China has expressed firm support for the government’s ongoing efforts to combat online scam operations. It has pledged additional cooperation to eradicate these crimes in Cambodia, said the Ministry of Information. The support was conveyed through Chinese ambassador Wang Wenbin during a meeting with senior minister Chhay Sinarith, who leads the secretariat of the Ad Hoc Commission​ to Combat Online Scams, on the morning of July 17. During the meeting, both sides shared their appreciation for the previous close cooperation between the two countries and exchanged views and experiences related to combating technology-based fraud, said the ministry. Sinarith explained that…
Author: Niem Chheng
Just a day after Prime Minister Hun Manet ordered a renewed crackdown on online scam operations, the authorities have arrested nearly 750 suspects across three provinces and the capital. According to Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra, on July 16 joint forces raided multiple locations involved in online scams in Phnom Penh, Banteay Meanchey, Kratie, and Kampong Speu, detaining 746 individuals. In Phnom Penh, operations led by Deputy Governor Hun Sorithy targeted hidden scam operations in Boeung Keng Kang III of Boeung Keng Kang district and Khmuonh communes of Sen Sok district, detaining 100 foreign nationals, including 75 Taiwanese, 24 mainland…
The Preah Sihanouk Provincial Police Commissioner have reiterated their firm commitment to suppressing all crimes and maintaining security for tourists in the coastal province, particularly regarding online fraud. Last week, authorities detained over 40 Vietnamese nationals for cybercrime. According to the commissioner, on July 10 and 11, the provincial immigration police, in collaboration with the Provincial Administrative Command, conducted inspections at two rental properties located in Group 18, Village 5, Sangkat 4. They identified 43 foreign nationals, all of Vietnamese nationality. Authorities determined that the individuals were involved in online scam operations, using platforms such as Telegram, Facebook and fake…
The Cambodian government has issued yet another executive order for authorities to crack down on online scam operations, with the goal of making existing mechanisms more effective. In a two-page order, shared on social media on July 15, Prime Minister Hun Manet noted that the government has observed that online scam activities currently pose threat to security, both globally and regionally. In Cambodia, he warned, foreign criminal groups have infiltrated the Kingdom and are engaged in online scam activities. The directive instructed all provincial and capital governors, who also serve as heads of the joint task forces assigned with taking…
The Phnom Penh Municipal Administration conducted a raid on a suspected online scam operation in Toul Kork district on, detaining a total of 234 suspects, including Vietnamese and Cambodian nationals. The July 14 operation targeted a building at No. 15, Street 128, Village 6, Phsar Depot 1 commune. Authorities identified 149 Vietnamese nationals (23 females) and 85 Cambodian nationals (17 females), according to a report by the AKP news agency. The authorities are processing immigration procedures for the Vietnamese nationals involved. Of the 85 Cambodians, 67, along with equipment seized as evidence, have been handed over to the Phnom Penh…
Cambodia’s Minister of National Defence has demanded that a former Thai patrol soldier, along with Thai authorities, issue a public apology for the unprovoked assault on a Cambodian soldier that took place at Ta Mone Thom temple on July 13. This demand was made in spite of the fact that the suspect has already been arrested by Thai authorities and is facing legal consequences. Speaking today, July 15, at an event to welcome Cambodian peacekeepers returning from the Central Africa Republic, defence minister Tea Seiha explained that on July 13, the former Thai soldier initially approached to shake hands but…
Tan Kimsour, a well-known forest protection activist, has been summoned by the Kratie Provincial Court’s prosecutor office to provide clarification in a case involving the transportation of forest products without a permit. Oeun Samol, Deputy Prosecutor of the Kratie Provincial Court, reiterated that he has not been summoned as a suspect but as a witness. In a July 1 letter, which went viral on social media today, July 15, Samol invited Kimsour, president of the Nature Lovers Youth Association, to appear at the court on July 31,at 8.30am. The letter explained that the purpose of the summons is “to provide…
The government is examining an increase to the Kingdom’s defence budget to modernise the military and also intends to implement mandatory military service, starting from next year, with the length of service extended from 18 to 24 months. Speaking at the 32nd anniversary celebration of the Royal Gendarmerie on July 14, Prime Minister Hun Manet explained that at present, Cambodia has sufficient capacity to defend its territory. However, the country must continuously progress, requiring rapid defence reforms. This includes modernising the military structure, developing human resources and upgrading equipment. “Regarding the national budget, we need to carefully consider increasing defence…
Cambodia has reiterated three straightforward conditions for reopening border crossings with Thailand, noting that the more than month-long closures, initiated unilaterally by Thailand, have significantly impacted trade and the livelihoods of citizens from both of the neighbouring Kingdoms. The border closures were enforced by the Thai military from June 7, with varying opening and closing hours for each crossing point. Later, Thailand’s now-suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered a complete closure on June 23, except for travel by students and medical patients. She attempted to justify the closures as being part of efforts to combat scam operations. In response, Cambodia…
All 125 National Assembly members have agreed to a proposal to amend Article 33 of the constitution, paving the way for a law which will allow citizenship to be stripped from individuals who collude with foreign nations. The meeting was convened today, July 11, to review a proposal of the amendment, the details of which are slated to be released soon. The amendment arrives in the midst of ongoing border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, with some opposition figures criticising the government’s handling of the matter. “The proposed constitutional amendment to Article 33 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of…