Fact-Check: A photo showing Bun Rany took a photo with Le Duc Tho Altered

As Cambodia is approaching to next elections in next year, a photo of Cambodia’s first lady Bun Rany – Prime Minister Hun Sen’s wife – was posted on social media. The photo shows the premier Hun Sen’s wife took a picture with Le Duc Tho – one of Vietnam’s senior leaders who oversaw Cambodia from 1978 until 1989. The photo had been multiple shared by Khmer-speaking social media users along with a mixture of comments and reactions. After running Google Reverse Image, however, it proves the photos is altered.

Social Media Claim

On April 7, a Facebook user posted a photo showing Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen’s wife Bun Rany took a photo with Le Duc Tho – Vietnam’s leader who oversaw Cambodia from 1978 until 1989. The photo had been multiple shared by Khmer-speaking Facebook users along with mixed comments and reactions.

Below is capture of the post read: “Yuon [Vietnamese] hide themselves as Khmer and marry Khmer.”

Facebook Post | Archived Link

Fact Check

Fact Crescendo Cambodia begins investigating the photo by running Google Revere Image and interviewing with competent official having close relationship Prime Minister Hun Sen – leading us to the original photo and its information.

The original photo is Cambodia’s first lady Bun Rany with her husband Prime Minister Hun Sen. The couple took the photo when they were on a visit to Malaysia in 2016. Comparatively, Bun Rany is in different dresses, but both photos share the same background, table, and watch as well.

We also found out another photo showing PM Hun Sen and his wife taking photos at the same place. The photo was published by an online media Nokor Dragon in early June 2016. The photos show PM Hun Sen took photos with his wife at the same table, and the same background two pictures of flowers.

We found the original photo of Vietnam leader Le Duc Tho. The upper part of the photo was cut and attached with PM Hun Sen’s photo.

Le Duc Tho – original name Phan Đình Khải – is Vietnam’s former senior leader who was positioned to oversee Cambodia to overthrow the Khmer Rouge regime and topple a government having close relationship with Vietnam. Born in 1911, Le died aged 79 in 1990.

Responding to inquiry from Fact Crescendo Cambodia, the Office of PM Hun Sen sent us a photo showing the couple in the same dresses and location.

Conclusion

Fact Crescendo Cambodia found out the photo mentioned above is altered. The photo does not actually show Cambodia’s First Lady Bun Rany taking a picture with Vietnam’s former leader Le Duc Tho. The original photo shows Prime Minister Hun Sen took a picture with his wife in Malaysia in 2016.