Siem reap: The APSARA National Authority has issued a clarification regarding a recently circulated YouTube video claiming that a visitor was violently attacked at the Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, a YouTube channel named 'The Country Collectors' uploaded a 24-minute video alleging that its creator had been assaulted at the Angkor site. The APSARA National Authority stated that the incident in question actually occurred on Feb. 7, 2024, and was not a recent event.

The authority explained that the case involved a private dispute between an American tourist and a Russian tourist and was not related to any Cambodian law enforcement or competent authorities. The altercation reportedly arose from a disagreement over a photo-taking location and the use of aggressive language between the two individuals near the eastern area of the dance hall at Ta Prohm Temple.

Tourism officers from the APSARA National Authority provided initial assistance to the injured individual and subsequently referred the matter to the Tourist Police Unit in Siem Reap province for mediation and resolution. As a result, both parties reached a mutual agreement to settle the dispute on the same day, Feb. 7, 2024, as documented in an official record.

Both individuals later apologized to the relevant authorities and the Cambodian people for the incident and expressed regret over the disturbance caused at a sacred heritage site of Cambodia, the authority added.

In light of the above clarification, the APSARA National Authority has called on the public to be informed of the facts and to refrain from further sharing the video.