A careless editor landed CNN in hot water with Cambodians and geography lovers alike this week after accidentally referring to Angkor Wat as a Thai temple.
On Thursday, a senior CNN staffer formally apologized to Cambodia’s Tourism Ministry after the eror by the international news agency drew an outcry on social media.
“On behalf of CNN, I apologize for any offense and confusion this has caused,” wrote Ellana Lee, vice president and managing editor of CNN International Asia Pacific. “It was due to human error and was corrected in minutes.”
The article was about TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Attractions Awards, which placed Angkor Wat and Bayon temples among the world’s top 10 attrtactions.
In 2003, riots against Thai-owned businesses and the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh began after rumors spread that a Thai actress claimed Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.
