Three Chinese men were arrested last week over an attack on a gold dealer in an attempt to rob her in Siem Reap province’s Puok district.
The Chinese rank top among 25 foreign nationals who committed the most crimes in the Kingdom, said a National Police report released over the weekend.
During the first six months of this year, there were a total of 88 criminal cases, 17 of which were drug-related.
Police arrested 378 people from 25 nationalities, with the Chinese outnumbering others at 257. This was followed by Nigerians at 37, Vietnamese (14), Thais (12) and South Koreans, eight. Most of the crimes were committed in the capital.
On Monday, the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court put eight Chinese men in pre-trial detention after military police arrested them and 13 others on “prostitution” charges, said court spokesperson Lim Bun Heng.
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The eight were identified as Jung Ming Chin, 33, the owner of the massage parlour in question; Yang Chekhov, 23; Shi Sin, 20; Yuli Qing, 46; Wang Weihoo, 15; Yin Song Ping, 32; Zhou Dong Yong, 28; and Wang Tao, 23. All of them resided in province’s Commune IV, Village III.
“They are being detained at the provincial prison after the investigating judge charged them with prostitution,” Bun Heng said, adding that the eight face at least two years in prison if found guilty.
The other 13, which included five Cambodians, were released after the court found that they were just victims.
National Police spokesman Kirt Chanthearith said on Monday that the figures were collected from the Kingdom’s 25 provinces and the capital.
‘Weak enforcement’
Social analysts said the increasing Chinese presence in the country is not a concern if the authorities strictly enforce the laws and assume greater responsibilities.
Affiliated Network for Social Accountability executive director San Chey said: “Law enforcement by the relevant authorities seems to be weak.
“Foreigners, especially Chinese nationals, have been seen violating laws like driving cars bearing the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces’ (RCAF) and police licence plates. They also tend to disregard traffic regulations,” he said.
Chey urged the authorities to act strictly against foreigners who commit crimes, including drug trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping and robberies.
Social analyst Hang Vitou expressed greater concern. He claimed that the presence of Chinese nationals, some of whom have been caught causing public disorder including brawling and traffic accidents, has pushed the country into a lawless-like state.
He said the authorities must leave no room for impunity regardless of the impact the punishment of a foreign national may cause to bilateral relations between countries.
“If the relevant institutions strictly enforce the laws and clearly distinguish between mutual relations and crimes, the Chinese would not commit offences in Cambodia with impunity,” he said.
