Download The country’s online community is tiny – less than two percent of the population regularly logs on.
That’s small, but it’s still critical. People freely post anything on the web – including stories of police brutality in high-profile land evictions.
The regular mass media often faces pressure to play down these stories.
But this online freedom might disappear in the near future, as the government drafts its first cyber law to control content on the web.
Right groups say freedom of expression is under threat.
Sorn Sarath reports from Phnom Penh.
On this YouTube video, children from the community near Boeung Kak Lake are crying as their mothers are arrested.
The mothers held a peaceful protest last month against a mass eviction at the Lake that affected thousands of people – 13 of them were arrested and sent to jail.
Hundreds of people have watched the video, and it sparked vigorous debate on social networks like Facebook.
National human rights organisation LICAHDO has continuously posted photos, videos and reports on Facebook, highlighting police brutality against those protesting the eviction.
But the Cambodian government’s upcoming cyber law could put a stop to that.
Pong Cheavkech is LICAHDO’s President.
“I really don’t know the exact motivation of the government, but I always see that in the authoritarian countries they adopt this kind of law to limit fundamental freedom of their people.”
Internet penetration is still relatively small in Cambodia – but it’s growing fast.
Figures are hard to come by. But according to the World Bank, in 2009 around zero point five per cent of Cambodians were Internet users.
But just a year later it almost tripled to one point three per cent.
In urban centres like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, internet access is growing visibly, with net cafés and smartphones with wi-fi.
The government’s not taking any chances, and aims to pass its new cyber law soon.
On its official website, the government says this is a move designed to prevent so-called “ill-willed" groups or individuals from spreading false information – and to ensure that the national interest is protected.
Cheam Yeap is a member of parliament for the ruling People’s Party.
“We have to control people spreading false information, we have to prevent them. This can have an effect on our society and our culture. Many countries are doing the same thing.”
But the government hasn’t waited for the law to crack down online.
In February last year, prominent newspaper the Phnom Penh Post published official e-mails that ordered local Internet Service Providers to censor websites carrying what was described as anti-government content.
That included the popular site KI Media – which is a news aggregator and blog that frequently publishes material critical of the government.
The government denied making the censorship order but according to the Cambodian Human Rights Center, officials have gone on record saying that KI Media should be blocked.
The officials reportedly even suggested that online censorship policies may soon become a reality in Cambodia.
Cambodia’s print and broadcast media generally follow the political directives of the ruling party – which makes online sites some of the few forums carrying criticism of the government.
Ou Virak is the president of the Cambodian Human Rights Center.
He says young Cambodians will suffer under the law.
“Young people are now going online. Internet is becoming a significant tool for freedom of expression, to access information and to express opinion.”
28-year old Narith is a graduate student and active Facebook user.
“If the government passes the law, I think it means they really don’t want injustice, human rights abuses or land-grabbing issues to be shown in public.Young people like me are now afraid of expressing ourselves on the internet. There are many people and organisations accused and threatened with court for doing this. When the law is passed, people will become more reluctant and afraid to express their opinions.”
