Shining Light Into the Shadows

By Phann Ana
The cambodia daily

I have tried to bring the hidden news to the reader by giving all sides of the story, not just one side. That way, the leaders and the ones who are being led can hear the voices of one another. People can know much more than what the government has told them, and they are able to say their point of view in return—something that many of them have never been able to do before.

Since coming to work at The Cambodia Daily in 1998, I have enjoyed covering the stories in the remote areas much more than hanging around the office, waiting for breaking news.

The farmers in the provinces are poor and do not read newspapers often. They listen to the radio and sometimes watch television, but the news always comes from one, central place.
They can hear only what the government wants them to hear.

I have tried to bring the hidden news to the reader by giving all sides of the story, not just one side.

That way, the leaders and the ones who are being led can hear the voices of one another. People can know much more than what the government has told them, and they are able to say their point of view in return—something that many of them have never been able to do before.

Earlier this year, I went to Stung Treng province with Kevin Doyle to look into drug trafficking. This was one of my favorite stories.
Doyle and I went to the Lao border without informing the provincial officials.

But shortly after we arrived at the border, the officials informed each other of our presence by hand-held radio. Police officials said they were standing on alert to prevent a possible assassination by a member of a drug gang.

But from my observation, the officials had been instructed not to talk to reporters. One low-ranking policeman, however, talked to us and guided us to the border, where he was promptly warned by his chief.

This trip was unusual, because when I go to the countryside with an expatriate reporter, the people always say “hello” to the foreigner and tell each other that a “barang” has arrived.

But this time, people at the border did not welcome us.

They glared at us with suspicion. Our news coverage had to be focused on observation, rather than interviews, because it was difficult to ask the officials and other people direct questions.

We were unclear at first why people looked at us so strangely. But a senior police official told us that we were in danger.

Others told us that drug traffickers usually use small speedboats to transfer drugs from the border to Stung Treng town before heading to Phnom Penh.

But most of the boat drivers were frightened to talk to us, saying that they had never been hired to transport drugs. However, they admitted that other boat drivers did carry the shipments.

Our story on drug trafficking at the Lao border ran in the Weekend edition. By mid-morning, it was gone from almost all the stores and newsstands.

Storeowners said they didn’t know why the newspaper sold so quickly that day. Maybe the city people who were curious about the border bought it to read at home.

Or maybe someone bought many of the issues and then burned them. Maybe this was a story that showed other voices and was not welcome. I do not know.