To implement the call from Prime Minister Hun Manet for "purifying the online environment and maintaining the national cultural image," the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has collaborated with multiple departments to regulate content on social platforms that is "overly sexy" and violates traditional morals, focusing on platforms with strong dissemination such as TikTok and Facebook.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Song Ma, stated that the rectification action is being coordinated with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Women's Affairs, and the police, advocating for propaganda and guidance as the main approach, encouraging the public to consciously resist vulgar, provocative, and content that contradicts Khmer values. "We adhere to education first, avoiding direct punishment to prevent damage to personal reputation or job loss."
Although the authorities monitor platform dynamics daily, problematic videos continue to emerge due to the vast amount of content. Officials revealed that law enforcement usually communicates with the involved users first, urging them to voluntarily take down the content, unless the incident triggers widespread public opinion or negative impact, then formal coercive measures and complaints will be initiated.
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts emphasizes that the rectification process will consider legality, fairness, and freedom of expression, neither suppressing reasonable voices nor allowing content that damages the national image to continue spreading. Further notices will be issued to remind the public to respect traditional culture and enhance awareness of online civility.
This "civilization storm" in cyberspace has quietly begun. Cambodian social media is entering a period of ecological restructuring, where any carelessly posted content could lead to account deletion, blocking, or even legal responsibilities. In the era of universal internet access, who will be the next one named? It's a caution for every netizen.
