Minister, thus overstepping his duties.
Since Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that ex-VOD staff can apply for public service jobs, at least eight VOD employees have sent in applications, as of 17 February 2023.
