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United Nations Inter-Agency Project
on Human Trafficking
in the Greater Mekong
Sub-Region
CAMBODIA: Ads Showing Scantily Clad Cambodians Banned
The
By Kuch Naren
In an effort to protect traditional
values and the honor of Cambodian women, the Cambodia Information Ministry in
conjunction with the Tourism Ministry has banned publication from including
advertisement that show Cambodian men and women in skimpy attire.
The Ministry of Information has
noticed that numerous magazines and guidebooks have printed advertisemts of
bars and karaoke parlors that show tourists images of Cambodian men and women
in skimpy dress,” said the May 16 statement received Tuesday.
“It confuses tourists into thinking
that
Yem Noy, director of the Information
Ministry’s media department, said Tuesday that they are banning the ads in
response to the noted proliferation of images depicting scantily clad
Cambodians....
“The ban is released to protect and
improve the value of Cambodian women,” he said, adding that there will be
“strong measures taken against publications that refuse to heed the ban, though
he declined to say what those measures would be.
Ros Sopheap, executive director for
the Gender and Development Organization, said Tuesday that she thinks the ban
violates people’s rights to dress as they please, but thinks it could also be a
good measure to strengthen morality.
“Cambodian women are now like a tool
for commercials and business companies to promote their products by showing girls
in skimpy dresses,” she said.
“The ban is definitely good to improve
the values of women and children…but it also affects the rights of people to
wear clothes,” she said.
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