Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities have arrested two men, both from Taiwan, for filming a fake kidnapping video, and broadcasting it online. One of the two is Chen Neng-chuan, who goes by the name “Goodnight Chicken” online, and is a popular, albeit controversial content creator in his homeland.

The authorities warned that the fake episode represented a threat to Cambodia’s reputation, particularly the coastal province.

During a February 15 press conference, Preah Sihanouk provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun said that in their videos, the two men pretended that they were running from a kidnapping attempt. They posted two clips, one calling for help, and one purporting to show them escaping from a hotel.

“After seeing the video, local authorities tracked the two men to a hotel room. We discovered many of the props used in the fake video,” explained Chamroeun.

“They had prepared each aspect of the video before they shot it. After we found evidence that they had planned the whole thing, we took them in for questioning at the provincial police headquarters,” he added.
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He said that based on the evidence they had collected, it appeared that the video had been planned in detail since sometime last month.

“On February 11, they arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport, where they hired a taxi driver to drive them around Phnom Penh. They stopped at Teuk Thla market in Sen Sok district to buy some clothes and then travelled to Sihanoukville, arriving late at night,” he added.

“They visited Otres beach and looked around. Later that day, they travelled around the town, where they bought fake guns and dye, which they used to shoot the video,” he continued.

Chamroeun explained that later that night, on February 12, they went to a building called X, and began filming, saying they had been kidnapped and needed help.

“At one point, they claimed that they were being held by the security guards at that building, then stopped broadcasting, and returned to their hotel,” he said.

“On February 13, they returned, and began filming again. This time they had faked injuries and shaved their heads. They claimed they were fleeing from the kidnappers,” he added.

It was after the second broadcast that the police tracked the two men down and brought them in for questioning.

“It is clear that their activities were an attempt to incite chaos in society, so our police officers are continuing with the legal procedure and building a case,” said Chamroeun. 

“They said they did it by themselves to get views and attract more followers. They may want views, but we cannot tolerate something which affects public order in the Kingdom,” he added.

The governor explained that the reality of life in Preah Sihanouk province was nothing like what the two had depicted, or what had been shown in some feature films.

“Most of the bad things people hear about the province are spread by various groups for their own benefit. The reality is nothing like that. We all live here quite happily. At every festival, both Khmer and foreign visitors come to enjoy the province, and nothing bad happens to them,” he said. 

“I accept that there are some issues in every society, but most of the claims I have heard are nothing more than exaggerations,” he added.