Has PM Hun Sen’s Bodyguard Chief Been Arrested by France?

From late January until early February, Cambodia’s opposition leader who lives in exile in France revealed on his Facebook page that France’s court issued a warrant to arrest Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit chiefs Hing Bunheang and Huy Piseth. Then, in the middle of February, a piece of news circulated on YouTube claimed the premier’s bodyguard chief was arrested by French authorities. The piece has been shared on social media as well, and many social media users expressed their reactions to the report. After our investigation, however, it is found the piece is false.

Social Media Claim

A Facebook user shared a piece of news on February 13, saying Hing Bunheang – Chief of Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Bodyguard Unit – was arrested by France. The piece has been multiple shared.

Below is the capture of the piece shared on social media groups with the headline “God cannot save you. Hing Bunheang was arrested by France.”

Facebook Post | Archived

The piece was originally circulated on a YouTube channel on the same day and has been watched nearly 200 times in the last 10 days.

YouTube | Archived

Fact Check

Fact Crescendo Cambodia began an investigation into the claim by running a reverse image search and interviewing with Hing Bunheang – the man referred to by the claim. Our investigation result is below.

Speaking to Fact Crescendo Cambodia on February 23, General Hing Bunheang – also a Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces – rejected the claim, saying he was in action as normal.

“As a commander of the Bodyguard United, who dare to arrest me? As a Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and a commander of the Bodyguard Unit, who can arrest me?” Bunheang said in a phone interview.

Additionally, the pro-government media Fresh News published a report on February 23, saying Bunheang met a large group of students and teachers in Kandal’s Kandal Stung district on the same day he spoke to us.

The media published several photos showing Bunheang presided over the ceremony where a green billboard issued February 23. The full report can be read here or archived link here.

Fresh News | Archived

By running a reverse image search, we were able to find out the original photo showing a man being arrested by three uniformed security officers.

The original photo was published by POLITICO and the U.K.-based media Daily Mail in September 2013. Reports by both media said an unidentified man was arrested by a group of secret service after he threw firecracker over the White House fence at the time.

Below is the capture of new piece published by POLITICO, showing a man was arrested and escorted by three uniformed men.

POLITICO | Archived

Below is a comparison between the image published by the two media mentioned above and a piece of news circulated on social media and YouTube channel.

CONCLUSION

Fact Crescendo Cambodia found out the claim mentioned above is false. Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Bodyguard Unit Chief Hing Bunheang has not been arrested by France. And the original photo shows an unidentified man was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service in 2013 after an incident of firecracker thrown over the White House fence.