Cambodian Embassy Slams East Asia Forum Analysis as Factually Skewed
Cambodian Embassy Slams East Asia Forum Analysis as Factually Skewed
CANBERRA, Feb. 3, 2026 — Cambodia’s ambassador to Australia and New Zealand has formally challenged an article published by East Asia Forum, calling its portrayal of Cambodia “factually misleading and politically skewed,” according to a letter sent to the outlet’s editor-in-chief on Tuesday.
In the letter, Ambassador Cheunboran Chanborey said the Jan. 28 article failed to acknowledge Phnom Penh’s efforts to combat online scams and unfairly attributed recent border tensions with Thailand solely to Cambodia.
The ambassador said online scams are a fast-evolving transnational threat affecting multiple countries, noting that Prime Minister Hun Manet established a high-level Commission for Combating Online Scams last year. He said authorities had raided more than 100 scam sites in recent months, arresting nearly 5,000 foreign nationals, most of whom were deported.
On border tensions, the letter accused Thailand of armed aggression and said Cambodia had exercised restraint while seeking peaceful resolution through international law and third-party mediation. It warned that omitting Thailand’s military actions risked blurring the distinction between aggression and legitimate territorial issues.
The embassy also rejected any link between casino operations along the border and foreign military assistance at Ream Naval Base, saying Cambodia’s defense partnerships were sovereign decisions unrelated to commercial activities. It noted that the base has hosted port calls by several foreign navies.
Addressing cultural heritage, the letter said describing Preah Vihear Temple as “disputed” contradicted binding rulings by the International Court of Justice, which affirmed Cambodia’s sovereignty over the site in 1962 and 2013.
The ambassador also dismissed as “entirely groundless” claims that Senate President Hun Sen had “weaponised” Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand, saying many returned home due to safety concerns and available jobs, with more than 620,000 already re-employed domestically.
Cambodia urged East Asia Forum to revisit its coverage and offered a briefing to present Phnom Penh’s perspective, the letter said.
