Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has stopped using Facebook to communicate with the public in favor of Telegram, switching to what he called a “better” application amid an ongoing case over whether he violated Meta Platforms’ rules.
The self-styled strongman, who has led Cambodia for nearly four decades, has been accused by human rights groups of using Meta’s Facebook to intimidate political opponents and discourage criticism of his government, which his administration denies.
Meta’s independent oversight board took on a case in March centered on allegations that Hun Sen violated Meta’s community standards on violence and incitement.
Hun Sen has a following of 14 million on Facebook, a figure close to the size of Cambodia’s population.
“It is better compared to Facebook,” he said of Telegram in a post on Wednesday.
“So from now on I will publish information including live streaming only on Telegram channel,” he said, adding that he would still use YouTube and Instagram and was creating a TikTok profile.
The Meta case came after several users reported a January video where Hun Sen said those who accused his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of buying votes in a 2022 local election should file a legal case, or face a beating from CPP’s supporters.
Hun Sen has made no comment on the Meta case. Government spokesperson Phay Siphan on Thursday denied knowledge of the case and said the switch to Telegram was made because it was easier to use and could reach more people.
It comes as the country prepares for an election next month in which Hun Sen’s ruling CPP faces virtually no opposition, with its main rival dissolved in 2017 over an alleged coup attempt and scores of its members given jail terms or fleeing into exile.
A party formed by its remnants was last month disqualified from running over a paperwork discrepancy, prompting condemnation from activists, who say Hun Sen has systematically weakened independent institutions and has used them to crush his opponents and preserve CPP’s political monopoly.
The CPP government has denied that and says its opponents have broken the law.
Cambodia PM ditches Facebook as Meta mulls case over alleged threats
https://arab.news/csgcr
Cambodia PM ditches Facebook as Meta mulls case over alleged threats
- Self-styled strongman of using Meta’s Facebook to intimidate political opponents and discourage criticism of his government
- Hun Sen has a following of 14 million on Facebook, a figure close to the size of Cambodia’s population
Tunisian journalist Chatha BelHajj Mubarak freed after sentence cut
- The court cut her sentence from five years to two, making her eligible for immediate release, her brother told Reuters
TUNIS: A Tunisian appeal court on Wednesday ordered the release of journalist Chatha BelHajj Mubarak, jailed since 2023 in a conspiracy case, after reducing her prison sentence, her family said.
The court cut her sentence from five years to two, making her eligible for immediate release, her brother told Reuters.
She was convicted in the so-called “Instalingo” case, which involved politicians, media figures and other defendants accused of conspiracy and financial crimes. BelHajj Mubarak denied the charges.
“Chatha is free and leaving prison,” her brother, Amen BelHajj Mubarak, said.
He said her health had severely deteriorated during her time in prison. She suffered serious complications, including significant hearing loss, and was diagnosed with cancer in detention, he added.
Tunisian authorities have said the case stems from judicial investigations into alleged financial and security-related offenses, and have rejected accusations by opposition groups that the prosecutions were politically motivated.
Tunisian prosecutors are pursuing a number of high-profile conspiracy cases involving politicians, journalists and activists. Several opposition leaders have received lengthy prison terms.
