Voice of Democracy explained

Voice of Democracy
Native Name:	វីអូឌី
Native Name Lang:	km
Type:	News agency
Industry:	Media
Predecessors:	-->
Successors:	-->
Founders:	-->
Hq Location City:	Phnom Penh
Hq Location Country:	Cambodia
Area Served:	Cambodia
Owners:	-->
Parent:	Cambodian Center for Independent Media
Website:

Voice of Democracy (; abbreviated VOD) was an independent news agency based in Cambodia. VOD has provided significant investigative journalism within Cambodia, providing coverage on domestic issues including corruption, government wrongdoing, human rights violations, and environmental destruction, which have drawn the ire of Cambodian officials.^{[1] [2]} Following the Cambodian government's media crackdown in 2017, VOD, alongside Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, became an increasingly important news source for Cambodians.^[3] It was shuttered by the Cambodian government on 13 February 2023.^[4]

History

VOD began as a non-profit radio station which first aired in January 2003 under the supervision of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.^[5] In 2007, it was moved under the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM). VOD launched online news portals in 2013.

VOD became an increasingly important media outlet after the Cambodian government shuttered the independent The Cambodia Daily and forced the sale of The Phnom Penh Post to a pro-government owner in 2017.^[6] VOD launched its English language version in 2019 to fill a void in independent English language media.^[7]

In February 2023, Cambodia's prime minister Hun Sen revoked VOD's operating license, in retaliation for a VOD news article that alleged Sen's son, Hun Manet, had violated existing policy by approving a foreign aid package for the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.^[8] VOD's closure was condemned by organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, and the American and German governments.^{[9] [10] [11]} HRW described the shutdown as a "devastating blow to media freedom in [Cambodia]." The US Department of State called the Cambodian government's response "particularly troubling" on its detrimental impact to freedom of speech and access to 2023 Cambodian general election coverage.^[12]

Awards

In 2004, Oudam Tat, a VOD radio reporter, was awarded Reporters Without Borders' Information Hero award.^[13]

See also

• Media in Cambodia

External links

• (in English)
• (in Khmer)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2023-02-14 . Cambodia: Hun Sen Extinguishes Media Freedom . 2023-03-10 . Human Rights Watch . en.
2. News: Ratcliffe . Rebecca . 2023-02-13 . Dictator Hun Sen shuts down Cambodia’s VOD broadcaster . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-03-10 . 0261-3077.
3. Web site: Cambodia: Freedom on the Net 2018 Country Report . 2023-03-10 . Freedom House . en.
4. Web site: 2023-02-13 . Cambodia independent radio station VoD closes on PM's orders . 2023-03-10 . AP NEWS . en.
5. Web site: New Players - Voice of Democracy (VOD) . Cambodian Center for Independent Media.
6. News: 2017-09-03 . Cambodia Daily newspaper closes in government tax row . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-03-10.
7. Web site: Brook . Jack . Phin . Rathana . 2023-02-13 . Cambodia’s Hun Sen shuts down independent media outlet . 2023-03-10 . Al Jazeera . en.
8. News: 2023-02-13 . Cambodia's Hun Sen shuts down independent media outlet Voice of Democracy . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-03-10.
9. Web site: 2023-02-13 . A Statement from U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh on Voice of Democracy . U.S. Embassy in Cambodia.
10. Web site: Cambodia: UN experts call for reinstatement of Voice of Democracy, say free media critical ahead of elections . 2023-03-10 . OHCHR . en.
11. Web site: Chen . Heather . 2023-02-14 . Voice of Democracy, one of Cambodia's last independent media outlets, has been shut down CNN Business . 2023-03-10 . CNN . en.
12. Web site: 2023-02-12 . Cambodia independent radio station VoD closes on PM's orders . 2023-03-10 . ABC News . en.
13. Web site: Cambodian Reporter Receives ‘Information Hero’ Award . 2023-03-10 . VOA . en.