An Old Photo Shows Lao New Year Festival, Nothing Related to Cambodia
As the Khmer New Year Festival was celebrated across Cambodia, an old photo showing a group of people throwing water on passengers on a bus was widely circulated on social media. The photo caption implied it is an old picture of Cambodian throwing water during the festival in the past. As it has gone viral, however, running Google Reverse Image Search proves the post is misleading.
Social Media Claim
A black-and-white image of a group of people throwing water on passengers in a bus went viral on social media in the middle of this month amid Cambodians celebrating the dry season festival.
The image caption implied the photo was of Cambodian people enjoying water throwing about 50 years ago.
The old image got more than 5.5k shares, many comments, and a mixture of reactions from Khmer-speaking social media users during the three-day break.
Below is the capture of the old image and its caption posted by a Facebook user named នរៈ ឧរង្គៈ Nakrak Urunga on March 24, 2023.
Other social media users also posted the same image and caption. See the full text here (1, 2, 3, 4).
Some local media also published the image. Below is the capture of news pieces published with the image.
Thmey Thmey’s Facebook Post | Archived Link
Khmer Today’s Facebook Post | Archived Link
ការត្រួតពិនិត្យការពិត
Fact Crescendo Cambodia began verifying the image by running Google Reverse Image Search which led us to find out facts below.
We found the image which was uploaded on social media by a Facebook page named History of Laos ປະຫວັດສາດລາວ April 23, 2021. This image is among other old images showing people throwing water.
The Facebook post in the Lao language said the images are of Laotians celebrating the new year festival in 1971.
The post credited Gonzalo Cancino, whose Facebook always uploads photos of scenes in Laos and its people. Please see the photos and caption below.
On his Facebook, we found six black-and-white photos which were uploaded on social media about two years ago.
Gonzalo Cancino added the image showing people throwing water on passengers in his comment in response to social media users.
Below is the capture of Gonzalo Cancino’s Facebook post early this month, showing colored photos. His caption in Laos language said Laos New Year Festival in the past.
Responded to Fact Crescendo Cambodia’s inquiry in Messenger, Gonzalo Cancino said the photo was taken in Laos in 1971 by John Dominis who was a photographer for Life Magazine.
We also found the same image on a Chinese website zgmh.net in April 2022, saying it is the Laos New Year festival in 1971. See the full text here.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found the post mentioned earlier is a misleading. This old image is unrelated to Khmer New Year Festival in the past. The image is of Laos New Year Festival in 1971 and nothing related to Khmer New Year Festival in the past.
Title:An Old Photo Shows Lao New Year Festival, Nothing Related to Cambodia
Fact Check By: Jay UdomResult: Misleading
