CAMBODIAN social media is in turmoil after an exiled activist spread a rumour that senior leader Hun Sen has suffered a stroke with some speculating that this is merely an attempt to avoid meeting China’s assistant minister for public security Liu Zhongyi during his visit, PPTVHD36 said last evening (Jan. 19).
Mr. Pang Sokheoun, a Cambodian activist and political commentator living in Sweden and known for his liberal and democratic views while being affiliated with former Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy, said this in a caption accompanying the above photo of Hun Sen shared on Facebook:
“Preliminary information received from the inside, Hun Sen is seriously ill, having a stroke.”
His post generated mixed reactions with some believing the rumour while others doubt its true but many speculated Hun Sen’s illness could be related to the arrival of Liu Zhongyi and wonder whether this is of concern for Cambodia.
In another development, ever since Cambodia extradited Chen Zyi, a Chinese-born tycoon accused of running internet scam centres, to China, scammers there have dispersed with there now being a rush by foreigners to leave the country, TV Channel 7 said.
Cambodian media is cautiously following the exit of foreigners, maintaining a neutral stance and avoiding definitively declaring them as scammers.
These scammers have not gone very far, having congregated at Trapeang Phlong border checkpoint in Kompong Cham province trying to cross over to Vietnam.
Aerial images clearly show a dense crowd at this permanent border crossing, but going to Vietnam is not easy as Hanoi also has strict controls against scammers.
This development hasn’t escaped the attention of international organisations like Amnesty International, which has expressed concern for the safety of thousands of victims believed to be in Cambodia, calling on the Cambodian authorities to assist them.
Amnesty International had also said in a report published last June that there were over 50 scamming bases in Cambodia.
CAPTION:
The image of Cambodian senior leader Hun Sen, above and Front Page, shared by activist Pang Sokheoun, inserted, on Facebook.
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