Fact-Check: Was PM Hun Sen hospitalized in this video clip?
Rumors related with Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen’s health condition has been widely spread on social media platform since 2020 as he rarely shows in public for many weeks due to the Covid-19 restriction across the country. One of the most recent rumor on social media claimed a video clip shows the premier Hun Sen was hospitalized via a van and then sent off with a private jet to Singapore. The video has been circulated by various Facebook pages and shared many times by Khmer-speaking social media users. After reviewing the sources of the video and interviewing with the video owner, however, it proves the claim is false.
Social Media Claim
A less than one-minute video clip was posted on social media on September 5, 2021 by a Facebook Page named News Fast which claimed the clip shows Prime Minister Hun Sen’s health condition was in critical. The Facebook page added the Cambodia’s premier was hospitalized via a van before sending off via a private jet to Singapore.
The video clip had been shared by some Khmer-speaking Facebook users along with comments and reactions to. Some of Facebook users commented ‘R.I.P’ – rest in peace – a condolence expression to someone who lost their loved one.
Below is a capture of the claim posted by News Fast with caption reads: “Breaking!!! Hun Sen is in critical, being sent to ICU and then sent off to a hospital in Singapore.”
The same video and caption was also posted by another Facebook Page named News Assembly at the same time and day.
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia begin verifying the claim above by reviewing the original video clip and the most updated health condition of Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen.
In the video clip, we found a name @oukrithysak – an account of TikTok user. Then we started searching for the TikTok account.
We found a TikTok account named oukrithysak along with some video clips mentioned above. In his TikTok account, the social media user posted the video clip on September 05, 2021 with caption reads: “Wish my daddy to recovery from illness.” Below is a capture of the post from TikTok user or it can be watched on a link attached here.
Who is the man sitting on a wheel chair?
We found a man sitting on a wheel chair is father of TikTok user named oukrithysak. Then searched for more information by using name Ouk Rithysak. We found he also has a Facebook account named the same. In his post on August 13, 2021, he posted five photos along with caption reads: “My parents come to visit me.”
His other post on August 01, 2021 shows Facebook user Ouk Rithysak is a son of Ouk Bunchhoeun – former Minister of Justice between 1980 and 1993.
Ouk Bunchhoeun is one of Senators from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), holding Head of Senate’s Legislation and Justice Commission.
In an interview with Fact Crescendo Cambodia on September 17, Ouk Rithysak – also a deputy commander of Kep’s Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia – clarified the man in the video clip is his father, rejecting any claim linked to premier Hun Sen’s health condition.
How is PM Hun Sen’s health condition?
Cambodia’s premier show up in public on September 17 when he presided over the launching vaccination campaign for children aged 6-12 years old. He spoke to public for many hours and answered to questions from journalists.
A video on his official Facebook page shows PM Hun Sen is apparently healthy as normal, allowing him to speak for many hours. The premier also said he would go to play golf at the weekend, insisting he has not played the sport for at least three months due to the spread of Covid-19in the country.
Rumors over PM Hun Sen’s health condition has been circulated on social media platform for many months, and Fact Crescendo Cambodia did several fact-checks debunking the rumors.
On September 5, a Facebook user posted a photo showing premier Hun Sen lying on a medical bed, saying he was hospitalized to ICU. However, Fact Crescendo Cambodia found the claim was false. Read the full article of the fact-check here.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found the claim mentioned above is false. The video clip does not show PM Hun Sen. The man seen in the video clip is Ouk Bunchhoeun – one of Cambodia’s Senators from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party – who was sent off to get treatment abroad in early September this year due to his health condition.
