Cambodia Warns Against Using Anti-Scam Claims to Justify Aggression

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Speaking at the High-Level Segment of the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva

Phnom Penh, Feb. 26, 2026 — Cambodia has pledged to intensify its crackdown on online scam networks, describing transnational fraud as a growing global threat to human rights and calling for greater international cooperation to combat the crime.

Speaking at the High-Level Segment of the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said online scams “undermine human rights across borders, depriving victims of their property, dignity and safety.”

“No country is immune,” he told delegates, adding that Cambodia has stepped up enforcement efforts under a national task force led by Prime Minister Hun Manet.

According to Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian authorities have dismantled numerous scam networks, rescued thousands of victims and arrested dozens of suspects in recent operations. He said the government is finalizing a special law dedicated to combating online scams, signaling a long-term institutional commitment to eradicating the crime.

Cambodia has faced growing scrutiny in recent years over scam compounds operating in parts of Southeast Asia. Phnom Penh has repeatedly said it is committed to eliminating such activities and has increased cooperation with regional partners.

Prak Sokhonn stressed that online scam operations are a transnational problem requiring coordinated responses at national, bilateral and multilateral levels.

“This fight requires cooperation,” he said, warning against what he described as unilateral foreign police or military actions carried out under the pretext of combating online scams.

He framed Cambodia’s anti-scam campaign as part of a broader effort to strengthen rule of law, protect victims of human trafficking and safeguard human dignity.