Protestors gather after Cambodian news outlet closed
A handful of protesters gathered in Phnom Penh on Monday to condemn the shutdown of one of Cambodia's last independent media outlets, with rights groups also decrying the portal's closure just months before national elections. Prime Minister Hun Sen – who is among the world's longest-serving leaders – ordered the shuttering of the online Khmer- and English-language outlet Voice of Democracy (VOD) on Sunday over what he said was an erroneous report about his eldest son. Outside the outlet's offices, protester Prum Chantha said: "It's only VOD that speaks about the truth... The government must not shut them down. They are cracking down (on VOD) so that other media outlets don't dare to rise up, to speak the truth." A dozen police officers blocked the road as information ministry officials delivered the closure notice. In the now-empty VOD studio, Ith Sothoeuth, media director of the Cambodian Centre for Independent Media which oversees VOD, told reporters: "For now we will stay silent. We hope that this is not the end of everything yet."  In the run-up to the election later this year, Hun Sen has increasingly cracked down on dissent. Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday condemned the "outrageous and ridiculous order" to shut VOD, which "barely masks the government's real intent to further suppress media freedom". "Going after VOD is a good indication that (the) scheduled July 23 poll will be neither free nor fair," HRW deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said in a statement. VOD, which has broadcast since 2003, published a story on February 9 alleging that Hun Sen's son, Lieutenant General Hun Manet, had signed off on funds to help earthquake-hit Turkey. Hun Manet has denied the claim, with Hun Sen stating that he himself authorised the $100,000 relief package. The Cambodian leader demanded an apology from VOD, but has refused to reconsider his decision to revoke its licence even after the outlet complied. As of Monday afternoon, some Cambodian internet service providers had blocked access to the site. (AFP)