PHNOM PENH, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia marked the 29th World Press Freedom Day here on Tuesday, reaffirming its commitment to upholding the freedom of the press in the southeast Asian nation.
An event was held in the capital city of Phnom Penh to mark the day whose theme this year was "Journalism under Digital Siege". The event was attended by about 400 media representatives and practitioners as well as spokespersons in the country.
In a message to mark the day, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said the Cambodian government is committed to protecting the freedoms of expression and the press in the country, as well as promoting the government-media partnership.
"The royal government of Cambodia has given its main priority in its political program on the media sector in order to help the government fight corruption, carry out legal, judicial and public administrative reforms, and promote democracy and human rights," he said.
Hun Sen also encouraged Cambodian journalists to constantly develop their capacity, pay attention to the code of ethics and show professionalism in their work in order to gain confidence and trust from the public.
Speaking at the event, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said Cambodia currently has 662 newspapers, bulletins and magazines, 706 news websites, 81 online TVs, 19 TV stations and 221 radio stations as well as 26 representative offices of foreign media.
Huy Vannak, head of the Union of Journalist Federations of Cambodia (UJFC), noted that journalists play a crucial role in conveying credible information to the public.
"The UJFC recognizes that there are still challenges in the field of journalism, including finance, job security and access to information," he added. "However, we encourage journalists to continue to overcome these challenges, play their role in good faith and adhere to professional ethics without fear." ■