A False Claim Says Two More Cambodians Killed in Israel-Palestine War
After the Cambodian government stated that it would not repatriate Cambodian nationals from Israel following the Israel-Hamas War broke out, the issue has been widely debated on social media. Then, a claim said two more Cambodian students were killed in a recent attack between both parties. The claim had been widely shared and commented on by Khmer-speaking Facebook users. However, after getting clarification from the government and reliable sources, we found the claim is false.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
A claim that went viral on social media last week said two more Cambodian nationals were killed in a recent attack of the Israel-Hamas war.
The claim had been widely shared on social media, and many Khmer-speaking Facebook users had expressed their comments to the claim, believing the news was true.
Below is the capture of the claim posted on Facebook on October 17, 2023, saying “RIP for Cambodian students in Palestine. Two more [Cambodians] were killed because Samdech [Hun Sen] told them to stay with Israeli people.”
The same claim was also circulated by another Facebook page, but said the two Cambodian students were killed in Israel. The post got a lot of shares and comments from Khmer-speaking social media users.
Below is another capture of the same claim which was posted on social media by another Facebook user living in exile in outside Cambodia.
In his live on social media, an opposition activist who lives in exile in Canada reported the news. Watch the full video live below.
The same claim circulated by other social media users can be seen here (archived) or via another link here (archived).
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo Cambodia began debunking the claim by requesting clarification from the Cambodian government, a student living in Israel, and searching the news reported by reliable media outlets. Then, we find the truth below.
Fact Crescendo Cambodia បានរកឃើញថា ព័ត៌មានដែលនិយាយថា មាននិស្សិតកម្ពុជា ២នាក់ទៀត បានស្លាប់បាត់បង់ជីវិតនៅក្នុងប្រទេសអ៊ីស្រាអែលនោះ ត្រូវបានបង្ហោះនៅលើបណ្ដាញសង្គមដំបូងគេដោយគណនីហ្វេសប៊ុកឈ្មោះ Vann Chendavy ហើយយើងក៏រកឃើញលេខទូរស័ព្ទផងដែរ។
Fact Crescendo Cambodia saw the claim circulated by a Facebook user living outside Cambodia. Then, we also found a phone number that is used to register with WhatsApp and Telegram. We tried to reach out for comments and more information from the claimant, but no one replied our inquiry.
However, the Cambodian government spokesperson Pen Bona denied the claim, saying it was “fake news” after Fact Crescendo Cambodia reached out to him via WhatsApp.
The spokesperson added more than 450 Cambodian students living in Israel have been placed in safe sites protected by Israeli armed forces. He continued they are closely contacted by the government officials.
Pen Bona’s clarification was already posted on the official Facebook page of Cambodia Government Spokesperson Unit two days earlier. See the full clarification below.
To find out the truth, Fact Crescendo Cambodia tried to speak to a student living and studying in Israel.
Responding to our inquiry, Koun Borey, 22, is one of Cambodian students studying in the agricultural science specialize in vegetables in Israel.
Borey said he has not gotten any information about the killing of two more Cambodian students shared among the group of Cambodian students in Israel.
Cambodian students keep sharing information or sending emergency request in a sharing group created by the Cambodian government if they need any help, according to Borey.
He asserted no information of the killing of two more Cambodian students reported by the Israeli government, adding the country’s government keeps showing the number of causalities and identification of those killing the attacks.
Below is what Borey told Fact Crescendo Cambodia in an interview via phone call on October 19, 2023.
One Cambodian student was killed in a surprising attack by rockets from the Palestinian armed group Hamas on October 07, 2023. The killing had been reported by local newspapers and international media outlets including the Washington Post.
However, we could not find the news reporting the killing of two more Cambodian nationals in our Google Search in recent days.
The Israel-Hams War broke out at the end of the first week this month, killing many hundred people both sides including a Cambodian student Chan Oudom studying in Israel.
After the war killing Oudom, social media users have appealed to the Cambodian government to find out ways to repatriate all students from Israel.
However, former Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a public event that Cambodia would not send airplanes to take its nationals from Israel. Instead, he urged Cambodian students not to run away from Israel and follow the instructions from the Israeli government.
[From 23:00 to 27:30]
CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found the claim mentioned above is false. No reliable source had reported the information and news. Clarification from the Cambodian government and a student said the claim is fake news.
Title:A False Claim Says Two More Cambodians Killed in Israel-Palestine War
Written By: Jay UdomResult: False
