Phnom Penh: Cambodia’s Ministry of Information has expressed strong objections to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article involving the country’s name. The ministry regarded the language used as derogatory, unprofessional and harmful to Cambodia’s national reputation.
Ministry spokesperson Tep Asnarith said WSJ published a letter in its opinion section on April 24, 2026 reflecting points raised in an official letter from Information Minister Neth Pheaktra to the newspaper’s editors and publishing management. The minister had written after an article used wording he considered potentially misleading and derogatory toward Cambodia.
In the protest letter, the minister said the wording remained derogatory even when placed in quotation marks and accompanied by an explanation, and could lead readers to misunderstand an entire country and its people. Cambodia stressed that international media should follow professional ethics and avoid language that could foster discrimination or damage a nation’s reputation.
Cambodia regarded publication of the letter as an opportunity for international readers to understand its position and efforts to combat technology-based fraud. However, the Information Ministry continued to demand removal of the wording it considered derogatory and damaging to national dignity. It argued that linking a country’s name with a negative meaning violated journalistic ethics and was unacceptable.
The ministry said it would continue monitoring the matter closely to defend Cambodia’s reputation, sovereignty and dignity as an equal member of the international community.
After the original report appeared, the Information Ministry responded by requesting corrections to what it described as unprofessional conduct and highlighting Cambodia’s efforts against transnational crime. The ministry spokesperson also issued a statement strongly condemning use of the country’s name in a negative context that, in the ministry’s view, harmed the identity and reputation of the nation as a whole. By: ស៊ីណាន
Screenshot of the WSJ opinion section’s letters page, displaying a publication date of April 24, 2026 (ET).
