Fact Check: Photo Showing Hun Manet Wearing Vietnamese Army Hat Altered

A photo showing the Cambodian prime minister's son, Hun Manet, meeting with a Vietnamese army leader was posted recently on Facebook. This photo also showed Hun Manet wearing a Vietnamese army hat as well. It was reacted with mixed comments and shared by many Facebook users who are speaking Khmer. However, after running a Google Reverse Image search and checking in his official Facebook page, it proves that the photos attached with the claim above were altered.

This is about our investigation of this photo.

Social Media Claim

On December 5, 2021, one of the Facebook users posted two photos which one of them shows the view of the meeting between Mr. Hun Manet and the Vietnamese military attaché to Cambodia. The photo shows him wearing a Vietnamese army hat while he was in a meeting as well. The above post does not specify the location and specific details about the view of the photo at all. This photo has been shared with mixed reactions and expressions by the Facebook users who are speaking Khmer.

The following screenshot was captured from the Facebook user’s post which translates in English as “for many generations, Vietnam has tried to swallow Cambodia, but it was not until the Hun Sen era that Vietnam achieved its plan. It is almost entirely Vietnamese not only gaining territory from the Khmers, but the Vietnamese are controlling the Khmers in all areas. Among them, the main sectors that Vietnam has the most hands on are economic, political, cultural, military, education, health and agriculture”.

Facebook Post | Archived Link

Fact Check

Fact Crescendo Cambodia had started to check and verify this photo directly by running a Google Reverse Image search, which brought us to the sources containing the following photos.

A photo of the exact same form and shape was found on the official Facebook page of Hun Manet, who posted on September 22, 2021. The original photo does not show the view where he wore a Vietnamese army hat at all.

Below is a screenshot captured from Hun Manet Facebook page that translates in English as “Phnom Penh, Tuesday, September 21, 202. Receive a courtesy call and discuss work with Colonel Nguyen Thanh Chinh, Vietnam Military Attaché to the Kingdom of Cambodia”.

Facebook Post | Archived Link

Similarly, according to another Cambodian newspaper website called “Kampuchea Tmey” published a photo on September 22, 2021, it also shows a view of the meeting between Hun Manet, Deputy Commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Commander Army and Colonel Nguyen Thanh Chinh, the Vietnamese military attaché to Cambodia recently on September 21. The following is an image from a news website that reads in Khmer and translates in English as “Cambodian, Vietnamese troops continue to strengthen cooperation and help fight Covid-19”.

Kampuchea Thmey News Report | Archived Link

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You may find the details of this fact-check in Khmer language here as well.

Conclusion

Fact Crescendo Cambodia has found that the photo posted and claimed by the above user was altered. This photo had been edited before it was posted on social media. The original photo published on Hun Manet official Facebook page does not show Hun Manet wearing a Vietnamese army hat while having a meeting with Nguyen Thanh Chinh, the Vietnamese military attaché to Cambodia last September.