Cambodia Urges Youth to Combat Disinformation, Citing Border Dispute Narratives

Cambodia's Ministry of Information has urged youth to maintain high vigilance and autonomy to counter disinformation and psychological warfare. The call emphasizes caution against fake news, particularly concerning border issues with Thailand, and stresses the importance of verifying information from official sources. This initiative is part of the second phase of an anti-disinformation campaign. During the second phase of the anti-disinformation campaign held at Banteay Ampil High School in Banteay Ampil district, Oddar Meanchey province on the morning of August 7, 2026, H.E. Tep Asnarith, Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Information, urged youth to continue to maintain their mental and cognitive strength to collectively combat fake news, thereby contributing to the protection of peace, social stability, and the absolute deterrence of all attacks through psychological warfare by various malicious groups. The event was attended by H.E. Chan Sopheap, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Information, H.E. Met Meas Pheapheay, Deputy Governor and Spokesperson of the Oddar Meanchey Provincial Administration, along with relevant officials, journalists, teachers, and nearly 500 students. H.E. Tep Asnarith advised youth and students to love peace, defend truth, and oppose fake news, especially concerning border issues with Thailand. He stressed the importance of choosing official information sources that are clear and originate from state institutions and properly licensed media outlets. Concurrently, he shared an effective self-protection principle of "3 Don'ts and 1 Protection" with the students: The "3 Don'ts" include: Don't believe immediately, don't share immediately, and don't be careless when receiving any piece of information. This means cultivating a habit of pausing briefly to verify with official sources before deciding to believe or share. The "1 Protection" involves protecting oneself, family, and the nation by enhancing information literacy and carefully examining sources before believing or disseminating them. H.E. the Spokesperson stated, "Our campaign is to promote responsible social media use to protect our communities. As the rear battlefield, we must enhance our knowledge and level of information and media literacy to become a strong shield and defense system to prevent psychological warfare from malicious groups and extremists who have evil intentions to create and distribute fake news." In response, representatives of teachers and students from Banteay Ampil High School expressed their firm commitment to fulfilling their role as a strong rear battlefield to counter psychological warfare and protect the community from the dissemination of fake news. The Ministry of Information's spokesperson further clarified that most fake and distorted news surrounding the Cambodia-Thailand border issue originates from abroad, disseminated by a small number of malicious individuals and extremist groups with the evil intention of distorting, exaggerating, polluting, confusing public opinion, or damaging the nation's reputation and the government's efforts to protect Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In this regard, the Ministry of Information's spokesperson appealed to citizens, especially the youth, to possess a patriotic spirit and actively participate in the spirit of uniting the forces of the rear battlefield, which is the battlefield of information, society, and psychology, to support the front lines. He emphasized that if the youth strengthen their information and media literacy, it will lead to mental security and the preservation of mental strength, reducing confusion and preventing them from falling into divisive tactics that could harm national unity. Additionally, H.E. Tep Asnarith encouraged all youth to participate in countering psychological warfare by using their knowledge, reason, and responsible spirit to respond to psychological attacks, fabricated stories, and distortions of truth from external sources or malicious groups. Source: AKP Khmer