By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-08-04 08:31:45 | Updated at 2026-08-04 12:16:37
3 hours ago
PHNOM PENH - Cambodia’s Ministry of Information has called on Singapore-based Channel News Asia (CNA) to issue a public correction after Cambodian authorities concluded that a Singaporean woman who travelled voluntarily to Cambodia was neither trafficked nor held against her will, accusing the broadcaster of publishing a one-sided report that unfairly damaged the Kingdom’s reputation.
In an Aug 3 statement, ministry spokesperson Tep Asnarith said the official findings of Cambodia’s investigation had established that Siti Aishah Siregar, a Singaporean national, travelled to Cambodia of her own free will to cope with emotional distress and family-related pressures, and that no human trafficking, kidnapping or online scam-related crime had occurred.
“The case has been resolved and officially clarified that it bears no connection to human trafficking or any online scam offence, contrary to reports carried by certain foreign media outlets,” Asnarith said.
The woman also confirmed in a video message that no one had coerced, deceived or endangered her at any point after she arrived in Cambodia.
The ministry argued that CNA’s initial report relied primarily on the family’s concerns and suspicions before seeking confirmation from Cambodian authorities, resulting in what it described as an inaccurate portrayal of Cambodia.
“At the initial stage of reporting, Channel News Asia rushed to publish the story by relying only on one-sided claims and sources of suspicion, together with the family’s social media appeals, while linking the case to negative narratives about human trafficking and online scams before obtaining official information or investigation findings from the Cambodian authorities,” the statement said.
The ministry said such reporting had “created serious misunderstanding among the international public”, unfairly harmed Cambodia’s reputation and undermined the country’s ongoing efforts to combat transnational online scam operations.
It acknowledged that CNA had updated its article after Cambodia released its findings but argued that quietly amending the report was insufficient.
“The media organisation should demonstrate professional responsibility by issuing a separate public correction with the same prominence as the original report that cast suspicion on Cambodia, in order to clear public misunderstanding, restore justice and repair the country’s reputation,” said Asnarith.
The ministry further argued that “a violation of fundamental journalistic principles cannot be erased through silent edits or updates” and called on CNA to formally acknowledge what it described as reporting errors.
The statement also used the case to reiterate four principles of responsible journalism: rigorous fact-checking before publication, balanced reporting that includes official sources from all relevant parties, professional accountability when errors occur and respect for individual privacy.
It criticised what it described as the transformation of a private family matter into an international news story without sufficient factual basis.
“This was purely a personal and family matter and should not have been turned into material for sensational reporting by an international news organisation without adequate evidence,” it said.
The ministry added that reporting based on speculation and unsupported allegations not only affected the individual’s privacy and psychological well-being but also harmed Cambodia’s national image.
The controversy stems from a July 31 CNA report, which said the family of 20-year-old Siti Aishah Siregar was searching for her after she unexpectedly travelled to Cambodia and became unreachable.
According to CNA, her last message to her mother stated that she was going to school. When relatives later attempted to pick her up, they discovered that her WhatsApp and Telegram accounts had been deleted and her mobile phone was switched off.
The family later found her passport missing and discovered an airline itinerary showing she had travelled to Cambodia.
Her brother, Syafiq Siregar, told CNA that she had transferred several hundred dollars to an unknown individual before leaving Singapore and had been communicating with someone she met through an online gaming platform.
The Straits Times has contacted Mediacorp for comment.
Those circumstances led the family to fear she might have fallen victim to a trafficking syndicate or one of Cambodia’s online scam compounds, while Singapore Police confirmed they were investigating the case and liaising with Interpol.
Cambodian authorities subsequently launched a joint operation involving the National Police, the General Department of Immigration and Phnom Penh Municipal Police, locating the woman in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Touch Sokkhak later announced that the woman had told investigators she had travelled to Cambodia voluntarily because of emotional stress within her family and that she had switched off her phone after arriving.
He said preliminary questioning found no evidence of kidnapping, unlawful detention or extortion, and confirmed that authorities continue to complete administrative procedures while further details may be released at a later press conference.
The information ministry concluded by urging domestic and international media organisations to uphold professional ethics by prioritising truth, verification and balanced reporting while respecting the information sovereignty of other countries. THE PHNOM PENH POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
