Cambodia’s Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand Cheunboran Chanborey has formally challenged an article published by East Asia Forum, arguing that it presents a misleading and politically skewed portrayal of the Kingdom.
In a letter dated Feb 6 to EAF editor-in-chief and Australian National University academic Peter Drysdale, the ambassador responded to the Jan 28 article titled “Border Crisis Exposes Cambodia’s Murky Political Economy”.
While acknowledging EAF’s contribution to scholarship on Cambodia, she said several assertions failed to reflect the full context and factual realities on the ground.
A key concern involved Cambodia’s efforts to combat online scam operations, which she described as a complex and evolving transnational security threat affecting many countries across Southeast Asia and beyond.
She said the Royal Government of Cambodia, under Prime Minister Hun Manet, has adopted a whole-of-government approach to disrupt scam networks and hold perpetrators accountable.
Among the initiatives cited was the establishment of the Commission for Combating Online Scams in February 2025, which has coordinated raids on at least 118 scam sites across 18 cities and provinces, leading to nearly 5,000 arrests in six months.
On the Cambodia–Thailand border issue, Chanborey accused the article of placing responsibility solely on Cambodia while downplaying what she described as Thailand’s armed aggression against Cambodian sovereignty.
She said Cambodia has exercised maximum restraint since May 28, 2025, and has sought peaceful resolution in line with international law, including third-party mediation by ASEAN, China and the United States.
As of publication, East Asia Forum had not publicly responded to the letter.
About The Author
