Did RFI broadcast PM Hun Sen Had Passed Away?
As Cambodia is approaching to main elections in the upcoming months, Prime Minister Hun Sen who has been in power for nearly 40 years since 1985 is always subject to claims circulating on social media. One of them said Radio France International (RFI) in Khmer published a report saying the premier Hun Sen has passed away. The report has been multiple shared by Khmer-speaking social media users. After our investigation, however, it is found the report is false.
On the first day of February, a Facebook user shared a capture of a report saying Prime Minister Hun Sen passed away. The report comes with a photo of PM Hun Sen in a flower frame above a banner written “RIP Samdech Hun Sen,” a condolence expression.
The capture of the report shows it comes with the logo of Radio France International (RFI) and was reported by an RFI journalist named Soeung Phearak.
The capture of the report has been multiple shared by Khmer-speaking Facebook users along with a mixture of comments and reactions.
Below is the capture of the post shared into a social media group showing the captured headline read “Official News: Prime Minister Hun Sen just passed away a moment ago.”
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia began checking over the post mentioned above by running a reverse-image search and interviewing with the media manager, which led us to find out the truth following.
By running the reverse-image search, we found the framed flower was posted on a Facebook page named “ក្រុមព្រះសុរិយា” (Preah Soriya) on January 26.
Below is a comparison between a picture in the captured report and the image uploaded on social media by a Facebook page named Preah Soriya.
Speaking to Fact Crescendo Cambodia on February 4, RFI’s Director Jean-Francoise Tain said the content was not in the list of his radio broadcasting program on January 26.
The capture of the contents kept in RFI’s archive shows no content was in the list of broadcasting program.
Hun Sen, 71, is the world’s longest serving Prime Minister who has been in power nearly 40 years since 1985. He is also the President of ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
His death should have been officially announced and broadcasted by Cambodia’s official broadcasting channels such as TVK, but none of the state-run media made such an announcement for the past weeks.
Instead, PM Hun Sen has recently appeared in public events including the groundbreaking of new flyover along Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district. His public appear was aired by the state-run media and private broadcasting media as well.
During the first week of February, PM Hun Sen met international delegates, welcomed the return of King Norodom Sihamoni from a visit to China, and led a weekly cabinet meeting.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found the post mentioned above is false. Radio France International did not publish a report saying PM Hun Sen just passed away. Instead, PM Hun Sen has appeared in public events for the last weeks.
