Cambodia: Water Resources Minister & Kampong Cham Governor Clarify Remarks to Journalists

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology and the Kampong Cham Provincial Administration have issued clarifications regarding statements allegedly made by the Minister and the Provincial Governor towards journalists. Both institutions emphasized that their leaders did not intend to criticize journalists who perform their duties in accordance with professional ethics. In a statement released on June 30, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology clarified that the remarks made by Minister Thao Chetha were not directed at journalists adhering to Cambodia's journalism ethics code, but rather at a segment of journalists who had published reports without thorough judgment or transparency. Similarly, the Kampong Cham Provincial Administration stated in its clarification that the two leaders "only intended to target a small number of journalists who did not adhere to professional skills and journalistic ethics, disseminating information without comprehensive source gathering, causing the news to not reflect the truth and affecting the honor, dignity, and efforts of the government and provincial administration in serving the people." These clarifications were made following the dissemination on various social media platforms of short video clips and news reports, which quoted a conversation between Thao Chetha, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology, and Un Chantha, Governor of Kampong Cham Province, during an inspection visit to study the repair of a collapsed riverbank in Kampong Cham city on June 29, 2026. In the conversation, the Minister of Water Resources was quoted as saying, "Those journalists are very bad; they film and post even where they are not allowed," followed by the Governor of Kampong Cham stating, "If we arrest one or two, they will ስለዚህ, they will understand." The Kampong Cham Provincial Administration expressed regret for the aforementioned conversation, stating that it lacked a clear source, leading to misunderstanding and affecting the general professional journalists. Both the Kampong Cham Provincial Administration and the Ministry of Water Resources acknowledged the significant role of journalists, considering them effective partners who serve as a bridge for information transmission from the authorities to the public and vice versa. The two institutions affirmed their commitment to close cooperation with the media to resolve cases of suspicion, violations, or offenses at the local level. Regarding the water resources sector, the Ministry encouraged reporting on any suspected violations or offenses within the Ministry's jurisdiction, urging avoidance of disseminating information without a clear basis, which could lead to public misunderstanding.