Cambodia
Radio journalist acquitted of chargesPosted Feb 26 2010
The provincial court in Takeo, Cambodia, acquitted a Radio Free Asia reporter who had been charged in Sept. 2009 with spreading disinformation.
Four years ago, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen pledged not to incarcerate journalists for writing about sensitive issues, but reporter Sok Serey was charged after he reported on a local dispute in Takeo's Kampong Youl village.
Sok Serey reported in Nov. 2008 that about 200 members of the Cham ethnic minority accused community leader Rim Math of stealing about $2,400 from a community project.
Sok Serey was not arrested for his coverage and was allowed to keep reporting until his court date.
Although Sok Serey was cleared of all charges, other Cambodian journalists are not so lucky. A number of journalists are in prison for doing their jobs, such as Hang Chakra, a journalist who received a sentence of one year in prison for reporting on government officials.