PHNOM PENH – Analysts see online outrage over a Vietnamese island road project, falsely alleged to encroach on Cambodian waters, as persistent racially motivated provocation. They say the claims have revived tension, a problem that both countries have strived to ease.

Recently, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reassured the enraged public that Vietnam is not constructing the road from Tien Hai Island commune in An Giang province to Phu Quoc island.

Social media users were angered at a post purportedly showing where the road was being built. The ministry said the post was fake.

It said the construction was part of Vietnam’s Multifunctional Port of Ha Tien City in Vietnam's territory and was not a violation of the 1982 Cambodia-Vietnam Agreement on Historical Waters.

Carlyle Thayer, an Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of New South Wales, said the expansion of the Internet and social media in Cambodia and Vietnam has facilitated the spread of disinformation and fake news. 

Notably, former prime minister Hun Sen expressed concern about anti-Khmer coverage on Vietnamese social media, he said.

“The latest flare-up reveals that, despite persistent efforts by the leaders and government of Cambodia and Vietnam over recent years to suppress racially motivated fake news, there are pockets of public opinion that persist in provocation,” Thayer said.

“Cambodia faces a global problem because of the ubiquity of the internet and the difficulty of separating fake news from fact.”

Him Raksmey, executive director of the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies (CCRS), said the trend highlights the rapid spread of true and false information in the age of advanced global communication technology. 

Social media users in Cambodia must be cautious and vigilant when encountering media information, including social media, he said.

“Notwithstanding this media literacy issue, consistent efforts between Cambodia and Vietnam are needed,” Raskmey said.

The Need for Consistent Racial Promotion

Thayer said that despite the efforts both countries, Cambodia and Vietnam need to consistently review, revise, and upgrade the agreements and understanding established by their senior leaders.

This was to enhance mutual understanding and solidarity while combating racially motivated sentiments.

He said the two countries agreed on guidelines for bilateral relations in 2005 to promote neighbourliness and adopted a memorandum of understanding to conduct educational propaganda for the younger generation about “the tradition of solidarity, friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia” in 2022. 

In 2024, To Lam and Prime Minister Hun Manet also agreed to bring into force a signed agreement and cooperation mechanism and promote human resources, while To Lam requested a peaceful integration of the Vietnamese community into local life.

Thayer said Men Sam An and Nguyen Thi Thanh, presidents of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association, in 2024, agreed to continue working on the Nurturing Friendship program among the young. 

Thanh urged Cambodia to help the Vietnamese community in Cambodia to ensure its integration and long-term stability in the host society.

This led to a work plan for 2025 based on the 2022 MoU of educational propaganda. They also agreed to help the poor in the border areas and create favorable conditions for Cambodians seeking medical treatment in Vietnam.

“Relations have evolved over the past two decades into a stable and cooperative relationship in terms of trade and investment, security and defence and high-level exchanges,” said Thayer. “But racial intolerance continued to surface.”

Him Raksmey of CCRS said it’s important for Cambodia and Vietnam to keep working closely to strengthen their relationship and expand areas of mutual interest. 

Like all neighboring countries, challenges are unavoidable, he said, adding that what matters most is how both sides continue improving ties while calmly addressing shared concerns, guided by friendship, trust and international law.

“Proactive efforts are needed to promote robust people-to-people ties, including joint academic, educational, intellectual, tourist and cultural exchanges, he said. 

“There are important efforts to promote greater mutual understanding between the people of the two countries.”

Although the countries have enjoyed strong ties, unfinished land border demarcation has caused persistent disputes among Cambodians suspicious that Vietnam intends to expand its territory.

Vietnamese immigrants in Cambodia have fueled the tension of nationalism and anti-Vietnamese sentiments as Cambodia views Vietnam’s role in liberating the country from the Khmer Rouge regime as divisive.