Information Minister Requests Newspapers to Be Careful Translating Words
BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA
His Excellency Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information and Spokesman to the Royal Government of Cambodia, has said that some foreign newspapers have wrongly translated Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s speech, leading to discredit the Prime Minister’s reputation and honor and also increasing the tension between Cambodian and Thai leaders relating to Preah Vihear Temple and border issues.
Minister Khieu Kanharith has requested those foreign newspapers that have made incorrect translations to correct the mistakes to be translated accurately in order to avoid the misunderstanding and confrontation between the two countries in the future.
“I have noted that currently there are some English newspapers in Cambodia that have been publishing wrong translations about the Prime Minister’s words that he said during his visit at Preah Vihear Temple,” he said. “Samdech Techo Hun Sen did not curse the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva but he asked Abhisit to swear with him that the Thai side did not invade Cambodian territory,” he told reporters during a press conference on February 15.
Minister Kanharith stated that the wrong translation of Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s words has discredited the Prime Minister’s reputation and his honor. He added that it would also create tension between the countries about Preah Vihear Temple and the border dispute.
“To avoid the misunderstanding and confrontation between the two countries, now I would like to ask the foreign newspapers and those which have published the wrong translations of the Cambodian Prime Minister’s words for their corrections,” he said. “I would also like to call on all reporters and media organizations to translate and publish the Prime Minister’s words correctly, accurately and check it directly with me or the Ministry of Information’s experts before their publishing.”
The Minister called on all foreign media newspapers to cooperate and to contact the Ministry of Information in case they did not understand Khmer words or are not clear about the technical words that will cause confrontation or discrediting the government’s leaderships in the future. He appealed to all Cambodian journalists to strictly respect their code of conduct and journalism and practice it in accordance with press law in order to improve and promote the quality of newspapers in Cambodia in the future.
The Royal Government spokesperson Khieu Kanharith welcomed Thai stance on bilateral border solution, but the Thai government has to make sure over its stance first.“The border disputes can be solved by many ways, the multilateral, bilateral and international ways, but the most important thing is whether Thailand has a real will to solve the issue or not,” he said at the press conference.This has been raised when Thai mass media recently quoted Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva about the Thai government's intention to bilaterally discuss on border tension. ////
His Excellency Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information and Spokesman to the Royal Government of Cambodia, has said that some foreign newspapers have wrongly translated Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s speech, leading to discredit the Prime Minister’s reputation and honor and also increasing the tension between Cambodian and Thai leaders relating to Preah Vihear Temple and border issues.
Minister Khieu Kanharith has requested those foreign newspapers that have made incorrect translations to correct the mistakes to be translated accurately in order to avoid the misunderstanding and confrontation between the two countries in the future.
“I have noted that currently there are some English newspapers in Cambodia that have been publishing wrong translations about the Prime Minister’s words that he said during his visit at Preah Vihear Temple,” he said. “Samdech Techo Hun Sen did not curse the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva but he asked Abhisit to swear with him that the Thai side did not invade Cambodian territory,” he told reporters during a press conference on February 15.
Minister Kanharith stated that the wrong translation of Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s words has discredited the Prime Minister’s reputation and his honor. He added that it would also create tension between the countries about Preah Vihear Temple and the border dispute.
“To avoid the misunderstanding and confrontation between the two countries, now I would like to ask the foreign newspapers and those which have published the wrong translations of the Cambodian Prime Minister’s words for their corrections,” he said. “I would also like to call on all reporters and media organizations to translate and publish the Prime Minister’s words correctly, accurately and check it directly with me or the Ministry of Information’s experts before their publishing.”
The Minister called on all foreign media newspapers to cooperate and to contact the Ministry of Information in case they did not understand Khmer words or are not clear about the technical words that will cause confrontation or discrediting the government’s leaderships in the future. He appealed to all Cambodian journalists to strictly respect their code of conduct and journalism and practice it in accordance with press law in order to improve and promote the quality of newspapers in Cambodia in the future.
The Royal Government spokesperson Khieu Kanharith welcomed Thai stance on bilateral border solution, but the Thai government has to make sure over its stance first.“The border disputes can be solved by many ways, the multilateral, bilateral and international ways, but the most important thing is whether Thailand has a real will to solve the issue or not,” he said at the press conference.This has been raised when Thai mass media recently quoted Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva about the Thai government's intention to bilaterally discuss on border tension. ////
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