Internet cafes are seen as information hubs in most countries, but in
Cambodia the government seems terrorized by their presence.
Last February, the government
mandated internet cafe owners to set up surveillance cameras in their shops and
register the names of all customers as a “crime deterrence measure.” Then it
issued a new circular last month banning internet cafes within 500 meters of
schools or educational buildings. The circular also prohibits internet cafes
from extending their services to minors allegedly to protect them from
cyberbullies and cybercriminals.
The Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications justified the new order by reminding the public, especially
parents, that criminals use “telecommunication means to commit offenses such as
robbery, murder, extortion, illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking,
pornography and other immoral acts, which have affected (Cambodian) tradition
and social morality.” It also cited the youth’s rising addiction to several
internet-based games.
The ministry warned that internet
cafes located in the forbidden zones would be closed and their equipment
confiscated. Shop owners would also face arrest and prosecution. The penalty
could be higher if a cybercrime was committed in the cafe.
The new circular was immediately
condemned as an anti-business measure since its strict implementation would
force almost all internet cafes in the center of the capitol city, Phnom Penh,
to close. Furthermore, small shop owners are worried about the threat of
closure and arrest even if they didn’t directly commit petty cybercrimes in
their establishments.
Travel writer Faine Greenwood
predicts that the new decree “could easily be used as a rationale for
unscrupulous sorts in the government to collect hefty bribes from owners if
they want to continue operating.”
For human rights group Licadho,
the new regulation is “a transparent attempt [by the government] to block part
of the population’s access to independent sources of information through news
sites and social media.”
“In a country where traditional
media such as TV and radio stations are for the most part in the hands of the
ruling party, the ability to access independent and critical voices through the
internet is crucial,” it added.
This year’s laws are not the
Cambodian government’s first attempts at imposing political-driven web
regulations under the guise of protecting public morality. In 2008, it ordered
the closure of an artist’s website for depicting bare-breasted Apsara dancers.
In 2011, it asked local Internet Service Providers to block several “harmful”
opposition websites. Even Blogspot was temporarily banned because it hosted
several websites that were critical of the government.
It’s convenient for the
government to raise the specter of cybercrimes to justify unreasonable and
unnecessary regulations that could seriously harm local businesses and freedom
of speech. Indeed, internet gaming addiction is a social problem but the
solution is not to stop young people from having access to the internet but to
teach them the value of moderation and responsible online behavior.
Perhaps the government should
focus more on how to improve computer access in rural areas, expand internet
penetration, and enhance digital literacy among its citizens instead of
outright banning internet cafes which alternately serve as virtual knowledge
centers.
Mong Palatino
Business & Investment Opportunities
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