The national border committee has urged authorities to investigate and legally address individuals who are disseminating false news about border demarcation with neighbouring Vietnam.
As the general election draws nearer, previous issues have been reposted and reshared on social media by those believed to be affiliated with opposition groups.
A prominent example of this is a post regarding border demarcation that appeared on the Cambodia SUNTV Facebook page on July 9.
The social media post alleged that "Vietnam had moved the border into Cambodian territory".
This post drew a response from the Cambodia Joint-Border Committee. The committee expressed its belief that such false news was being propagated to create confusion ahead of the general election, and to cast doubt on the government border committee's mandate.
The committee issued a statement saying, "In our efforts to establish and set border markers with Vietnam and other neighbouring countries, we've carried out our work meticulously and accurately. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, we've ensured that Cambodia's total land area remains as 181,035 square kilometres, in line with what is stipulated in the Cambodian constitution”.
While refuting the claim, the committee advised Cambodian citizens against believing or sharing such false news, as doing so could result in legal action.
The committee also called on the authorities to identify and prosecute the individuals behind false news.
The Tbong Khmum provincial administration, which shares a border with Vietnam, joined the committee in condemning these allegations. They denied the claim that a part of Thlok Trach village in the Kok commune of Ponhea Krek district had been ceded to Vietnam, labelling it as false news.