RFA Journalists Clarify Chanboth in Speedy Recovery from the Operation
The chief of Radio Free Asia in Khmer service Chun Chanbot has not shown up in the routine broadcast since he announced his absence for an operation. Then, a claim circulated on social media said the U.S.-based journalist passed away after the operation. The claim has been reacted to and commented on by many Khmer-speaking social media users. However, after reviewing explanations from RFA journalists, we found the claim is misleading.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
A claim circulated on social media last week said Chun Chanbot – the Deputy Director of Radio Free Asia in Khmer service – passed away after he got an operation abroad.
The claim was shared with different social media groups which have a lot of members and got a lot of reactions and comments from Khmer-speaking Facebook users.
Below is the capture of the claim posted on social media on January 20, 2024, saying “Chun Chanbot passed away after getting an operation abroad. Just remind you that the individual who is leading in manipulating Cambodian society accepts a foreign country as his boss and steps on Cambodia in all forms to incite and destroy Cambodia’s move, the effort in line with the wish of the foreign country. This is a reminder message for all those who sell their brains to a foreign country: do not wait until you die and leave your bones in another country like this person before you feel regret.”
Below is the capture of the same claim shared with another social media group on January 20, 2024. The Facebook group has a lot of members.
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo Cambodia began debunking the claim mentioned earlier by interviewing sources closed to the RFA journalist. Then, we found out the fact below.
In a pre-recorded podcast lived on RFA’s Facebook page on January 08, 2024, Chun Chanbot said he would take a break for a while to get an operation.
At the end of the pre-recorded podcast, he said his break would take one to two months before his return.
Below is the capture of the RFA’s Facebook post saying that the podcast was pre-recorded before Chanbot took a break to get an operation.
The RFA journalist Yang Chandara who coordinated a daily broadcasting said Chanbot got the operation on January 04, 2024. Watch the video below from 00:07:20 until 00:08:02 of the full show.
20 days later, Chandara said in another daily show that Chanbot’s health situation was much better, and he would return to the podcast show this week.
Watch the full video of the RFA show broadcasted on January 24, 2024 and lived on social media as well.
(From 00:36:45 to 00:37:20)
Responding to an inquiry from Fact Crescendo Cambodia last week, a person who claimed he is close to Chanboth denied the claim circulated in social media. He asserted that the U.S.-based journalist’s health was much better.
The same source added Chanbot could participate in daily editorial meetings with his colleagues, and his voice was like before his operation.
CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo Cambodia fount out the claim mentioned above is misleading. RFA journalists clarified that the U.S.-based journalist Chun Chanbot was in speedy recovery and would return to the podcast show this week.
Title:RFA Journalists Clarify Chanboth in Speedy Recovery from the Operation
Written By: Jay UdomResult: Misleading
