Two Taiwanese streamers, Chen Neng-chuan and Lu Tsu-hsien, have been sentenced to two years in prison by a Cambodian court for staging a fake kidnapping video in Sihanoukville, a coastal city notorious for harboring online scam operations. The pair, who go by the online handles “Goodnight Chicken” and “Anow”, posted the video on Facebook earlier this week, claiming they had broken into a “scam park” and were chased and beaten by security guards. They later posted another video showing them escaping from a hotel room, with fake blood and injuries.
The video went viral in Taiwan, but also raised suspicions among netizens and authorities, who found inconsistencies and discrepancies in their story. The Taiwanese embassy in Cambodia said they received no requests for assistance from the streamers or their families, and no police report was filed. Cambodian authorities tracked down the streamers to a hotel room, where they found evidence of their staged kidnapping, including military uniforms, rubber masks, red paint and a torn T-shirt.
The streamers were arrested and charged with incitement and causing social disorder, as well as interfering with public functions. They were tried on Thursday at the Preah Sihanouk provincial court, where they admitted to fabricating the video to attract more followers and views. The court sentenced them to two years in jail and ordered them to pay a fine of $2,000 each. The court also said their actions had damaged the reputation of Cambodia, especially the coastal province, which has been trying to crack down on online scam activities.
The streamers are known for their controversial live streams, in which they visit haunted houses and abandoned buildings in Taiwan, where they claim to see ghosts and dead creatures. They have a significant following on social media platforms, such as YouTube and Facebook. Their fake kidnapping video has sparked outrage and criticism from netizens, who accused them of being irresponsible and disrespectful to the Cambodian people and culture.
Photo Source: General Commissariat of National Police
