Thai news media breaks ties with Cambodian counterparts

The ongoing conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has now spilled into the media sphere, as three major Thai media associations announced the suspension of ties with their Cambodian counterpart, the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ), accusing it of acting as a mouthpiece for the Cambodian government, rather than operating as an independent, professional organisation.

In a joint statement, signed by the Thai Journalists Association (TJA), the Society for Online News Providers (SONP) and the National Union of Journalists Thailand (NUJT), the groups said the suspension of relations will remain in effect until the situation returns to normal.

The statement explained that the decision was in response to the CCJ’s accusation that Thai media lacked ethics in their coverage of the border dispute.

The Thai organisations categorically rejected, what they described as, defamatory claims and expressed deep dissatisfaction with the CCJ's statement, which they said unfairly accused Thai journalists of unethical reporting practices.

“This constitutes (a level of) contempt that cannot be accepted,” the joint statement read, calling the Cambodian accusations an unacceptable insult to Thai media professionalism.

The three groups issued specific demands to their Cambodian counterpart, urging it to stop interfering in Thai media’s internal affairs and, instead, focus on robustly monitoring media ethics within Cambodia, “free from manipulation and domination.”

They also called on the CCJ to take concrete action against fake news and misinformation originating from Cambodia and spreading online.

Among the examples cited were:

· False claims that Thai F-16 aircraft dropped chemicals on Cambodia

· Fabricated reports that Thailand used F-16s to drop powerful MK bombs on civilian homes

· Fake reporting of the death of Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, Commander of Thailand’s 2nd Army Area

The Thai media organisations restated their commitment to a strong, self-regulatory framework and respect for civil and press freedoms.

“We are fully committed to respecting the rights and freedoms of the public and the press, and to reporting based on the principles of ethics, impartiality and comprehensive accuracy, without inciting hatred between the peoples of our two nations and with a genuine desire for a true and lasting peace at the border region,” they said.