Cambodia: Cambodian leaders have strongly condemned the dissemination of fake news targeting the dignity and reputation of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), allegedly spread by certain politicians and their activists on platforms such as TikTok and Facebook.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the condemnation follows the online activity of Em Piseth, 37, an opposition activist and president of the Global Cambodian Youth Network in Thailand. He is accused of creating and sharing misleading and defamatory content aimed at discrediting the Royal Government of Cambodia and undermining the morale of the RCAF, as well as causing public confusion.
Reports indicate that Em Piseth used the TikTok account 'Army Richard310' and the Facebook account 'Piseth PG EM' to distribute these materials. In response, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate, issued a strong statement via his social media, asserting that when the nation is under threat, such actions-especially in collaboration with foreign actors-are unacceptable.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen further stated that if the Thai authorities are not complicit in these activities, they should take action to arrest this individual and extradite him to Cambodia for legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, currently attending the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, also addressed the issue on his social media platforms. He criticized some politicians for claiming patriotism while allegedly collaborating with foreign entities to spread false information against their own country.
'There are some politicians who shout about patriotism. But when our country is facing threats from others, those politicians strive and volunteer to be agents of others to spread information to attack their own country (especially false information and exaggerated information that others' media have prepared and disseminated to psychologically attack our country),' he wrote. 'Is this the act of a true patriot or a blind attempt to exploit politics without understanding the times and circumstances of our country?' the Premier questioned.