Royal Government of Cambodia

Spokesman Office

No 202 PRESS RELEASE

On the morning of August 25, 2000 at 8: 30 the office of Council of Ministers convened a plenary cabinet meeting, presided over by Samdech Hun Sen Prime minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia in order to review and adopt the draft subdecree on controlling and regulating films and videos.

The cabinet approved the draft subdecree, stipulating the subsecree intends to control and regulated films and videos and encourage the production of local films and videos in order to uphold national culture ensuring the respect for social morality. Controlling and eliminating film and video offences are aimed at regulating the production and circulation of films and videos by different means and in various forms such as Lasor Dis, CD video, DVD, CD-rom.

The draft subdercee also states that companies or individuals who intend to produce local films or videos to be circulated both internally and externally have to apply for a license from the ministry of culture and fine arts. All production companies, including the local ones, who wish to produce works of film and video arts have to apply for a prior visa from the ministry of culture and fine arts. And the issuance from the ministry of culture and fine arts must not be later than the period of 15 days, counting from the day of the submitted application, if the issuance is not met within the fixed period, the application for a visa is considered approved. The draft subdecree also underlines that the censorship of the contents of films and videos is in the competence of the ministry of culture and fine arts, but, if necessary, the relevant ministries may be summoned to take part including the royal academy of Cambodia.

Also, the draft subdecree stipulates those who export works of film and video art without a visa from the ministry of culture and fine arts for business purposes will be confiscated and fined between 200,000 and 2,000,000 Riels for a video tape, Laser Dis, CD video, DVD, CD-Rom or long films except a family film and video for which a visa is not required from the ministry of culture and fine arts.

The cabinet meeting ended at 12:00 p.m.

Phnom Penh, 25 August 2000

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