Vietnamese TikToker could be banned from Cambodia because of video of Angkor Wat.

TikToker Hua Quoc Anh could face a 5-10 year ban from entering Cambodia for his video defaming the sacred Angkor Wat temple.

Responding to VnExpress on the evening of November 17, Deputy Secretary of State of the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism Prak Chandar said that the actions of the Vietnamese TikToker at Angkor Wat temple on October 23 had a negative impact on the image of tourism. Currently, the relevant parties are considering imposing a penalty on this TikToker, possibly banning him from entering Cambodia for 5-10 years.

Hua Quoc Anh, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City, went to Angkor Wat temple to film and take photos on October 23 and then posted a video on TikTok with the image of a girl wearing pink, holding a stick, walking around Angkor Wat temple and embedding images of the Thai flag and king, along with the sound "Hello Thailand".

Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia. Photo: Expedia — Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia. Photo: *Expedia*

The Angkor Wat World Heritage Conservation Authority (Apsara) on November 12 assessed the video as having an impact on Cambodia's culture and heritage and said it had asked social network TikTok to block it. Apsara also called on network users not to continue sharing and supporting negative actions. The video has now been removed from the TikTok platform.

According to lawyer Do Minh Hien (Hanoi Bar Association), based on the above information, this person's actions were carried out in Cambodia and are not subject to Vietnamese law. Therefore, how to handle the male TikToker depends on the Cambodian authorities and is applied according to the law of this country.

Kim Phalet, an international tour guide in Cambodia, said that Cambodia and Thailand have had disputes over the Preah Vihear temple on the border. Therefore, the act of inserting images of Thailand into a video filmed at Angkor Wat has angered Cambodians. In addition, Kim said that tourists bringing a crew, using professional cameras, but wearing non-Cambodian clothing need to obtain a permit beforehand.

Hua Quoc Anh earlier this week refused to share the reason for filming the video in Cambodia but inserted images and sounds related to Thailand. However, he also admitted his mistake and "hoped to be forgiven."

The Angkor Wat temple complex in Angkor, Siem Reap, is the world's largest religious monument with over 160 hectares (some documents say about 200 hectares), considered the pinnacle of Khmer architecture. Angkor Wat is the heart and soul, the pride of the Cambodian people. In 1992, UNESCO recognized Angkor Wat as a world cultural heritage.

Tu Nguyen

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