Thailand Urges Cambodia: Keep Scammer Crackdown Off Political Stage
Thailand's top diplomat warns Cambodia against using cybercrime crackdowns as justification for military action, urging both nations to focus on legal cooperation against scammer networks instead of political accusations.
On September 23, 2569, General Praphas Sontikdi, director of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Information Center (JIC), addressed comments by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, emphasizing that cybercrime crackdowns should not be weaponized against other nations or used to justify military action and territorial seizure.
Thailand clearly agrees that online crime should not become a tool of international political conflict, Praphas stated, but this principle must apply equally to all parties. If the stated purpose is combating scammers, discussions should focus on cooperation and dismantling criminal networks rather than accusations or implied links to other countries.
Praphas stressed the importance of reviewing the Joint Statement signed by Thailand and Cambodia on December 27, 2568, particularly Section 10, which commits both sides to a cooperation framework for preventing and suppressing transnational crime, including cyber scams and human trafficking.
He distinguished sharply between two separate issues: international crime enforcement, which must proceed through legal and police cooperation, and border security incidents. Regarding recent fighting, Thailand has formally confirmed to the United Nations that Cambodian forces opened fire first on Thai military and territory, and Thailand exercised self-defense rights under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Praphas rejected the notion that scammer enforcement justifies military force, stating the international community should see verifiable results—arrests of criminal networks, victim assistance, and asset seizure—not competing accusations. He acknowledged that transnational cybercrime networks have long operated from the region, and Cambodia itself admitted at today's International Conference on Cybercrime and Online Safety that such networks use Cambodian territory.
