More Chinese Reports From Sihanoukville
*Taken from Angkor Times, a Chinese language news blog for expats in Cambodia
Angkor Times reported that after Hun Sen issued a ban on gambling on August 18, a large number of Chinese people left in Cambodia, and nearly 90,000 people have gone in the last 7 days, most of them vegetable farmers* (*term referring to gambling practitioners).
A relevant government department released a handwritten statistical data note to the news media: From August 25 to 31, a total of 88,505 Chinese people left the country, while 47,196 Chinese people entered the country, meaning the number of Chinese in Cambodia decreased by 40,309 people.
According to this trend, the number of Chinese in Cambodia will be reduced by nearly 200,000 in September. (*This fits with an off the record message sent to CNE from a source in SHK saying 50,000 had left by around the 27th).
At about 5 o’clock on Monday morning, some people reported a large number of police cars and military vehicles driving from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville on Highway 4, (which has led to rumors about an upcoming operation).
Caption reads: A large number of military police went to Westport this morning.
A vegetable farmer* (*gambling worker) in Westport/SHK told the Angkor Times reporter that their company had returned all the passports to them on Monday morning. “Our company is licensed, and it is not a killing pig (*doing illegal scamming). Now more than 2,000 people have to withdraw, and they have booked their tickets to return home.”
It is said that many Chinese fugitives are still hiding here in Cambodia, and it is suspected there will be more action in October (*to catch them). Because of fears of being implicated, spinach (illegal gambling) companies such as Bobei and Muqi are also preparing to clear out in advance.
*Many people are saying this is ‘fake news’ and due to the mooncake festival. Several sources (including Chinese speakers and those involved in SHK business, say these reports have a large element of truth). CNE is reporting on what the Chinese community is saying, and cannot verify any of these claims.
However there are other reports surfacing in Khmer media regarding the issue.
