Cambodian Internet users are increasingly going online for more than mere socializing, a popular blogger says.
Chak Sopheap, who is currently in the US on a blogging fellowship, says more and more Cambodians are using the Internet as a tool for advocacy, especially on issues of corruption and rights abuses.
Internet usage remains low, but it is increasing, said Chak Sopheap, a 2012 Internet Freedom Fellow. Recent statistics show Internet penetration in Cambodia at only about 3 percent, but growing.
“We see Internet surfers using it for sharing information and joining discussions on human rights and other social issues,” she told VOA Khmer. “They also share videos on corruption-related issues, human rights violations and those who fall victim to land grabbing.”
Chak Sopheap blogs on these and other sensitive issues centered on Cambodia’s powerful elite. The Internet will be used more and more for this, she said.
“We all acknowledge that the use of the Internet in Cambodia is still limited, but we’ve noticed that the impetus is surging recently,” she said.