Cambodia steps up surveillance with new Internet gateway

PHNOM PENH • Cambodia is powering up its new national Internet gateway, a move that activists say will allow the government to further silence the country's embattled opposition voices.

UN rights experts warn the gateway, which will funnel all Web traffic through a state-controlled entry point from tomorrow, will have a "devastating" effect on privacy and free speech.

It is the latest move by Prime Minister Hun Sen to clamp down on dissent in a country that has arrested dozens for online posts in recent years, critics say.

Internet gateways are the points on a network where a country connects to the World Wide Web.

Once fully operational, Cambodia's new Internet gateway will channel all traffic through a single entry point controlled by the government. Internet service providers will be ordered to block websites and connections that adversely affect "national revenue, safety, social order, morality, culture, traditions and customs".

UN rights experts warned earlier this month that the sweeping new powers will further shrink what is left of the space for dissent in Cambodia, where Mr Hun Sen has buttressed his 37-year rule by steadily rolling back freedoms.

The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) says the gateway will give the premier yet more ways to silence opposing voices.

Last year, at least 39 Cambodians were arrested, jailed or had arrest warrants issued against them for online posts that fell foul of government censors, according to the CCHR.

Elections in Cambodia are expected next year, and the CCHR says the completion of the gateway now could allow the government to block dissenting views online in the run-up to the polls.

Cyber-security expert Matt Warren from Australia's RMIT University said there could be attempts to silence high-profile opposition figures living in exile from weighing in on the domestic political debate ahead of the elections.

Aside from privacy and rights concerns, industry figures warn that funnelling all online traffic through a single point leaves the country highly vulnerable to being cut off - either due to a technical fault or a cyber attack.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan has insisted the Internet gateway is needed to crack down on cyber crime, maintain national security and collect revenue.

Cambodians had to understand that freedom of "expression comes with responsibilities" and that "insulting or manipulating information can affect national security or individuals' reputations", he said.

But according to Mr Warren, "it's not just about censorship, it's also about control". The Cambodian government's biggest fear, Mr Warren added, is that its people could take inspiration from anti-coup campaigners in Myanmar, who have been using social media platforms to organise mass protests against the junta.

Meanwhile, many Cambodians are turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) to skirt online censorship.

Top10VPN, a Britain-based digital security advocacy group, said there had been a 56 per cent surge in demand for VPN accounts in Cambodia in December.

So far, there have been no reports of the authorities cracking down on VPN use.

"However, wherever there are long-term government restrictions on Internet access, VPN bans are sure to follow," said head researcher Simon Migliano.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE