In November 2019, Sam Rainsy, the main opposition party leader, planned to return from selfexile. This triggered a disinformation campaign co-ordinated by the Press and Quick Reaction
Unit which was mainly oriented towards mischaracterizing his statements and intimidating the
opposition through fake “forced confession videos from his supporters” (Nachemson, 2019).
Table 2: Observed Strategies, Tools and Techniques of Social Media Manipulation in
Cambodia
Account Types Messaging and Valence
Content
and Platforms
Communication
Strategies
Bots,
Support,
Attacks
on Disinformation,
Twitter, Facebook
Fake Human
opposition
amplifying content
Source: Authors’ evaluations based on data collected. Blank spaces indicate no evidence was found.
Organizational Capacity and Resources
Freedom House (2017) also reported allegations of paid content manipulation made in late
2016 "involving an online activist and social media celebrity, Thy Sovantha", who is claimed
to have been offered US$1 million from representatives of the prime minister to lead campaigns
against acting CNRP President Kem Sokha (Sokhean and Meyn, 2016).
Table 3: Cyber Troop Capacity in Cambodia
Team Size
Resources
Spent Activity Levels
(USD)
Permanent
Coordination
Decentralised
Capacity
Measure
Medium
Source: Authors’ evaluations based on data collected. Blank spaces indicate no evidence was found.
References
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35839701
Blomberg, M., & Naren, K. (2014, April 20). ‘Cyber War Team’ to Monitor Web—The
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Dara, M., & Baliga, A. (2018, April 6). Hun Sen ‘mulling fake news bill’. Phnom Penh Post.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-sen-mulling-fake-news-bill
Freedom House. (2019). Freedom of the Net | Cambodia. Freedom House.
https://freedomhouse.org/country/cambodia/freedom-net/2019
Human Rights Watch. (2020a, April 29). Cambodia: Covid-19 Spurs Bogus ‘Fake News’
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Hutt, D. (2017, May 9). Fake news, real danger in Southeast Asia.
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