Phnom Penh: The Cambodian Human Rights Committee, led by Senior Minister Keo Remy, has requested that The Wall Street Journal of Thailand apologize to Cambodia after using the title “Scambodia” in its article.
The request that the Thai side delete the word “Scambodia” was published by The Wall Street Journal on April 19, 2026 under the title “Scambodia”.
According to the letter from the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, calling Cambodia by the word “Scambodia” in an article by The Wall Street Journal on April 19, 2026 shows a lack of professionalism and journalistic ethics, which can lead to misunderstandings, discrimination, and seriously affect the rights, dignity, and honor of the country and the nearly 18 million Cambodian people, which are guaranteed by the United Nations Charter. and international human rights law.
The letter in English to The Wall Street Journal stated that freedom of expression and freedom of the press play an important role in society, but these freedoms must be exercised responsibly and with respect for the dignity of the individual, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Headlines, although intended to attract attention, should not be exaggerated, distorted, or distorted beyond the truth, which will inevitably lead to a loss of trust and the value of press freedom.
In view of the serious violation and impact on the honor and fundamental rights and freedoms of the Cambodian country and people, the Cambodian Human Rights Committee has requested The Wall Street Journal to immediately remove the word “Scambodia” from its article, issue corrections or clarifications that reflect accurate and balanced reporting, avoid using offensive words in future publications, formally apologize for the use of the title, and revise the title to reflect accuracy, balance, and non-discrimination in this matter.
