CAMBODIA: 'Cambodge Soir' Staff Spells Out Demands, Talks Continue

By Lynette Lee Corporal

BANGKOK, Jun 22 (IPS Asia-Pacific) - Despite the unexpected 'closure' of the Khmer and French-language daily newspaper 'Cambodge Soir' more than a week ago, its editorial staff remains optimistic that the management will have a change of heart and re-open the 13-year-old Cambodian paper.

"We are currently deep in negotiations with the management and there are different points that we need to discuss. We still have no idea how long the talks will take and we're now on our second week of discussions," 'Cambodge Soir' chief editor Stephanie Gee told IPS Asia-Pacific in a phone interview.

Editorial independence and clear guidelines on the responsibilities of different sections in the organisation are among the issues being discussed in ongoing talks.

"We want the management to issue a written declaration that the editorial staff will be given editorial independence," she added, in reference to the firing of news editor Soren Seelow on Jun. 10.

Seelow was dismissed allegedly by one of the newspaper's owners, Philippe Monin, for publishing a story linking Prime Minister Hun Sen's associates to illegal logging. The story was based on a report released by Global Witness, the London-based environmental group.

In a report released Jun. 13, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders reported that Monin also works for the French Development Agency and "acts as an adviser for the Cambodian agriculture ministry", which appeared to raise an issue of conflict of interest.

It was quoted as saying that Monin was concerned that Seelow's article would put him "in a difficult position".

IPS Asia-Pacific tried to get Monin's side but he refused to comment on the issue.

"We were not informed about his expulsion and we believe that editors should at least have been informed about decisions involving its staff," said Gee. She added that never had such an incident occurred in the past and that they "do not understand why this happened at all".

In protest against Seelow's firing, the paper's editorial staff went on strike on Jun. 11. A day later, 'Cambodge Soir' publisher Societe des Editions du Mekong announced that the paper will be closed down due to financial troubles.

Deputy director Emmanuelle Billier-Gauthier declined to further comment on the paper's financial status. "We talked about the possibilities of closing but we didn't talk about closing the paper down," she told IPS Asia-Pacific, but refused to elaborate further.

"True, we're going through financial problems and it's been quite difficult. But there are other issues that need to be clarified. Among them is the question about the responsibilities of each department in this company," said Gee.

Despite the uncertainties being faced by the tabloid-size paper's 14 journalists — composed of eight Cambodian and six French -- plus four translators, Gee does not see the need for them to put up a union as a means to protect their interests.

"While it is legal to put up a union, I don't think it's necessary to form one when all this is over. There's never been one in 'Cambodge Soir' and we never thought there would be use for this," she said.

She explained that a clear editorial organisational chart would do, since it should clearly spell out the specific responsibilities of both the management and editorial sections. "We just want to ensure that this situation will not happen again," she said.

With daily negotiations ongoing, the paper's other projects, including book printings and website management, are currently on hold. The newspaper's website, www.cambodgesoir.info, is still down.

'Cambodge Soir' has been known for editorial independence in its 13-year-old history and has a circulation of 2,000. Organisations that have supported the paper include the French Embassy and the International Organisation of Francophile Countries. (END/IPSAP/LC/JS/220607)