The anti-fraud storm in Southeast Asia has escalated, and this time Cambodian Prime Minister "Hun Sen" is completely flustered!

Exiled former Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy suddenly spoke out, directly putting Hun Sen in the spotlight.

The catalyst for the situation was Hun Sen's repeated attacks on Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha.

Originally, everyone thought it was just because of that leaked recording.

The result unexpectedly involves a major scandal related to transnational telecom fraud and the lifeline of political power.

The meaning of Sanglan Stream is very clear; Hun Sen is in such a hurry to attack Peitongtan not for the sake of national dignity, but because Thailand has touched his real lifeline, the "black gold income."

According to Sang Lanxi, there has long been large-scale online gambling and money laundering criminal groups at the Cambodia border. These groups contribute over $12 billion in revenue to Cambodia each year, which accounts for nearly half of its GDP, and this is no small amount. Everyone knows that Cambodia's economic foundation is weak, and it is no secret that the daily operations are supported by this gray area money. But where is this money coming from? A large part relies on Thailand as a transit station. In other words, after Peitong Tan took office in Thailand, he vigorously cracked down on online fraud, cutting off the flow of funds from the source. This has poked a hornet's nest for Hun Sen, as previously, they could rely on these black industries to nurture local power and win people's hearts. Now, if this route is cut off, the stability of the regime could be at risk.

So you ask if Hun Sen is in a hurry? He claims it's about national sovereignty, but in reality, it's about his wallet shrinking. Ironically, on the Thai side, not only do they not indulge him, but they also directly carry out a series of punitive operations, such as sealing up cases, cutting off oil and gas, and shutting down the internet, showing no respect at all. Even Thai telecommunications companies have received orders not to provide network services to Cambodia anymore. Now, the tech workers in Cambodia are on the verge of paralysis. During the day, they work in offices, and at night, they build bomb shelters. Without the internet, what can they do? Cutting off someone's financial resources is worse than taking their life; this round of reinforcements is quite heavy-handed.

Cambodia's achievements in anti-corruption transparency in recent years are really not commendable. It ranks within the bottom 20 of the global corruption perception index and is often listed on money laundering blacklists. Without Hun Sen's tacit approval, or even direct manipulation of these large-scale criminal groups, where would they get the audacity to operate openly at the national borders, let alone the circulation amount of hundreds of millions of dollars? Local small officials cannot support this, only the core power layer can provide protection.

Now it's done, Sang Lanxi has exposed the truth, and Hun Sen's fig leaf has been pulled away halfway. What's more coincidental is that Hun Sen is still threatening that he has even bigger dirt on the "Thaksin family". What disrespect for the king, Yun Yun, but a week has passed, and instead of the big news, it’s Cambodia that has blown up first. Even Sang Lanxi has come forward to argue, saying this is a situation of internal and external troubles. This black gold showdown is not just a duel between Hun Sen and Peitongtan, but a microcosm of the entire Southeast Asian illegal economic ecology. The roots of electricity theft, gambling, and money laundering have long permeated the political and economic structure of the entire region.

If Peitongtan dares to touch this area, it’s like cutting into someone else's lifeline; it would be surprising if there wasn’t a backlash. However, conversely, it is precisely because some people are moved that we can see who has the deepest "roots" and who’s "life" is the most fragile. From China's standpoint, we can see very clearly that this kind of electric fraud has harmed countless people, and we ourselves have also suffered greatly from it. If it weren’t for the protective umbrella behind those Southeast Asian electric fraud industries, how could they be so arrogant?

Now that we see some people in neighboring countries beginning to take action against the victimized nation, we certainly support it. As for whether Hun Sen is targeting Phettongtan for "national hatred" or for self-preservation, the public actually understands, but it can be assured that if Hun Sen feels that Southeast Asia's crackdown on telecom fraud is creating obstacles, then that is creating obstacles for us. And at such a moment, Cambodia seems to be taking significant actions to prove its own innocence.

Hun Sen's son, the current Prime Minister of Cambodia "Hun Manet", took decisive action and launched an unprecedented nationwide crackdown on electric fraud. In just three days, special forces were deployed, with full coordination from land, sea, and air, resulting in the arrest of over 1,000 people across more than 20 countries. For instance, in the disguised construction site in the Dey Krahorm area of Phnom Penh, 234 people were caught, 149 of whom were Vietnamese. In a residential apartment in the Sensok area, 3 Chinese suspects were found, along with 47 computers and 28 mobile phones. In Sihanoukville, 63 Vietnamese were arrested at a site. In an even more exaggerated case in Banteay Meanchey, 271 Indonesians were captured; this is not a drill, it's a real operation.

Why did "Hong Manai" suddenly take drastic measures?

First is the economic pressure. In 2025, the number of Chinese tourists will decrease by 20%, resulting in a tourism loss of over 110 billion RMB.

The second is diplomatic pressure. The United States sanctions officials and the EU threatens to cut off financial channels.

Thirdly, domestic corruption has led to a situation where telecom fraud was once a pillar of local finances, a "black gold economy". Local officials are now panicking; if they do not crack down on it, their power will not be stable. This wave of crackdowns has also seen China actively participate in promoting international cooperation.

In 2024, China, Thailand, and Myanmar joined forces to combat electricity fraud, repatriating 1,200 people, and in 2025, they escorted another 500 people back to their country. Thailand even cooperated with Cambodia to raid the money laundering network of Hun Sen's confidant "Guo An." However, on the other hand, Thailand was also quite ruthless, cooperating to arrest people while simultaneously choking off resources, cutting off power and internet, and sealing borders, which directly caused Cambodia to lose 6 billion RMB. This led to diplomatic tensions between the two countries, and the domestic electricity fraud forces in Cambodia have also "mutated"; originally concentrated in industrial parks, they have now moved into residential buildings and office buildings, resulting in a dispersed layout and significantly enhanced counter-surveillance capabilities. In some areas, local finances cannot sustain this, leading to scandals where deputy prosecutors intervened in judicial matters and were directly suspended.

The good news is that the Hongmanai government has truly made a determination this time, adding the crime of transnational online fraud, which can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. They are promoting a transnational evidence-sharing mechanism, and the Chinese Inspection is in talks for the second phase of "Seagull Action". Thailand has also established an Interpol anti-fraud command center, aiming for a 50% reduction in crime rates within three months. However, international opinion is not unanimous. The European Union has a positive attitude, affirming the actions of the Cambodian side, while the United States is skeptical that this might just be for show.

This time Cambodia has taken strong action, hoping this is a genuine effort to clean up its image, rather than a forced response after being financially cut off by Thailand. I sincerely hope that telecom fraud can be completely eradicated!