Cambodia Condemns Thai Military Attack on Preah Vihear Temple | Cambodia Confirms Troops Still Holding Mount Trop as Thailand Cannot Raise Flag on Sovereign Territory | Cambodia and Thailand Clashes Enter Third Day as Casualties Rise to 33 | UN Security Council Urges Restraint as Thailand-Cambodia Clashes Intensify | Cambodia Condemns Thai Aggression at UN, Calls for Ceasefire and International Intervention | Techo Hun Sen Advises Military Strategy Amidst Border Clashes with Thailand | 45 Staff Rescued After Being Trapped at Preah Vihear Temple Amidst Clashes | BREAKING: Cambodia Denies Firing Projectiles into Laos, Accuses Thailand of Disinformation | Cambodia's Tourism Ministry Seeks Aid for Troops, Refugees; Reaffirms Commitment to Peace | BREAKING: Laos Denies Border Clash with Cambodia; Cambodia Rejects Thai Accusations of Shelling Laos | BREAKING NEWS: Andrew MacGregor Marshall Claims Queen Mother Sirikit Has Died, Alleging Concealment by Thai Authorities | TOP NEWS: Trump Claims Diplomatic Role in Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict, Calls for Ceasefire | TOP NEWS: Cambodian Prime Minister Confirms President Donald Trump Ceasefire Agreement with Thailand | Thai Military of Escalating Attacks, Despite Cambodia Ceasefire Efforts | BREAKING NEWS: Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Malaysian Mediation Amid Escalating Border Clashes | Ministry of Education Announces Postponement of 2025 Baccalaureate Examination | Cambodian Community in Korea Holds Mass Protest Against Thailand’s Invasion | Techo Hun Sen: “In Times of National Crisis, We Have No Right to Rest or Fall Ill” | UN Secretary-General and Cambodian Officials Call for Immediate Ceasefire Amid Border Clashes | Lieutenant General Duong Samnieng Dies Fighting Thai Invaders at Preah Vihear | BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Hun Manet to Lead Cambodian Delegation to Kuala Lumpur for Special Meeting on Ceasefire | Secretary Rubio Calls for Immediate De-escalation in Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | TOP NEWS: Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Ceasefire After Malaysia-Mediated Talks | Joint Press Release: Special Meeting Hosted by Malaysia to Address Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | ASEAN Issues Statement Supporting Ceasefire and Peaceful Resolution in Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | BREAKING: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Welcomes Cambodia-Thailand Ceasefire Declaration | TOP NEWS: President Trump Announces Ceasefire and Peace Agreements with Thailand and Cambodia | Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet Reports Successful Ceasefire Negotiation with Thailand, Thanks U.S. Support |
Cambodia Condemns Thai Military Attack on Preah Vihear Temple | Cambodia Confirms Troops Still Holding Mount Trop as Thailand Cannot Raise Flag on Sovereign Territory | Cambodia and Thailand Clashes Enter Third Day as Casualties Rise to 33 | UN Security Council Urges Restraint as Thailand-Cambodia Clashes Intensify | Cambodia Condemns Thai Aggression at UN, Calls for Ceasefire and International Intervention | Techo Hun Sen Advises Military Strategy Amidst Border Clashes with Thailand | 45 Staff Rescued After Being Trapped at Preah Vihear Temple Amidst Clashes | BREAKING: Cambodia Denies Firing Projectiles into Laos, Accuses Thailand of Disinformation | Cambodia's Tourism Ministry Seeks Aid for Troops, Refugees; Reaffirms Commitment to Peace | BREAKING: Laos Denies Border Clash with Cambodia; Cambodia Rejects Thai Accusations of Shelling Laos | BREAKING NEWS: Andrew MacGregor Marshall Claims Queen Mother Sirikit Has Died, Alleging Concealment by Thai Authorities | TOP NEWS: Trump Claims Diplomatic Role in Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict, Calls for Ceasefire | TOP NEWS: Cambodian Prime Minister Confirms President Donald Trump Ceasefire Agreement with Thailand | Thai Military of Escalating Attacks, Despite Cambodia Ceasefire Efforts | BREAKING NEWS: Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Malaysian Mediation Amid Escalating Border Clashes | Ministry of Education Announces Postponement of 2025 Baccalaureate Examination | Cambodian Community in Korea Holds Mass Protest Against Thailand’s Invasion | Techo Hun Sen: “In Times of National Crisis, We Have No Right to Rest or Fall Ill” | UN Secretary-General and Cambodian Officials Call for Immediate Ceasefire Amid Border Clashes | Lieutenant General Duong Samnieng Dies Fighting Thai Invaders at Preah Vihear | BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Hun Manet to Lead Cambodian Delegation to Kuala Lumpur for Special Meeting on Ceasefire | Secretary Rubio Calls for Immediate De-escalation in Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | TOP NEWS: Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Ceasefire After Malaysia-Mediated Talks | Joint Press Release: Special Meeting Hosted by Malaysia to Address Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | ASEAN Issues Statement Supporting Ceasefire and Peaceful Resolution in Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | BREAKING: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Welcomes Cambodia-Thailand Ceasefire Declaration | TOP NEWS: President Trump Announces Ceasefire and Peace Agreements with Thailand and Cambodia | Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet Reports Successful Ceasefire Negotiation with Thailand, Thanks U.S. Support |

PM Civil State Employment Offered to Former VOD Employees Because They are Innocent

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.



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