Cambodian leader says radio station closure is permanent

By SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen says a radio station he ordered closed will not be allowed to reopen, spurning pleas and protests from around the world. Voice of Democracy, better known as VoD, was closed on Monday after Hun Sen said it had not properly apologized for a story that he claimed had slandered his son. Hun Sen said the article about quake relief for Turkey misrepresented the facts, and that the station had not made a satisfactory apology. The Information Ministry said VoD violated professional ethics. Hun Sen has led Cambodia with an iron fist for 38 years and forced critical media to shut down on previous occasions. Critics noted that the action comes ahead of a general election scheduled for July.