Restrictions have widened as the Ministry of Information has introduced new media regulations aimed at controlling journalistic work.

CamboJA’s monitoring shows a continued deterioration of the environment for independent journalism in Cambodia. Restrictions have widened as the Ministry of Information has introduced new media regulations aimed at controlling journalistic work. Between October-December 2025, CamboJA observed a worrying development for press freedom in the Ministry of Information’s new Prakas on journalism qualifications. Framed as aiming to ensure minimum standards of quality, safety, and order within the media sector, the measure further compounds existing restrictions on press freedom. The ministry also introduced new requirements for obtaining press cards, requiring journalists to present a certification of good conduct issued by local authorities, publisher confirmation that the journalist in question has not been involved in legal cases or complaints, as well as additional documentation.

Findings from the fourth quarter of 2025 (October-December) highlight ongoing challenges to media freedom and fundamental human rights in the country, including four women journalists. In this period, CamboJA documented 14 instances of violations against journalists, all directly related to journalistic activities. The cases documented include instances of physical violence, threats, arbitrary legal acts and detention. 

 Among the violations against women journalists, a prominent case concerned gender-based-violations where the journalist faced multiple forms of abuse, including physical and verbal sexual harassment in the workplace and the termination of her work contract, in violation of labor law.   

The cases documented this quarter represent a 39% decline compared to the previous quarter (July-September), during which 23 violations were documented. This decline does however not signal an improvement in press freedom. Instead, documented cases - as a whole – indicate an increasingly restrictive media environment, characterized by regulatory controls, legal intimidation, and self-censorship.

14 violations against journalists were recorded across 10 separate incidents. These violations directly affected journalists’ legal safety and included cases involving physical security threats and denial of access. 

Key findings highlight the following: 

• Seven journalists, including one woman, were detained for questioning. 
• One journalist was placed under judicial supervision. 
• Three journalists, including one woman, were physically assaulted, sustained injuries, or were threatened with physical harm. 
• One woman journalist was subjected to verbal and physical sexual harassment in the workplace. 
• One woman journalist received verbal intimidation. 
• One journalist was denied access to information or reporting locations. 
• Six of the ten incidents were allegedly perpetrated by state actors, while the remaining four involved private individuals, including private security personnel. 

The predominance of violations committed by state actors highlights persistent restrictions on freedom of expression and press freedom, constituting a clear breach of international human rights obligations and perpetuating a culture of impunity. The data also shows that documented violations were linked to coverage on the Cambodia-Thai conflict, social accountability, mining, labor rights and protest.   

The highest number of incidents took place in the Oddar Meanchey province.

As in the previous quarter, reporting on the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict was a key driver of violations. 50% of violations (seven in total) documented by CamboJA are directly linked to authorities’ efforts to control reporting on the conflict, frequently justified on national security grounds. The intense focus on the border conflict has also crowded out reporting on other sensitive issues, as journalists fear retaliation while public attention remains fixed on the conflict. 

In the fourth quarter of 2025, CamboJA recorded a case of repeated violations against the same journalist, with incidents documented in consecutive quarters. This case demonstrates how sustained legal pressures and harassment operate as a coercive measure - even in the absence of a conviction – to reinforce fear and self-censorship among journalists. 

The findings reflect the continued misuse of legal and judicial mechanisms to silence journalists, punish critical reporting, and deter coverage of issues in the public interest. They point to an increasingly restrictive media environment, reinforced by regulatory controls, legal intimidation, and growing self-censorship. These also highlight how national security narratives related to the Thailand–Cambodia conflict are used to legitimize censorship, restrict access to information, and suppress independent scrutiny. Furthermore, they underscore the intersection of workplace abuse and the absence of effective safeguards to protect women journalists. 

Download the full report:   English