Amid the ongoing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, the public discourse battle around "online scams" is also heating up. In response to Thai media's frequent portrayal of Cambodia as a "hotbed of scams" and using this to attack the image of Cambodia, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet strongly responded on June 17, stating that online scams are a common problem across Southeast Asia, and Thailand is not innocent, having no right to morally criticize other countries.
"We acknowledge the existence of the problem, but cannot accept being distorted or even deliberately stigmatized." Hun Manet pointed out that online scams have long been a regional issue, affecting almost all Southeast Asian countries to varying degrees. He emphasized that Cambodia will not shirk its responsibilities, but will also not tolerate external forces wearing colored glasses to criticize and mislead public opinion.
Hun Manet specifically named some Thai media, criticizing them for seizing the opportunity to sensationalize and manipulate emotions. "They themselves have the same problem, yet they deliberately magnify Cambodia's issues to smear and even implicate other neighboring countries. Such tactics are irresponsible and undermine the foundation of regional cooperation," he said.
It is understood that recent reports by mainstream Thai media, including the Bangkok Post, continue to depict "rampant scams in Cambodia," with some political figures publicly echoing this, leading to tense civilian sentiments in some areas of both countries and ongoing disputes on social media.
A Cambodian government source revealed that Hun Manet has emphasized in multiple internal meetings that the government will continue to intensify efforts to combat transnational telecommunications fraud and cybercrime, while promoting multilateral mechanisms to deepen regional law enforcement cooperation, to avoid being unfairly blamed by individual countries.
In his speech that day, he also clearly stated: "Online scams are not Cambodia's specialty. If Thailand really wants to solve the problem, it should start with itself, rather than blaming others."
To ease the situation, the Cambodian side has formally approached Thailand through diplomatic channels, hoping that during this sensitive time at the border, both sides' media can maintain restraint and avoid further damaging bilateral relations with false reports.
Several regional observers noted that Hun Manet's stance is not only a firm rebuttal to Thai sensationalism but also sends a strong signal of Cambodia's determination to defend its national image and policy independence. Faced with external criticism, Cambodia is no longer silent but chooses to strike back on both diplomatic and public opinion fronts, seeking a more balanced international narrative space.
