(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the fight against online scams should never be weaponised by one country against another or used as a pretext for the use of force against another nation’s sovereign territory, which is a clear violation of the principles of international law.
Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet made the remarks in his keynote address at the opening of the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS) in Phnom Penh.
“The online scam issue should never be weaponised by any nation against another,” the premier said. “Nor should the anti-online scam objective be used as a pretext by any nation to use force to attack or occupy another nation’s sovereign territory, which is a clear violation of the principles of international law.”
“On the contrary, anti-online scam efforts should be the reason for nations to work together with sincerity and mutual respect in order to tackle the issue for common benefits,” he said. “No single country can effectively tackle this cross-border challenge alone.”
He added that as important as international cooperation, every country must take proactive responsibility for educating and safeguarding their citizens. “They must enact rigorous measures to warn their people against deceptive overseas employment offers and financial scam traps,” he said.
All governments must also constantly conduct public awareness campaigns to educate their citizens on the evolving tactics of digital deception. This is to ensure that vulnerable individuals do not fall victim to online scams, the premier underscored.
“Furthermore, the global financial and technology ecosystem carries a critical responsibility to ensure that digital infrastructure and banking networks do not serve as safe havens for criminal syndicates. International financial institutions, technology platforms, encrypted communication networks, and cryptocurrency platforms must implement stringent verification protocols to prevent illicit proceeds from being laundered and integrated into legitimate global markets,” Samdech Thipadei underlined.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Hun Manet reiterated Cambodia’s full commitment to taking persistent action and forging cooperation based on mutual respect, sovereign equality, and collective accountability.
=FRESH NEWS
