Sat Pha is an activist who is also facing threats. She was serving a one-year prison sentence for inciting social unrest during a peaceful demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh. She also took part in demonstrations organised by fellow activist Theary Seng, a Cambodian-American lawyer on trial in Phnom Penh for treason and incitement. She first received a handwritten threat, in April 2022, which Hun Sen’s one-track government authorities placed on the door of her house. The threat read: “You, contemptible, don’t be bold or you will be disappeared.” More threats followed, forcing her to leave Cambodia under pressure from the government.70 No information about her has been accessible in the media since April 2022. Another well-known activist is Prak Pheaktra. Having experienced exploitation himself as a worker in I think it’s natural to have fear, but when I see someone is arrested for saying something on social media I don’t feel comfortable. I think that people should feel free to express themselves.75 –Kounila Keo, a Cambodian blogger and communications consultant Thailand, Prak Pheaktra has become an advocate to help his fellow Cambodians receive fair treatment at work. Despite threats from the Cambodian of disinformation, incitement and unfair criticism of authorities, who feared he would damage the the leadership and insult of the King.73 In February government’s image, Pheaktra used social media 2021, the MoI also announced that it would start to inform workers about living and working legally monitoring TikTok in addition to Facebook, YouTube, in Thailand and to warn them about exploitation by Twitter as well as closed source platforms such as middlemen. In February 2023, when he helped ten WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram to Cambodian workers whose employer was not paying combat “fake news.”74 them, he was questioned by the head of the Labour Attaché Office at the Cambodian Embassy. When he was working on another case in Rayong, he was asked if he was aware that his actions could affect the public image of the Cambodian government and was threatened with the withdrawal of his passport.71 Crackdown on Freedom of Expression on Grounds of Combating “Fake News” In March 2020, a fake news monitoring committee Throughout 2021, the number of recorded cases climbed to 1,938, encompassing reports of messages inciting crimes, causing social chaos or insulting the country’s leadership posted on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, or websites.76 In the first semester of 2022, the fake news monitoring committee reported it had investigated 1,376 cases, representing an increase of 476 cases compared to the first semester of 2021, with the highest increase being recorded during commune elections the campaign period.77 was established under the MoI–the government For the year 2023, the Fundamental Freedoms body tasked with regulating content–to monitor Monitor Project (FFMP) observed 147 incidents disinformation on social media and block websites or related to the national election through incident accounts deemed to partake in spreading fake news. 72 reports and daily media monitoring.78 In addition, the By mid-2021, the committee identified 1,868 cases Cambodian government has blocked critical media 52 Dawn of Digital Dictatorship: Weaponizing the Law Against Online Speech in Southeast Asia