The defence ministry issued a statement on August 22 refuting false information that was spread in the Chinese language on August 19. Chinese embassy
The number of cases of fake news has surged recently, coinciding with a rise in public debate both supporting and opposing the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA).
On August 22, the Ministry of National Defence issued a statement refuting misinformation that was spread in the Chinese language on August 19.
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The false report claimed that former Defence Minister Tea Banh, who is now a member of the Supreme Privy Council to the King, along with current Defence Minister Tea Seiha and elements of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), had staged a coup to overthrow the government.
The report also falsely claimed that they had stormed the Office of the Council of Ministers to arrest Prime Minister Hun Manet and detain Senate president Hun Sen.
Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata denounced the fabricated reports, stating: "This malicious intent to distort the truth and incite unrest is absolutely unacceptable. The defence ministry will take all necessary measures to bring those extremists and others involved to full legal accountability."
She emphasised that the military remains loyal and committed to the government and Prime Minister Hun Manet and is dedicated to protecting national unity, stability, peace and the people.
The false report in Chinese also received a response from Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin who posted on Facebook on August 22, saying, "We condemn the fabrication and dissemination of fake news and will cooperate with our Cambodian friends to combat and prevent it.”
There have also been posts on Facebook targeting the internal affairs of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), claiming that former Minister of Interior Sar Kheng would become the next prime minister.
Another post suggested that Kheng and current interior minister Sar Sokha, were under house arrest for not supporting the CLV-DTA. Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak confirmed that these allegations were false.
According to the Ministry of Information’s Anti-Fake News Commission, 320 cases were recorded in July. They included incitement, fabricated stories, social disturbances and defamatory content against the monarchy and government leadership.
Ministry spokesperson Tep Asnarith stated that these cases also included distorted commentary about the CLV-DTA, and that the majority of fabricated news sources were from abroad. He explained that they were disseminated or spread by malicious groups intending to create social unrest.
"The commission has contacted Facebook and TikTok companies to request cooperation in removing content containing harmful and fake information that incites unrest and distorts the truth,” he said.
He added that it also requested that some Facebook and TikTok accounts be deleted or blocked, noting that some were fake accounts operated by a single individual.
"In our experience, one person can operate up to 10 or more social media accounts. When they spread fake news, they disseminate it across several accounts, creating the illusion of widespread information. However, in reality, these accounts are often managed by only a few people, most of whom are located abroad,” he said.
In July, several fake accounts or accounts spreading unverified or biased information that misled the public were also flagged by the information ministry, he said, adding that two media entities were given official notices and one website was shut down for violating the journalistic code of ethics and other related regulations.
Asnarith noted that the rapid spread of fake news is due to the extensive use of social media in the country, coupled with limited information literacy. However, he observed a positive trend where more citizens are becoming aware of deceptive content and its consequences, leading them to greater caution.
He added that public backlash against those who shared disinformation related to the CLV-DTA was notable, and a positive sign of increasing public awareness.
In 2023, the information ministry recorded over 3,000 cases of fake news. In the first half of 2024, it recorded a total of 1,701 instances, marking a 12 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, which had 1,519, according to Asnarith.
