Cambodian Rights Chief Criticizes Thai Plan to Raise Online Scam Issue at U.N.
Cambodian Rights Chief Criticizes Thai Plan to Raise Online Scam Issue at U.N.
PHNOM PENH, Feb 19 — A senior Cambodian minister said on Thursday that online scams are a global problem and cannot be used to justify territorial aggression, amid heightened tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.
Keo Remy, senior minister and head of the Cambodia Human Rights Committee (CHRC), said in a statement that online scam activities and territorial disputes are “two entirely separate and fundamentally different issues.”
“One country cannot justify invading another by claiming it is suppressing online scam activities,” he said.
Citing Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, Keo Remy said all states are prohibited from using force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another state, except in cases of self-defense or when authorized by the U.N. Security Council.
His remarks came after Thailand’s foreign minister said the issue of online scams would be raised at the United Nations in response to comments by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
Keo Remy said linking online criminal offenses with acts of territorial aggression reflected a misunderstanding of international law and blurred the distinction between cross-border crime and sovereignty issues.
Online scam operations, often linked to transnational criminal networks in Southeast Asia, have drawn increasing international scrutiny in recent years.
