To close someone’s Facebook account, authorities would have to deal with Facebook Inc directly. Hun Sen’s Facebook page
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday ordered immediate action against women who live stream their sales pitches on Facebook wearing revealing clothing. The prime minister said the practice erodes traditional Cambodian values and disgraces women.
Hun Sen gave the order to officials attending the Cambodian National Council for Women meeting at the Peace Palace on Monday.
After the event, Hun Sen said in a Facebook post that he had instructed the Ministry of Interior to take action against Cambodian women who shoot videos of themselves that can be considered pornographic.
He said the actions of women that sell products on Facebook clad in skimpy clothing harm the values and morals of Cambodian women.
National Television of Kampuchea deputy director-general Koch Mardey said on her Facebook account on Monday that, “the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications must shut down live online product sales because they lead to sexual assaults on women.”
Selling products online through Facebook Live Video is becoming a popular practice in the Kingdom, with some sellers choosing to wear scanty clothing to attract more viewers.
Khmer Rise Party president Sok Sovann Vatana Sabung applauded Hun Sen’s directive.
“There are now many cases of unethical businesses using sex to sell their products, and this is having a powerful impact on Cambodian culture which should be taken very seriously,” he said.
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications deputy spokesman Im Vutha told The Post on Monday that blocking online content that affects the honour and dignity of Cambodians is the purview of three ministries – Information; Interior. and Posts and Telecommunications.
When it comes to uploading inappropriate content to social media, the responsibility falls on the ministries of Information, and Interior. The Ministry of Posts has a secondary role, he said.
To close someone’s Facebook account, authorities would have to deal with Facebook Inc directly.
“When it comes to my ministry, the only thing that we can do is talk to Facebook, but Facebook is not under our control,” Vutha said.
“As Samdech Techo Hun Sen said, we will continue to explore ways of tackling the problem,” he said.
Ministry of Information spokesman Meas Sophorn said it is now cooperating with the relevant ministries to take concrete action to stop people from live streaming on Facebook wearing revealing clothing.
“The Ministry of Information is working with other ministries to implement the order given by the head of government,” he said.
Watch video:
