(Phnom Penh): The Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) sent a letter of complaint to Oliver Richard, French Ambassador to Cambodia, regarding professional conduct of France 24 Journalist Matt Hunt.
“The CHRC wishes to bring to your urgent attention the unethical conduct of Matt Hunt, an independent journalist affiliated with France 24 based in Thailand, concerning his judgmental and biased reporting and competing narratives on the 8 December 2025 conflict between Cambodia and Thailand—particularly the news caption titled “Thailand conducts airstrikes in self-defense following clashes on the border that killed Thai soldiers,” according to the letter seen by Fresh News on Tuesday (Dec. 9).
“The CHRC must register our profound concern at the aforementioned report as it conveys a misleading and misguided self-serving narrative that neither reflects the actual situation along the Cambodia–Thailand border nor aligns with fundamental journalistic standards of accuracy, impartiality, and fairness. By uncritically framing the airstrikes as acts of “self-defense,” the report relies on fabricated and baseless pretexts that maliciously disregards verified evidence, including multiple instances in which Thai armed forces had blatantly initiated hostilities within Cambodian territory, resulting in civilian casualties, displacement of families, and widespread destruction of civilian property and infrastructure.
Such misrepresentation not only misinforms the international public but also risks further inflaming tensions during an already volatile situation. Inaccurate reporting aimed at creating distortion and used as strategic manipulation at moments of conflict can cause grave consequences for the safety and dignity of affected civilians, and it undermines the principles of responsible journalism expected of reputable international media organizations.
Moreover, these inaccuracies impair the public’s right of access to factual, balanced, and reliable information—an essential human right recognized under international human rights standards. Access to truthful information is vital to ensuring transparency, accountability, and protection of populations living in conflict-affected areas.
The CHRC further notes that France 24 is a major French state-owned international news network broadcaster, and its reporting may be perceived globally as reflecting, or at least influencing, the position of the French Government. For this reason, ensuring well-sourced reporting with objective analysis and verifiable evidence is imperative and should be conducted with the utmost journalistic professionalism. To ensure transparency and access to information, Cambodia consistently reports verified information and provides official updates available in English language regarding the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. We respectfully request that France 24’s journalists also conduct thorough research by including information from the Cambodian side to avoid one-sided narrative that proves to escalate tensions and to uphold the principle of responsible and ethical journalism over sensationalism and politicisation.
In light of these serious concerns, the CHRC respectfully urges Your Excellency to consider engaging with France 24 and its editorial leadership to:
1. Review and rectify immediately the maliciously misleading and baseless elements of the report in question; and
2. Ensure that future coverage related to Cambodia–Thailand border tensions upholds international journalistic standards, including careful attention to the human rights implications of military actions through cooperative verification rather than one’s premeditated assertion.”
=FRESH NEWS
