Hun Manet Warns Against Using Anti-Scam Fight as Pretext for Military Action
Hun Manet Warns Against Using Anti-Scam Fight as Pretext for Military Action
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 23, 2026 — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has warned that the fight against online scams must not be used by any country as a weapon against another state or as a pretext for military attacks or occupation of sovereign territory.
Speaking at the opening of the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS-2026) in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, Hun Manet said using anti-scam objectives to justify force against another country would constitute a clear violation of international law.
“The online scam issue should never be weaponized by any nation against another,” Hun Manet said. “Nor should the anti-online scam objective be used as a pretext by any nation to use force to attack or occupy another nation’s sovereign territory.”
He instead called for countries to use the fight against online scams as a basis for cooperation conducted with sincerity and mutual respect, stressing that no single country can effectively address the cross-border threat alone.
The remarks came as Cambodia hosted ICCOS-2026 under the theme “Acting Together Towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams.” The conference brought together representatives from more than 20 countries, along with INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Centre.
Countries urged to protect citizens
Hun Manet also called on governments to take greater responsibility for educating and protecting their citizens against online scams.
He urged countries to warn their nationals about fraudulent overseas job offers and financial scams, while maintaining regular public-awareness campaigns to explain evolving digital fraud techniques.
The Cambodian premier said governments should ensure that vulnerable people do not become victims of online scam operations.
He also called on the global financial and technology sectors to prevent digital infrastructure and banking networks from becoming safe havens for criminal groups.
International financial institutions, technology platforms, telecommunications networks and cryptocurrency platforms, he said, should apply strict verification procedures to prevent illicit proceeds from being laundered and integrated into legitimate global markets.
Cambodia pledges continued crackdown
Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to sustained action against online scams and to international cooperation based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and shared accountability.
Earlier in his keynote address, he said Cambodia would never be a safe haven for online scams and stressed the need for stronger international unity and coordinated enforcement mechanisms to confront transnational cybercrime.
The Prime Minister also called on participating countries to strengthen cooperation in intelligence sharing, financial investigations, legal assistance, public-private partnerships and victim protection.
Cambodia has said the conference is intended to strengthen international cooperation against online scams and related transnational crimes. The Phnom Penh Declaration on combating online scams was scheduled for adoption on September 24.
Hun Manet’s warning places the anti-scam campaign within a broader principle of international cooperation: combating transnational crime, he argued, should bring countries together rather than become a justification for conflict or violations of sovereignty.
