Vietnamese floating beggars surround tourist boats to ask for money (Photo: Samnang, Koh Santepheap)Vietnamese owning 24 motorboats and 28 rowboats begging tourists in Chong Khneas area
Monday, April 21, 2008
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Siem Reap Province – The begging activities conducted by many Vietnamese beggars are becoming worst, for example, some would chase tourist boats to beg from national and international tourists visiting this area of Chong Khneas on the Tonle Sap Lake. The beggars create disorder and chaos in the area, and tourists are fed up with them in the past several years, because the local police and authority are not doing anything to stop these activities. Currently, this issue is being discussed by a joint committee of departments to find a way to put to an end these activities after the Cambodian New Year celebration.
Thong Khon, the minister of Tourism, told Koh Santepheap on 12 April 2008, that the problem of beggars creating disorder and chaos at the Chong Khneas-Tonle Sap Lake tourist zone was raised at the ministry level. Recently, the government ordered the ministry of Tourism and the Siem Reap province tourism development committee to review the development and the tourism administration in the “Chong Khneas” zone, and ensure proper security, order, and social safety so that this area becomes a good tourist zone following a visit to the Angkor Wat temple.
Thong Khon added that if the organization of the “Chong Khneas” is good, it will not only attract national and international tourists and increase their numbers, but it will also make these tourists stay in the Siem Reap province even longer, and this will help the industry and the hotel industry a lot as well. Thong Khon added that, after the Cambodian New Year celebration, his ministry will organize a serious meeting with the Siem Reap province tourism development committee to take measure about this begging issue, he hopes that, in the future, the Chong Khneas-Tonle Sap Lake tourist zone will no longer see the current (begging) problem.
Major Hang Hon, the director of the water traffic of the Siem Reap province police department, indicated that in the entire Chong Khneas area, there are at least 50 boats belonging to the beggars, and these boats are chasing tourist boats to beg for money from tourists visiting this area. Among these 50 boats, there are 24 motorboats and 28 rowboats, as well as 6-7 who go out on tub bucket. This number varies depending on the high tourist season on not. Hang Hon indicated that in the past, the higher up officials issued an order to his police force, as well as the military police and the regular police forces to end this practice and to call in the beggars to make them promise to end such begging. However, later on, a middleman obtained an intervention letter from a high ranking official and the begging problem exploded all over again.
Guides who usually bring tourists to this area indicated that they have witnessed tourist boats being chased by beggars in the Chong Khneas area during the past 6 years. The guides said that, as soon as the tourist boats leave the docks and enter the Tonle Sap Lake, the water is swarmed by Vietnamese beggars on their boats and these beggars look like navy boats belonging to King Jayarvaman VII navy fighting against the Cham navy during the Angkor period. The beggar boats chase the tourist boats all over the place. When they catch up with the tourist boats, they use their oars to knock on the tourist boats to make them slow down, then they would grab on the tourist boats or jump on them to beg for money from tourists. If the tourists refuse to give them money, they would not leave the boat. Even if they are taken out of the boat, they would cry out very loud or curse the tourists in Vietnamese, and they would anger the tourists, thereby causing disorder and chaos.
A woman selling souvenirs in this area, indicated that the number of Vietnamese beggars is very huge, they range from young children to elderly people. Not only do these Vietnamese beggars hassle the tourists, they also interrupt businesses as well, because tourists frequenting shops would run out when they see the beggars grabbing them.
Based on the information provided above, in the past, at the Phsar Chas market located in downtown Siem Reap, there were also large groups of Cambodian handicaps who would grab onto tourists to beg for money, just like what is happening now in Chong Khneas. However, at the Siem Reap market, the authority intervened and ended all the begging. On the other hand, in the Chong Khneas area, the police are not seen taking any action yet. It should be noted that vice-prime minister Sok An used to say that, for a sustained tourist development, security, order and social safety must be preserved.
An official from the Siem Reap provincial office told Koh Santepheap that, regarding the problem of the floating beggars in the Chong Khneas tourist zone, the provincial governor will cooperate directly with the ministry of Tourism to resolve this issue in the near future.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Siem Reap Province – The begging activities conducted by many Vietnamese beggars are becoming worst, for example, some would chase tourist boats to beg from national and international tourists visiting this area of Chong Khneas on the Tonle Sap Lake. The beggars create disorder and chaos in the area, and tourists are fed up with them in the past several years, because the local police and authority are not doing anything to stop these activities. Currently, this issue is being discussed by a joint committee of departments to find a way to put to an end these activities after the Cambodian New Year celebration.
Thong Khon, the minister of Tourism, told Koh Santepheap on 12 April 2008, that the problem of beggars creating disorder and chaos at the Chong Khneas-Tonle Sap Lake tourist zone was raised at the ministry level. Recently, the government ordered the ministry of Tourism and the Siem Reap province tourism development committee to review the development and the tourism administration in the “Chong Khneas” zone, and ensure proper security, order, and social safety so that this area becomes a good tourist zone following a visit to the Angkor Wat temple.
Thong Khon added that if the organization of the “Chong Khneas” is good, it will not only attract national and international tourists and increase their numbers, but it will also make these tourists stay in the Siem Reap province even longer, and this will help the industry and the hotel industry a lot as well. Thong Khon added that, after the Cambodian New Year celebration, his ministry will organize a serious meeting with the Siem Reap province tourism development committee to take measure about this begging issue, he hopes that, in the future, the Chong Khneas-Tonle Sap Lake tourist zone will no longer see the current (begging) problem.
Major Hang Hon, the director of the water traffic of the Siem Reap province police department, indicated that in the entire Chong Khneas area, there are at least 50 boats belonging to the beggars, and these boats are chasing tourist boats to beg for money from tourists visiting this area. Among these 50 boats, there are 24 motorboats and 28 rowboats, as well as 6-7 who go out on tub bucket. This number varies depending on the high tourist season on not. Hang Hon indicated that in the past, the higher up officials issued an order to his police force, as well as the military police and the regular police forces to end this practice and to call in the beggars to make them promise to end such begging. However, later on, a middleman obtained an intervention letter from a high ranking official and the begging problem exploded all over again.
Guides who usually bring tourists to this area indicated that they have witnessed tourist boats being chased by beggars in the Chong Khneas area during the past 6 years. The guides said that, as soon as the tourist boats leave the docks and enter the Tonle Sap Lake, the water is swarmed by Vietnamese beggars on their boats and these beggars look like navy boats belonging to King Jayarvaman VII navy fighting against the Cham navy during the Angkor period. The beggar boats chase the tourist boats all over the place. When they catch up with the tourist boats, they use their oars to knock on the tourist boats to make them slow down, then they would grab on the tourist boats or jump on them to beg for money from tourists. If the tourists refuse to give them money, they would not leave the boat. Even if they are taken out of the boat, they would cry out very loud or curse the tourists in Vietnamese, and they would anger the tourists, thereby causing disorder and chaos.
A woman selling souvenirs in this area, indicated that the number of Vietnamese beggars is very huge, they range from young children to elderly people. Not only do these Vietnamese beggars hassle the tourists, they also interrupt businesses as well, because tourists frequenting shops would run out when they see the beggars grabbing them.
Based on the information provided above, in the past, at the Phsar Chas market located in downtown Siem Reap, there were also large groups of Cambodian handicaps who would grab onto tourists to beg for money, just like what is happening now in Chong Khneas. However, at the Siem Reap market, the authority intervened and ended all the begging. On the other hand, in the Chong Khneas area, the police are not seen taking any action yet. It should be noted that vice-prime minister Sok An used to say that, for a sustained tourist development, security, order and social safety must be preserved.
An official from the Siem Reap provincial office told Koh Santepheap that, regarding the problem of the floating beggars in the Chong Khneas tourist zone, the provincial governor will cooperate directly with the ministry of Tourism to resolve this issue in the near future.
13 comments:
This sad activity is happening in our Soil, Cambodia. We must solve fairly and humainly the problem without any prejudice or racial discremination.
just float these beggars back down stream as lon nol and pol pot did in 70's.
Begging on boat looks a lot better than begging on the US highway with the stupid sign read, "Work for food" and shit.
Even viet beggars have more rights than khmer beggars. The authority not even dare to touch them, if they do they will be branded as racists….etc…etc…or ah hun xen will come out and scream like a mad dog.
Well, there is nothing wrong with trying to protect Khmer image. is there? I mean practically everyone in the west does it.
Beggars in Cambodia is a problem: that is correct. Beggars exist not only in that part of the country but anywhere in the country including Phom Penh. Rather saying this is the impact of the poverty reduction policy of the Government by increasing the price of land (refer to Kep Yutema speech) foodstuffs price and so on.
Ya,
The government has to regulate this sometimes very lucrative activity by delivering or not authorization to beg by the payment of a tax.
It is necessary to exploit yuons not?
We want or not the capitalism and the human rights and the freedom to do business for everyone?
Even youn beggars have more rights than khmer beggars. The youn-servant authority not even dare to touch them, if they do they will be branded as dicscriminqtions….etc…etc…or ah Hun Sen (CPP Communist Pro youn Party) will come out and scream like a mad dog.
Well, if you wanted red carpet treatment from Khmer, you should have liberated Khmer from Pol Pot instead of let Yuon did it. Now it's to late. So just get a life, loser (5:01).
5:58PM is not that easy! your father akwack power will not last long for you to enjoy!
See your children, Ah kwach's grand children will end up baging in Hanoi in the near future! with claim my grand father had PHD!
should not be allowed to beg at all. go home, viets!!
Yeah right, 9:06, we've heard of that before.
Stupid Vietnamese
Youn Weh Lop khmean den, Koyom su'op men den
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