Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Information says this week’s statement by the Cambodian Journalists’ Association is “unfounded and misleading”. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Information, Meas Sophorn, was reacting to Monday’s statement in which the Association declared that the government should support journalists’ protection after cases of threats and what they called “persecution”. They accused authorities of obstructing journalists’ rights to access of information.

The statement was released in the wake of an incident involving journalists covering a land dispute in Kandal over the construction of a road to the capital’s new airport. The association demanded that law enforcement should be taking action against officials who apparently obstructed the work of journalists, “threatening the freedom of press in the country”.

The Ministry says the officials in question were doing their jobs and that the journalists’ accusations were unspecific. Meas Sophorn explained that officials are allowed to prohibit entry to certain locations, “if a journalist’s presence could disturb their operations”. He says the Ministry believes that journalists have the right to report on any topic, as long as they report both sides of the incident. If any threats are made against them, they should file a legal complaint.