Things were humming over at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh this morning. Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth chaired the seventh organizing committee meeting, getting everything lined up for next month’s high-level international conference on combating cyber scams. The team went through every last detail—from the main agenda and press coverage to diplomatic protocol and security arrangements. The message was clear: make sure everything runs without a single hitch.
The conference is scheduled to take place right here in Phnom Penh on September 23 and 24, under the firm slogan "Severing Chains, Ending Cyber Scams." Delegates from across the region as well as representatives from key international organizations are expected to fly in. Officials say various government bodies are working flat out on their assigned tasks, treating the summit as a top priority.
Out on the streets, daily life carries on as usual. Grab an iced coffee at a roadside stall around dusk, and you still catch the familiar exhaust fumes from passing motorbikes as lights come on in nearby apartment blocks and night-shift workers head downtown. But over evening drinks and casual street chatter, locals and expats alike agree that this issue needs a firm hand. Everyone living and making a living here hopes the big summit yields real results—putting a dent in the illegal operations, clearing out the mess, and letting people walk the streets at night with peace of mind.
