Fact Check: Photo Showing Seng Theary with Mustache Altered
The case of treason of former activists and CNRP leaders resumed recently, requesting six defendants to appear at the hearing, including Seng Theary, president of the Center Educate for the people of Cambodia, a supporter of the CNRP, and also a human rights activist.
Meanwhile, photos showing Seng Theary, a human rights activist, dressed in Apsara and had a mustache was posted recently on Facebook. These photos may be believed to be real as it was reacted to and shared by Facebook users speaking Khmer. However, after running a Google Reverse Search, it proves that the photo above posted was altered.
This is about our investigation of this photo.
Social Media Claim
On December 08, 2021, one of the Facebook users posted two photos showing Seng Theary standing in an Apsara costume and having a beard and mustache. She is known as the founder of the Education Center for Cambodians and an active human rights activist. This photo has been shared and reacted by some Khmer-speaking Facebook users which may be believed to be real.
The following screenshot was captured from the Facebook user’s post which translates in English as “Cambodian court does not hold a trial for crazy people ...! There is a protector of crazy people, maybe foreigners are crazy doctors too! Hahaha”.
Similarly, another photo of Seng Theary with a mustache was also posted and shared on December 8, 2021. Below is the screenshot, a picture captured from the user’s post which shows a picture of her with a mustache and beard.
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.
This exact photo was found and published on The Washington Post news website on December 7, 2021. This website also added in its report that Seng Theary appeared in Phnom Penh Municipal Court in connection with a treason case.
The below screenshot was captured from the above news website which states in English as “Theary Seng, a Cambodian-American lawyer, dressed in a traditional Khmer Apsara dance costume, speaks to media as she arrives to continue her trial in the municipal court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. Seng and over 40 other defendants charged with treason for taking part in nonviolent political activities were summoned back to court Tuesday to continue their trial that had been suspended since November 2020 due to COVID-19”.
Washington Post News Report | Archived Link
According to Seng Theary's Facebook account posted on December 12, 2021, it does not show her photo with a mustache and beard like the photos posted by the above users at all.
The above case was also posted and published on Radio Free Asia's Facebook page on December 8, 2021. The following snapshot was taken from RFA which captioned in English as “Human rights activist Theary Seng arrives at a Phnom Penh court dressed as a traditional Apsara dancer. The Cambodian-American is one of 42 opposition activists on trial for incitement and treason against the ruling Hun Sen regime”.
Radio Free Asia Link | Archived Link
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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 does not show Seng Theary, a human rights activist, having a mustache as posted above at all. This photo was taken on December 07, 2021, when she arrived at the courthouse in Phnom Penh.
