Phnom Penh (VNA) – The United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (also known as Hanoi Convention), opened for signature on October 25–26 in Vietnam, is expected to help Cambodia strengthen its legal framework, enhance international cooperation, and contribute to joint efforts in resolving this “sensitive hotspot” of the region and the world, a Cambodian expert has said.
In July 2025, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet launched a nationwide crackdown on online scams in response to the surge of high-tech crimes in the Southeast Asian country, which have threatened regional stability.
Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident correspondent in Phnom Penh ahead of the convention signing ceremony, Thong Mengdavid, a geopolitical and international affairs analyst at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy (IISPP) under the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), praised the Cambodian Government’s determination to dismantle online scam networks operating within the country.
He noted that authorities have arrested about 3,455 suspects from 20 countries, prosecuted 10 major cases in Phnom Penh and several provinces, indicted 75 ringleaders and accomplices, and deported 2,825 foreign nationals. Cambodian law enforcement agencies have also rescued victims of human trafficking and broken up cross-border criminal syndicates.
According to Mengdavid, Cambodia has been stepping up cooperation with countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, the UK, the US, and the Republic of Korea through information sharing, capacity building, and specialised training for task forces.
He stressed that Cambodia cannot combat cybercrime alone, requiring the participation of the international community, especially neighbouring countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to dismantle transnational networks, prosecute offenders, and tighten border enforcement activities and enhance victim protection.
The expert highlighted that Cambodia and other regional nations remain victims of human trafficking and online scams, largely due to loopholes in law enforcement activities and corruption, which have exacerbated cross-border criminal activities.
Mengdavid said the Hanoi Convention will help Cambodia close existing legal gaps in data supervision, extradition, and victim protection. Its implementation will demonstrate Cambodia’s commitment to international legal norms and United Nations standards in the fight against online fraud, while ensuring respect for human rights and promoting global cooperation, he said./.
