27 Dec 2008By Ung Chamroeun
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Click here to read the article in French
Translated from French by Tola Ek
During a meeting of the Council of Ministers, Hun Sen indicated his will for a strict application of the 04-December circular regulating the operation of slot machine parlors.
Following Hun Sen’s noisy declarations, a report was immediately issued providing details about the closing of 15 gambling parlors throughout the kingdom. 12 of them were located in Phnom Penh, two in Sihanoukville and one in Kandal province. Touch Naroth, the Phnom Penh police commissioner, indicated that strict measures were taken by his force based on the government circular.
In Siem Reap, a meeting was organized in urgency by Sou Phirin, the provincial governor, to inform gambling parlor owners about the content of the circular. According to a police official, 12 gambling parlors were accounted for in the city, only one of them was shut down: the “Rambo” nightclub, which is located not too far from the royal residence and outside of a hotel, was found to be against the law. According to Oum Mara, the Siem Reap province deputy governor, cops and military police, as well as the district authorities received orders to observe the operation of these gambling parlors. If any one of them is proved to be frequented by Cambodian citizens, legal actions will be taken against them because they are reserved for foreigners only. Hun Sen declared that any owner going against this rule will see their gambling license revoked within 24 hours.
Several people from Siem Reap cheered this measure. “With slot machines, we know what awaits us: first we win, then we lose everything. Some youths sold their motorcycles and cars to gamble. Some had to flee their village,” an anonymous dweller from Siem Reap indicated. However, this person still remains pessimistic about the situation: he added that these measures are followed only after Hun Sen’s wrath, but there is nothing to guarantee that this situation will last forever.
Following Hun Sen’s noisy declarations, a report was immediately issued providing details about the closing of 15 gambling parlors throughout the kingdom. 12 of them were located in Phnom Penh, two in Sihanoukville and one in Kandal province. Touch Naroth, the Phnom Penh police commissioner, indicated that strict measures were taken by his force based on the government circular.
In Siem Reap, a meeting was organized in urgency by Sou Phirin, the provincial governor, to inform gambling parlor owners about the content of the circular. According to a police official, 12 gambling parlors were accounted for in the city, only one of them was shut down: the “Rambo” nightclub, which is located not too far from the royal residence and outside of a hotel, was found to be against the law. According to Oum Mara, the Siem Reap province deputy governor, cops and military police, as well as the district authorities received orders to observe the operation of these gambling parlors. If any one of them is proved to be frequented by Cambodian citizens, legal actions will be taken against them because they are reserved for foreigners only. Hun Sen declared that any owner going against this rule will see their gambling license revoked within 24 hours.
Several people from Siem Reap cheered this measure. “With slot machines, we know what awaits us: first we win, then we lose everything. Some youths sold their motorcycles and cars to gamble. Some had to flee their village,” an anonymous dweller from Siem Reap indicated. However, this person still remains pessimistic about the situation: he added that these measures are followed only after Hun Sen’s wrath, but there is nothing to guarantee that this situation will last forever.
3 comments:
"...Hun Sen declared that any owner going against this rule will see their gambling license revoked within 24 hours...."
But it is perfectly okay for ah pleur Sen to allow his brother to conduct illegal logging and illegal plantation businesses for years and years. Fuck that.
James: Do you know what is SLOT MACHINES MEANS?
IF YOUR REPHRASE THE WORD THEN YOU WILL SEE:
SLOT MACHINES = LOST CASH IN ME
The sports betting pallors which are legal are the ones that the young people are playing. It is a far more serious problem because most places with slot machines (if not all) don't allow Khmers without foreign passports to enter- or play for that matter.
For the ordinary Khmer, they are more interested in card games -not slots.
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