Cambodian leader says officials must master mobile internet

Category: Technology/Innovations

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. provincial / prəˈvɪn ʃəl / (adj.) – relating to a province, or a part of a country outside its capital
    Example:

    New roads were built to improve transportation to provincial towns.


  2. avid / ˈæv ɪd / (adj.) – having great interest or enjoyment in something
    Example:

    I’m an avid reader of fantasy books. I spend all my free time on them!


  3. inauguration / ɪnˌɔ gyəˈreɪ ʃən / (n.) – a ceremony or event where someone or something is officially introduced
    Example:

    The students gave the new university president a very warm welcome at the inauguration yesterday.


  4. infancy / ˈɪn fən si / (n.) – the beginnings or the early stages of something
    Example:

    Several changes happened to the project in its infancy.


  5. adept / əˈdɛpt / (adj.) – very good at performing or doing something
    Example:

    He’s adept at analyzing data, so he’d be great for our marketing team.


Article

Read the text below.

Cambodia’s long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen declared Monday that he would not appoint anyone to be a provincial governor who is not knowledgeable in the use of social media and smartphones.


Hun Sen, an avid user of Facebook, said at a hospital inauguration in the capital Phnom Penh that officials need to be able to use applications such as WhatsApp, Viber, LINE, Telegram, WeChat and Zoom to effectively do their jobs, such as organizing online meetings.


Hun Sen said recently he has set up groups on WhatsApp and Telegram so he can use his phone to coordinate with various government ministries.


The 69-year-old Hun Sen has led Cambodia since first becoming prime minister in 1985, when what evolved into the internet was still in its infancy and generally available only to academic institutions.


Hun Sen also urged members of his Cabinet, some of whom also entered government service more than three decades ago, to make sure they were adept in the use of smartphones and their apps.


Hun Sen posts comments and photos on his Facebook page almost every day, and also uses the platform frequently to broadcast his speeches and other news events on Facebook Live.


His page also allows people to send complaints about their dealings with the authorities.


Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy, the country’s main opposition leader, have competed in the past over who could attract the most Facebook followers.


Hun Sen’s page currently shows 13 million followers, while that of Sam Rainsy, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2015 to avoid criminal charges he says are politically motivated, lists 5 million.


Hun Sen’s critics, however, have charged that he boosts his number of followers by buying them in bulk from shady operations that provide such services. Hun Sen has denied the allegation.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Do you agree with Prime Minister Hun Sen that people in the government must be adept at using social media and smartphones? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What social media platforms are you using? Do you think that they’re necessary to do well in your studies/career? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Hun Sen and the country’s main opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, have competed in the past over who could attract the most Facebook followers. Do you think having many social media followers is a good measure of a politician’s reputation? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think are the pros and cons of using social media for official announcements from government officials? Discuss.