Phnom Penh (FN), September 12 - Radio Free Asia (RFA) has officially terminated operations in Cambodia that has run for nearly 20 years, according to a statement released on the website of RFA on Tuesday evening.

RFA has closed its office in Ratanakiri province on Sunday, while working directly with Washington D.C in America, according to RFA’s journalist, Ratha Visal.

"After closing the office, all Free Asia staff in Cambodia have concluded a temporary contract and will continue to voluntarily make a new contract later. They will work separately to send information directly to Washington,” said Ratha Visal.

"The closure of RFA is the decision of the owner, not the ministry. RFA has no legal rights to run office in Phnom Penh," according to Ouk Kimseng, spokesman of Ministry of Information (MoI).

MoI, on September 3, sent two separate letters to Beehive radio station and Women's Media Center to stop the publication of RFA.

According to the letter, RFA and VOA have not yet registered for the legal office representatives and that it violated the legal principle of the Kingdom.

The RFA statement confirmed that it would continue to report on issues and events occurring in Cambodian society and disseminate news on low-frequency radio waves (SW) on Facebook, YouTube, and the Web.
=FRESH NEWS