Cambodia PM Bans 3G Mobile Phone Service

[Supharidh Hy]

Cambodia PM Bans 3G Mobile Phone Service
Friday, May 26, 2006

(05-26) 08:50 PDT PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) --

Heeding a request from his wife, Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday banned
the latest generation of mobile phone services in Cambodia to curb the
dissemination of pornography.

Bun Rany, along with the wives of several other senior government
officials, recently urged Hun Sen to prohibit the use of third-generation,
or 3G, phones in the impoverished country because they can be used to
spread obscene images.

Such phones — which few can afford in Cambodia — are capable of displaying
high-quality video and images over wireless broadband connections.

In a petition addressed to Hun Sun and dated May 19, Bun Rany argued that
obscene images have "gravely negative consequences for social morality" and
could increase the "sexual exploitation of women and children and other
vices that would cast our society as a very dark one."

On Friday, Hun Sen said he agrees with his wife and that while Cambodia is
still unable to cope with pornography on the Internet, "how can we go for
video phones?

"Hold it. Do not yet start the mobile phone services through which the
callers can see each others' images," he said in a speech during a visit to
a Buddhist pagoda in the capital, Phnom Penh.

"Maybe we can wait for another 10 years or so until we have done enough to
strengthen the morality of our society," he said.

Alcatel, a French telecommunications firm, announced in February that it
would provide 3G mobile services to CamGSM, a Cambodian mobile phone
network.

Asked Thursday about the anti-3G petition, CamGSM owner Kith Meng said, "I
don't know and don't have any comment."

Alcatel officials in France were not immediately available for comment
Friday.

Hun Sen said Cambodia is facing a severe decline in social morality and
that curbing pornography is one way to help rescue the country.

The 3G mobile phone "is way too advanced for us. Hearing each other's
voices and exchanging text messages should be enough. If we go further than
this, it could be more difficult for us to control" pornography, he said.

It was unclear if legislation is necessary for the ban to take effect. Hun
Sen's orders are often carried out without challenge by Cambodia's
government and lawmakers.

Cambodia is predominantly Buddhist and socially conservative. People
normally do not talk openly about sex.[End]