Friends doing business or working in Cambodia these past few days have probably all heard about this wave of crackdowns. Local authorities have recently come down hard on online fraud, and nearly 5,000 people have already been detained for investigation. Among them are both Cambodian nationals and quite a number of foreign nationals. The atmosphere on the streets feels a bit different from usual; over iced coffee at tea stalls, this is also what people are talking about most.
It is not just the scam operations on the outside that are being investigated — the internal cleanup has been substantial as well. This time, a total of 77 police officers have received severe punishment for allegedly participating in or being implicated in online fraud activities. Chinese residents who rent homes and run small shops in Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville often say that what they feared most before was disorderly social conditions and poor public security. Now that the authorities dare to expose and investigate problems within their own ranks, people feel somewhat more reassured. After all, for those who have put down roots here and make a living with their own hands, once the environment is cleaner, paying rent and utility bills feels less painful, and they also have more confidence in working.
Local authorities said that next they will continue to investigate in depth and pursue legal responsibility all the way to the end, and that the operation is still ongoing. It is not easy to come to Southeast Asia to make a living; the necessities of daily life all depend on a stable environment. People have come this far to build a life here for the sake of peace and safety. Only by sweeping away those crooked ways can people who do honest work earn money with peace of mind and settle down securely.
