WSJ Acknowledges Cambodia’s Protest, Highlights Cybercrime Crackdown

PHNOM PENH, April 26, 2026 (KPT) — The Wall Street Journal has acknowledged Cambodia’s protest over the use of the term “Scambodia” in a recent article, while underscoring the country’s intensified crackdown on cybercrime, officials said Saturday.

Information Ministry spokesman Tep Asnarith said the paper published an opinion piece on April 24 quoting a letter from Minister Neth Pheaktra to its editors, hours after the controversial article appeared.

Pheaktra stressed that even in quotation marks, the term was derogatory and risked misrepresenting an entire nation. He urged international media to avoid language that could foster discrimination or undermine national dignity.

Through the opinion piece, WSJ acknowledged Cambodia’s protest, giving global readers insight into the country’s position and its commitment to dismantling online fraud networks.

Despite the move, the ministry insists the term be removed, calling its use a violation of journalistic ethics and “racial discrimination.” Officials said Cambodia will continue monitoring the case to safeguard its sovereignty and reputation as it steps up regional cooperation against transnational cybercrime.

The ministry had earlier condemned WSJ’s article “How Cybercrime Became a Leading Industry in ‘Scambodia’” as unprofessional, demanding corrections and coverage of Cambodia’s enforcement efforts.