Sihanoukville Deputy Governor Long Dimanche sat down for an interview with RFI recently to talk about the ongoing crackdown on online scam operations. With the government playing hardball, the streets are looking a lot emptier, especially with most of the foreign nationals—particularly Chinese—having packed up and left. That mass departure has locals grumbling on social media that times are getting tough and business has taken a serious hit.
Dimanche didn't try to sugarcoat it. He admitted that the exodus has taken a toll on some residents' livelihoods. But at the same time, he stressed that Sihanoukville is pulling out all the stops to shed its old reputation and pivot toward a legitimate economy. In his view, a bit of pain is just part of the price for getting local growth onto a healthy track.
Down on the streets, as people look out at the quiet neighborhoods from their moto saddles and rental rooms, plenty of folks are still feeling uneasy. But for the authorities, the message is clear: no matter how bumpy the road gets, they are sticking to this direction.
