PHNOM PENH: National Police Chief Neth Savoeun released a statement today, refuting allegations from The Cambodia Daily that the Prime Minister’s family heads a major drug trafficking operation with links to China.

On the afternoon of July 12, Chief Neth Savoeun accused the now-foreign Cambodia Daily newspaper of slander and fabricating fake news against the Royal Government. He said that the Cambodia Daily has a history of spreading false information on Facebook and that the publication has fabricated the situation to smear the reputations of Prime Minister Hun Sen, First Lady Bun Rany and their family.

The chief emphasized that the newspaper had distorted the present drug situation in Cambodia and ignored the efforts of the government and the people of Cambodia in cooperating with other countries to fight drug abuse. He went on to mention the praise the government had received from the international community for its successful anti-drug campaigns.

He said, "This is the low character, immorality, and resentment the opposition newspaper, who always lies about, slanders, and accuses the PM and his family in order to discredit our hero, our peace, and our patriotism. The dirty tricks of the Cambodia Daily cannot deceive, hide the truth, or reduce the trust and respect that the Cambodian people have for the PM and his family, government officials, or the Armed Forces."

He said that the publication of the story only proved to the national and international public the newspaper’s ambitions, hostile tactics, destruction of peace, and its desire to disrupt Cambodia's development. He said that the Cambodia Daily staff should re-learn ethical journalism, instead of just following their boss’s orders.