Ho Chi Minh City Authorities Impose 7.5 Million VND Fine on TikTok User for Defaming Angkor Wat

• 5 January 2024
• Local News
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Ho Chi Minh City authorities have issued a fine of 7.5 million VND ($306) to Vietnamese TikTok user Hua Quoc Anh for allegations of defaming Cambodia and Angkor Wat, claiming the ancient temple belongs to Thailand. This information is reported by Vietnam.vn on 5 January 2024.

In the official announcement of the fine on Wednesday, Vietnamese authorities cautioned the taekwondo star against causing further issues and emphasized compliance with Vietnamese internet and social media usage laws, emphasizing responsibility and ethics.

The controversy arose in November 2023 when Hua Quoc Anh posted a 1.25-minute video featuring Angkor Wat. The video depicted a woman in traditional Thai attire walking around Angkor Wat, accompanied by the Thai flag, a portrait of the Thai king, and a “Hello Thailand” message on Anh’s TikTok account, which boasts over 700,000 followers.

This content triggered negative reactions in both Cambodia and Vietnam. On 12 November 2023, the Apsara Authority asserted that Anh’s video had caused significant harm to Cambodia’s cultural heritage and requested TikTok to remove the video, which was subsequently deleted.

Prak Chanda, undersecretary of state at the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, remarked, “The video that Anh made at Angkor Wat has had a very negative impact on Cambodia’s tourism image.”

Addressing the situation, a Vietnamese lawyer based in Hanoi stated in November that the incident occurred on Cambodian soil, indicating that legal matters should be resolved within Cambodia’s jurisdiction. However, on 4 January 2024, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information announced that Ho Chi Minh City authorities had levied a US$300 fine on the offender, accompanied by additional warnings.

In response, the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia conveyed to the Vietnamese newspaper VnExpress that it is contemplating banning Anh’s entry into Cambodia for a period of five to ten years.

Phil Robertson, the executive director of Human Rights Watch Asia, criticized the situation, stating, “This is ridiculous,” and urged Hanoi to focus on managing the freedom of expression of its citizens instead of worrying about damaging Phnom Penh’s reputation.

Controversially, there have been assertions by some Thais that Angkor Wat belongs to Thailand, not Cambodia, contributing to a longstanding dispute between the two nations. However, the international community generally recognises Angkor Wat as a masterpiece of the Cambodian people.

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