Background
The Ministry of Interior published Guideline No. 074 to regulate how operational and spokesperson personnel handle and disclose information related to public security and public order. Guideline No. 074 sets mandatory rules for the dissemination of public security and public order information by officials within the Ministry of Interior.
The guideline was signed on 27 December 2024 and applies to authorized officers across national police, prison administration and designated ministry spokespersons. On 25 May 2026 the ministry convened an online and on-site briefing attended by more than 4,500 operational leaders, administrative posts and communications staff to promote understanding of the guideline.
Scope of Application
Guideline No. 074 covers officials with authority to provide or publish information about security operations, including national police leadership, district and commune police posts, prison administration officers, and designated ministry spokespersons. The measure applies to information produced before, during and after operational deployments when activities relate to public security, internal unit information or procedural materials.
Key Provisions or Decisions
The guideline requires strict professional confidentiality during operations and prohibits dissemination of operational information to unauthorized persons and the public. Recording or broadcasting (photography, video, audio, and live streaming) of active operational activity is prohibited in any form unless a unit head assigns a specifically appointed officer to create official operational records. Material recorded under such assignment may be used only for professional, judicial or prison procedures and must not be repurposed for private or public dissemination.
Interviews and media access are restricted during arrests and investigative actions: suspects must be transferred to the relevant office or unit before any public statements or interviews are permitted. The guideline limits who may speak publicly on behalf of operational units to unit chiefs, authorized spokespersons, or designated operational leads, and requires leadership approval before releasing technical reports or procedural documents to parties without formal authority.
Additional provisions require redaction or concealment of faces and identifying details when publication is authorized, with special protections for suspects, witnesses, victims, children and other vulnerable persons. Subnational reporting of security matters must receive approval from competent leadership or be channeled through the ministry spokesperson group to protect procedural integrity and personal rights.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
Media organizations, private security firms and civil society actors should source public-security information only from authorized spokespersons or formally designated ministry channels to remain compliant with the guideline. Organizations that receive operational recordings or procedural documents must observe the guideline’s restrictions on disclosure and use; authorized material is intended for professional or legal use, not for commercial redistribution.
Official Source
Ministry of Interior coverage and the full text summary: https://police.gov.kh/?p=161650. Original departmental announcement posted by National Police of Cambodia: Facebook post.
