Alarm as Cambodia shuts down one of last free media outlets just months before election

‘This is a blatant attempt to slam the door on what’s left of independent media in the country’

Journalists gather in front of the Voice of Democracy (VOD) office in Phnom Penh Cambodia on Monday, 13 February 2023 (Associated Press)

Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Sen shut down one of the last few independent media outlets in the country on Sunday with less than six months to go until a general election.

The prime minister ordered the immediate revocation of Voice Of Democracy‘s (VOD) operating licence after the outlet published an article that he claimed intentionally slandered his son.

The move has been termed alarming by human rights and journalist groups both locally and internationally. Amnesty International said in a statement: “This is a blatant attempt to slam the door on what’s left of independent media in the country, and a clear warning to other critical voices months before national elections.”