Mysterious overseas ‘likes’ boost Cambodian PM’s page

By Lauren Crothers

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia

Months after the Cambodian premier’s Facebook page started receiving an unusual number of “likes” from countries where “click farms” mean people can essentially pay for page popularity, his numbers have mysteriously risen further in the wake of the recent assassination of a government critic. The Cambodia Daily on Tuesday reported data gathered by an analytics website called Socialbakers, which show “likes” from the Philippines, India and Indonesia rose by between nine and 31 percent in the wake of the July 10 killing of Kem Ley.

The “likes” began their latest uptick on July 13, it said, bringing the number to around the 4.9-million mark on the premier’s page. Organic, Cambodian growth was about 75,000 “likes”, according to the Daily, which contrasts sharply and unusually with the 557,000 that have originated in India.

Overall, less than half of Hun Sen’s “likes” come from within Cambodia. Political analyst Ou Virak told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that while the jump in popularity is certainly “suspicious”, it remains to be seen if the boost is being bought or for another reason.

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