(Phnom Penh, 25th) Cambodia’s Senate President and Acting Head of State Hun Sen emphasized the need for continued, strict crackdowns on telecom network fraud, warning that eliminating only fraud syndicates without targeting involved officials will make it impossible to eradicate such crimes.
According to the Cambodia-China Times, on Sunday (May 24), Hun Sen addressed this issue during a meeting with more than 4,000 leaders from the Senate, National Assembly, government departments, and local authorities in Phnom Penh. He said telecom fraud not only damages the nation’s image but also directly harms the people.
"If we don’t eradicate this now, Cambodia will face a disaster in the future. Our descendants may become victims of telecom fraud, or possibly be trained as scammers, even engaging in crimes such as torture and abuse."
He said that the government must take tough action while there’s still time to reverse the situation, to show the international community Cambodia’s determination to combat online fraud.
He stressed that officials who have long shielded fraud syndicates must be severely punished, and those who neglect their duties or enforce the law passively should be replaced; otherwise, these criminal activities will inevitably resurface.
For instance, telecom fraud has occurred in Cambodia’s northeastern provinces of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri. After its discovery, the government replaced Mondulkiri’s original provincial governor, chief of police, and commander of the provincial gendarmerie.
The anti-fraud campaign in Cambodia is personally directed by Prime Minister Hun Manet—Hun Sen’s son.
Additionally, Hun Sen criticized some countries for “passing the buck” on telecom fraud to Cambodia, saying many fraudsters actually illegally enter Cambodia from these countries.
He said that, during the crackdown, authorities found a large number of foreign suspects who had entered the country illegally—some without passports. He emphasized the importance of identifying which countries these people come from and what routes they used to enter Cambodia.
Cambodia’s neighboring countries include Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. Hun Sen did not name which country is causing problems for Cambodia, but said that illegal entry via Vietnam is less likely due to Vietnam's stricter border management.
"If we don’t eradicate this now, Cambodia will face a disaster in the future. Our descendants may become victims of telecom fraud, or possibly be trained as scammers, even engaging in crimes such as torture and abuse."
He said that the government must take tough action while there’s still time to reverse the situation, to show the international community Cambodia’s determination to combat online fraud.
He stressed that officials who have long shielded fraud syndicates must be severely punished, and those who neglect their duties or enforce the law passively should be replaced; otherwise, these criminal activities will inevitably resurface.
For instance, telecom fraud has occurred in Cambodia’s northeastern provinces of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri. After its discovery, the government replaced Mondulkiri’s original provincial governor, chief of police, and commander of the provincial gendarmerie.
The anti-fraud campaign in Cambodia is personally directed by Prime Minister Hun Manet—Hun Sen’s son.
Additionally, Hun Sen criticized some countries for “passing the buck” on telecom fraud to Cambodia, saying many fraudsters actually illegally enter Cambodia from these countries.
He said that, during the crackdown, authorities found a large number of foreign suspects who had entered the country illegally—some without passports. He emphasized the importance of identifying which countries these people come from and what routes they used to enter Cambodia.
Cambodia’s neighboring countries include Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. Hun Sen did not name which country is causing problems for Cambodia, but said that illegal entry via Vietnam is less likely due to Vietnam's stricter border management.