Local newspapers have reported that H.E Governor KEP Chuk Tema, Municipal Governor in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, issued a letter to all eight districts under his governance not to release information to news reporters in relation to crackdowns on drug criminals. Local newspapers report that the reason given is that arrests are difficult to make if this information is released.
Currently, drug users have been arrested alongside drug distributors, traffickers, dealers and producers. But people from one geographical area to another often learn of the actions taken by law enforcement officials through local newspapers. NGOs might construct their programmes to assist the government in redressing drug issues such as helping victims of drug use.
News around the arrests and the detentions made as a result of them differ depending on the level of law enforcement used. This means that people start to learn what is happening regarding illicit drugs, the reasons why there are legal or illegal arrests and detentions or corruption around drug dealing. Also, people learn how much the government is investing in redressing drug issues.
As the law currently stands, anyone in Cambodia can inform reporters about such incidents unless this information harms national security. Cambodia is bound by a number of international human rights instruments to ensure the respect for the right to information and freedom of expression.
The Constitution of Cambodia prohibits acts, orders, and decisions that do not conform with the supreme law of Cambodia including the international human rights law ratified by Cambodian government.