Cambodian radio station owner charged with inciting riots by false reporting
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Your support makes all the difference.The owner of a radio station in Phnom Penh has been charged with inciting criminal violence with false reports.
He was one of 150 Cambodians detained after rioters in the capital torched and looted Thai-owned property on Wednesday and prompted the military to fly 800 frightened Thai expatriates to safety across the border.
Mam Sonando, who owns Cambodia's only independent station, is accused of airing a provocative segment on Beehive Radio FM105 in which an angry listener described imaginary retaliatory attacks in Thailand that left 10 Cambodians dead. None occurred. The talk show allegedly whipped up hatred against Thais, which incited mobs to rampage and inflict an estimated £14m of damage.
If convicted, Mr Sonando will be sentenced to nine years behind bars and fined £3,000. "They blame me for broadcasting an opinion of a listener which turned out to be untrue. But if I have to go to jail to allow people to express their opinion I am happy," Mr Sonando said.
After a formal apology by Hun Sen, the Cambodian Prime Minister, and a promise of compensation, relations between the two neighbours are improving. The frenzy of shoddy reporting had pushed the two sides to the brink of military confrontation.
A popular Thai soap opera actor, Suwanan Kongying, was misquoted in a Khmer paper a fortnight ago as saying she refused to tour Cambodia unless Angkor Wat was returned to its rightful owner, Thailand. She denies making such a statement about the Buddhist temple that Cambodia considers a national symbol. After suggesting the quote was taken from some old soap opera dialogue, the newspaper editor admitted it was unchecked.
Cynics suggest the quote was fabricated and placed by a cosmetics firm that wanted to sabotage a rival's advertising campaign, which featured Ms Kongying. The quote was quickly picked up by populist politicians to fan xenophobia and win votes in upcoming elections.
By midweek, the simmering resentment that Cambodians hold for their wealthy Thai neighbours had boiled over. Riots left one dead and nine injured. Cambodian police were accused of being slow to react, and witnesses said security forces stood by while the Thai embassy was razed, three hotels were looted and other Thai businesses firebombed.
Diplomatic ties were downgraded, all economic co- operation was halted, cross-border flights were suspended and troops were moved to the Thai frontier. The Thai navy was put on full alert.
With the crisis resolved, Bangkok Airways is expected to resume flights this weekend, while Thai Airways, the national flag carrier, will be grounded at least until Monday.
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