Cambodia shuts down ‘fake’ FB accounts

The Phnom Penh Post/Asia News Network

PHNOM PENH — The Ministry of Interior has announced the closure of six Facebook accounts, which it said had incited insecurity in Cambodia.

The announcement was published in the Khmer language on the ministry’s website.

It said the closure followed the ministry’s investigation and complaint to Facebook against some groups who had “falsified news” online.

A total of six accounts have been shut down, three of which were named after Hun Manet, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces commander.

The accounts were named Hun Mannet (Lieutenant General Hun Mannet), Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, and Hun Manet (of HE Hun Manet).

Another account was called Vong Bunintreavuth while the other two had a similar name – Khmer Vietnamese Association in Cambodia.

In July, the ministry’s information technology department asked Facebook to investigate the Vietnamese Association of Cambodia after it posted falsified news, calling on Vietnamese nationals to vote in the July 29 national election.

The ministry said some people had taken advantage of the freedom offered by the likes of Facebook – which it claimed to be the most popular social media site among Cambodians and government officials – to “serve their dishonest interests”.

In addition to the closure announcement, the statement also disclosed 10 verified accounts, all of which represented Cambodian government institutions and several of its officials.

Among the list of verified accounts are those from government institutions, such as the ministries of Interior, Economy and Finance, Labour and Vocational Training, and the General Department of National Treasury and General Department of Taxation.

The list also covered accounts belonging to government top brass, namely Hun Manet; Vong Bunintreavuth, director-general of General Department of National Treasury; Pich Sophoan, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour; and Heng Sour, Ministry of Labour spokesman.

The Information Technology department has pledged to continue cracking down on more fake accounts and to resume verifying official accounts in order to “prevent lies from spreading among people”.