Kem Sokha Grinning while Carrying a Book was Altered
As opposition leader Kem Sokha has been banned from politics for more than five years, a photo showing him holding a Dharma book and smiling with teeth was posted on social media. The image was shared and commented on by many Facebook users recently. However, Fact Crescendo Cambodia revealed that the photos posted by users above are digitally altered.
This is about our investigation of this photo.
Social Media Claim
On December 08, 2022, a Facebook user recently posted a photo showing an opposition leader Kem Sokha smiling while reading a book entitled “Udom Vipassana”. The image posted above has been shared several times by social media users, along with varied expressions and reactions.
The following is an excerpt from the Facebook user's post stating, “Free reading books to increase knowledge is better than walking, drinking, walking, provoking women, brothers and sisters. Reading is always useful”.
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia started to check the above photo through Google Reverse Image Search, which led us to find the truth.
A photo with the same format and shape was found and posted by a Facebook user on November 28, 2019. According to the above image posted, he did not show a smile with teeth while holding the book at all.
The following is a snapshot from the Facebook user's post above that shows the view of Kem Sokha sitting with the book “Udom Vipassana”, a collection of sermons by Venerable Sam Bunthoeun who died after being shot by a gunner in 2003.
Similarly, the photo above was published on the VOD, a local news website, on December 5th, 2019. The following is an excerpt from the local news website stated in Khmer or translated into English as “Kem Sokha meditates regularly during his detention in prison and at home”.
VOD News Report | Archived Link
The following compares the altered image and the original image found on social media in Cambodia.
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You may find the details of this fact-check in Khmer language here as well.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found that the photo posted by the Facebook user above is false. The original image does not feature Kem Sokha, an opposition party leader, smiling with teeth while holding a book.
Title: Kem Sokha Grinning while Carrying a Book was Altered
Fact Check By: Kakada SimResult: Altered
