America’s Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has hit back at a Cambodian government report accusing Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA) of fabricating the news.

The Washington-funded RFA and VOA have been criticised for apparently favouring the country’s main opposition party , reported The Phnom Penh Post.

The government claimed: “Before and after the election (last year), VOA and RFA, directly supported by a foreign government, have broadcast biased information. They are political instruments serving interests of the opposition party and much of their news is fabricated and manipulated”.

BBG Chair Jeffrey Shell rejected the allegations and said the broadcaster “calls on the Cambodian government to respect the role of independent media.”

The latest statement followed a heavy crackdown on hundreds of protestors last week, who marched in support of Beehive Radio, which carries VOA and RFA programming and had been denied a FM signal boost.

A further VOA statement said: “By our legally mandated charter and our journalistic principles, our reporting needs to be ‘accurate, objective and comprehensive’”.

RFA added: “This unfortunate statement is the latest in a series of actions intended to intimidate free, independent media and journalism in Cambodia.”

Local rebroadcasts of news from RFA and VOA were also restricted for a short period ahead of last year’s election.