Anti-Thailand propaganda just ploy to distract Cambodians’ from internal problems - CSI-LA

A group of Thai businessmen in Los Angeles, who are dedicated to investigating controversial issues under the pseudonym of CSI-LA, has claimed that Cambodia’s current anti-Thailand nationalism campaign is, in fact, a ploy to distract Cambodians from a report that a company, Huione Group, owned by Hun Sen’s grandson, has been blacklisted by the US Treasury Department for allegedly being a hub for worldwide money laundering operations.

CSI-LA based its claim on a report in the New York Times (NYT) on May 2nd, saying that the Trump administration has designated Huione Group as a money launderer, taking the first step to sever its access to the American financial system.

Photo: CSI LA's X

The NYT quoted the Treasury Department as claiming that, since August 2021, Huione Group and its affiliates have laundered US$4 billion for criminals, including hackers in North Korea and scammers in Southeast Asia.

An NYT investigation in March found that online scammers, who defraud victims with bogus investments or other schemes, rely on Huione and its affiliates to move money overseas, while evading law enforcement and banks’ anti-laundering departments.

Huione is best known in Cambodia for its QR codes, which customers use to pay hotel, restaurant and supermarket bills. Hun To, a cousin of Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet, is a director of one Huione group entity.

CSI-LA alleged, in its webpage post Sunday night that, instead of launching an investigation into the operations of the Huione Group, the Cambodian government has chosen to stir up nationalism, based on disinformation, to divert attention away from its internal problems, including an economic crisis, the extensive spread of Chinese grey businesses and a sharp drop in tourist arrivals.

CSI-LA then advised Thai people not to succumb to Cambodia’s propaganda and disinformation campaign.