Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith speaks during the closing ceremony of the 16th Asia Media Summit in Siem Reap province, Cambodia on June 13, 2019. The 16th Asia Media Summit concluded here Thursday, calling for regulation-making to fight against fake news and cyber-crimes, said Khieu Kanharith. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The 16th Asia Media Summit concluded here Thursday, calling for regulation-making to fight against fake news and cyber-crimes, said Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith.

"The summit and pre-summit workshops have addressed concerns caused by digital media, which requires relevant authorities to make regulations to anti-cybercrimes, fake news, and training people to raise awareness and enhance media profession," he said in a speech during the closing ceremony.

The minister said on the sidelines of the summit, an information ministerial meeting held on Wednesday agreed to launch "Angkor Fake News Initiative," which was a year-long research project to find out appropriate measures to counter fake news.

Co-organized by the Cambodian Ministry of Information and the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), the summit drew about 600 media representatives from 42 countries and regions.

Philomena Gnanapragasam, head of programs at the AIBD, said that during the summit, much of attention was focused on the spread of disinformation or fake news and its impact on governments, media, private sector and society.

"We heard several approaches to combat disinformation or fake news, from strengthening regulations and ethical standards, thorough verification process of information, to media literacy initiatives," she said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen spoke at the opening ceremony of the summit on Wednesday that fake news and cyber-crimes "are threatening and posing severe risks to individual's right and security in the region as well as in the globe."

He urged broadcasters and other media stakeholders to counter fake news by strengthening law enforcement, as well as ethics and professionalism.