AKP Phnom Penh, June 02, 2025 --

The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia has issued a press release, categorically rejecting a baseless report by a group of foreigners, which distorted information with a malicious intent to mislead the national and international public opinion.

The full press release reads as follows:

Press Release and Condemnation

The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia regrets to inform the national and international public that a group of foreigners has recently published an exaggerated report titled "Policies and Patterns: State-Abetted Transnational Crime in Cambodia as a Global Security Threat". Due to its inefficient use of funds, lack of transparency, and attacks on other countries that sparked hostilities, this group was cut off from aid by donor countries.

The unprofessional and unsubstantiated report has slandered, falsely accused, smeared and defames senior government official as being involved in and/or incapable of controlling human trafficking, cybercrime, and money laundering, etc. Because the sources this group has compiled are based on information that lacks clear evidence, professionalism, impartiality and independence, this report has exaggeratedly portrayed Cambodia as a threat to global security, which has greatly enraged national and international public opinion. On the contrary, this inflated report was fabricated to further a political agenda of the extremist opposition groups which have incited hatred and discrimination against the Royal Government's leadership.

The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia would like to reconfirm that the Royal Government of Cambodia of the 7th Legislature of the National Assembly, under the wise and efficient leadership of Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet, Prime Minister, has launched policies, strategies, and mechanisms with strict measures to combat illegal human trafficking, online scams, money laundering and other crimes, aiming at ensuring security, social safety and public order for all Cambodian citizens and foreigners who enter, exit, transit and reside legally in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Ministry of Interior, as the secretariat of the Royal Government in maintaining security, social safety, and public order, has put in place a series of measures and mechanisms, including the establishment of an ad-hoc working group as well as offline and online complaint mechanisms such as Facebook pages of the Ministry of Interior, Samdech Krolahom SAR Kheng, H.E. Abhisantibindit SAR Sokha, and the General Commissariat of National Police to receive directly any denunciations and information related to all related crimes. It has also assigned competent officials to take measures to suppress crimes, arrest criminals, and rescue victims in a timely manner. Despite the efforts of the Royal Government and relevant ministries-institutions, the fight to eradicate the aforementioned crimes from Cambodian society cannot be​ 100% successful. This is because of the current state of unpredictability in the world which include the onset of war in some countries, the global economic crisis, trade wars, major powers' geopolitical conquests, and climate change all of which are the root causes of the refugee flow. Criminals exploits unemployment as a means of committing the above crimes. Additionally, modern crimes are perpetrated through the use of sophisticated technological systems, which makes it challenging to prepare for preventing, intercepting, and suppressing these crimes because it requires knowledge, expertise, high technology, modern technological equipment, and good international cooperation between countries around the world.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia would like to reiterate that the Ministry of Interior of the Royal Government of Cambodia is strongly committed to collaboration with various countries to prevent, intercept and suppress online crimes, human trafficking and money laundering. Along with this cooperation, the Royal Government of Cambodia is also promoting research, drafting new laws, and reviewing existing laws and regulations in order to have sufficient legal instruments for preventing, intercepting and suppressing various crimes.

Once again, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior would like to inform the national and international public that the report titled "Policies and Patterns: State-Abetted Transnational Crime in Cambodia as a Global Security Threat is a fabricated report that exaggerates facts and contain information with a malicious intent to mislead the national and international public opinion and thereby making them lose trust in the Royal Government's leadership. This is nothing new, and also no different from previous reports that the writers thought up and fabricated facts against their will and profession as the researchers. This report is ill intended to serve a political agenda of the national and international extreme opposition syndicates.

Regrettably, based solely on the writers’ hallucinations and imagination, the above inflated report falsely claimed that H.E. Abhisantibindit SAR Sokha was a major investor in Jinbei Casino. This unsubstantiated claim is baseless and without clear proof, wrongfully and falsely linking H.E. Abhisantibindit SAR Sokha and his family with Jinbei Casino. The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia reiterates again for the national and international public that H.E. Abhisantibindit SAR Sokha and his family have never been listed as shareholders nor received any benefits from Jinbei Casino. Jinbei Casino is owned by Prince Group Holding with Chen Zhi as the CEO. Price Group Holding and Jinbel Casino are legally registered and have obtained licences in accordance with the laws of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Moreover, H.E. Abhisantibindit SAR Sokha has never acted as a backer or protector of any criminal in exchange of any benefits.

The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia categorically denies the distorted information contained in the above exaggerated report and strongly condemn all the irresponsible radical groups who are always creating unprofessional and baseless reports. The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia appeals the national and international public to place trust on the political platforms and leadership of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

Phnom Penh, 2 June 2025