Concerns aired ahead of information law meeting
With the Ministry of Information scheduled to meet to discuss a draft of the long-awaited Access to Information Law today, numerous journalists at a forum on Monday voiced concerns about vague wording they say could render the law ineffective or, worse, a cudgel against the press. Monday’s forum, organised by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, was part of a series aimed at critiquing the draft law, which has been released on a dedicated Ministry of Information website. CCIM is a member of the technical working group that will discuss the law today. Nop Vy, president of Voice of Democracy, which is an arm of CCIM, said on December 21 that many journalists are worried about the wording of some parts of the law, particularly those pertaining to “public order” and confidentiality. In the law’s current form, violating public order is defined as disclosing information that “will lead to confusion, turmoil and violence that cause social instability and disorder”.
