H.E. Meas Sophorn, Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Information, has reacted against some media associations’ statements accusing competent authorities of blocking, intimidating and violating the press freedom during their media coverage.

“Those statements were intended to mislead the public by making baseless allegations against the competent authorities,” he told AKP this morning.

When competent authorities are conducting an operation at any location, they have the full right not to allow any person without relevant authority, including journalists, to enter the location because it may affect or disturb or obstruct or endanger the competent authorities being on duty, he explained.

H.E. Meas Sophorn continued that journalists have the right to get information from all sources related to any incident or event or operation and must publish factual and comprehensive information. But if they fail to find sources from all parties involved, it is the journalists themselves who violate the rights of others, he underlined.

The spokesperson added that if any person or party feels that s/he has been violated or intimidated by another person or party, s/he has the right to file a complaint to the court against that person or party in order to demand justice for oneself, not to seek justice on the street.

The issuance of any statement condemning or indicting any person or party should be examined and investigated as precisely as possible because the accused person or party can also exercise their legal rights to protect their legitimacy, stressed H.E. Meas Sophorn.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press