Voice of America
Bangkok
04 March 2009
Cambodian police have arrested an American and a French national on suspicion of molesting children. One organization that helped police catch the suspects worries that, despite increasing arrests, foreign pedophiles are still making Cambodia one of their prime destinations.
Cambodian authorities say the 64-year-old Frenchman was arrested after taking two Cambodian girls, aged 10 and 13, into his guesthouse room.
He was charged with "indecent acts" and could face up to three years in prison.
Separately, an American man charged with purchasing sex from two underage boys in northern Cambodia could be jailed for up to 15 years.
Samleang Seila is the Cambodia director for Action for Children, a French organization helping police to identify suspected pedophiles.
"That American man was under surveillance by our organization for more than one year," said Seila. "We heard that that American was coming to Cambodia for almost two years and he was moving from place to place in Cambodia to engage in sexual relations with separate boys."
Seila says, since 2003, his organization has helped rescue 185 sexually abused children in Cambodia, 80 percent of them young boys.
He credits international cooperation with agencies like the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation for helping track down traveling sex offenders.
U.S. Embassy spokesman John Johnson confirmed to VOA the FBI did help with recent arrests.
"At the Cambodian government's request, the FBI is involved in a number of cases in the country, including the pedophile case, not just in the north but in several cities," said Johnson.
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia and has gained the unfortunate reputation of attracting child molesters looking to exploit children living in poverty.
Seila says he worries that, despite increasing cooperation and arrests, the number of pedophiles traveling to Cambodia may actually be on the rise.
"If you look at the number in 2008, there were about 15 arrests of foreign pedophiles in Cambodia. And, up to date this year, January to today, there are six pedophiles arrested in Cambodia already for abusing children," said Seila. "So, my anticipation is that there is still a concerning, increasing number of foreign sex offenders traveling to Cambodia to engage in sexual exploitation of children."
He says, in the past, Cambodian authorities lacked the resources, skills and political will to tackle the problem.
But he says, in the last few years, police have received better training, are taking child molesting seriously and hoping to improve Cambodia's image.
Cambodian authorities say the 64-year-old Frenchman was arrested after taking two Cambodian girls, aged 10 and 13, into his guesthouse room.
He was charged with "indecent acts" and could face up to three years in prison.
Separately, an American man charged with purchasing sex from two underage boys in northern Cambodia could be jailed for up to 15 years.
Samleang Seila is the Cambodia director for Action for Children, a French organization helping police to identify suspected pedophiles.
"That American man was under surveillance by our organization for more than one year," said Seila. "We heard that that American was coming to Cambodia for almost two years and he was moving from place to place in Cambodia to engage in sexual relations with separate boys."
Seila says, since 2003, his organization has helped rescue 185 sexually abused children in Cambodia, 80 percent of them young boys.
He credits international cooperation with agencies like the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation for helping track down traveling sex offenders.
U.S. Embassy spokesman John Johnson confirmed to VOA the FBI did help with recent arrests.
"At the Cambodian government's request, the FBI is involved in a number of cases in the country, including the pedophile case, not just in the north but in several cities," said Johnson.
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia and has gained the unfortunate reputation of attracting child molesters looking to exploit children living in poverty.
Seila says he worries that, despite increasing cooperation and arrests, the number of pedophiles traveling to Cambodia may actually be on the rise.
"If you look at the number in 2008, there were about 15 arrests of foreign pedophiles in Cambodia. And, up to date this year, January to today, there are six pedophiles arrested in Cambodia already for abusing children," said Seila. "So, my anticipation is that there is still a concerning, increasing number of foreign sex offenders traveling to Cambodia to engage in sexual exploitation of children."
He says, in the past, Cambodian authorities lacked the resources, skills and political will to tackle the problem.
But he says, in the last few years, police have received better training, are taking child molesting seriously and hoping to improve Cambodia's image.
23 comments:
Blame it on One eye or crossed eye the HUN SEN.
He should not let this happen in his government. What shame??
HUN SEN, you Ah Quack!! You can't see???????????????
Khmer/Thai
HUN SEN did this too, he raped underage childrend , why no one arrest him?
You can only be a Khmer. It is not very important where you born or live, but you are a Khmer descent. My document is German, but I feel always Khmer descent.
You've got Cambodian military and police officers, especially generals that go to these brothels and pay high money for under-aged girls (maybe even boys these days) thinking that they are virgins and having sex with them. Why doesn't Hun Sen arrest these people in his military, in his government and in his family? Because Hun Sen gets a cut when the police raids these brothels not to arrest people, but to ask for protection money. Hun Sen will only allow the police to arrest foreigners so that the international community will think that he is cracking down on human trafficking and prositution.
hey, blame it on nobody. these are problematic people; they will always go after innocent children if they can get away with it. even in the USA, they still do this kind of thing, you hear it on the news on the time. something like this is not the responsibility of the prime minister to enforce. it's the responsibility of the polic department and their superiors in i think the ministry of interior. those are the people who ought to cooperate with the international diplomatic community to curb this kind of child predation. i think it's a a disease that these kind of children molestation cannot seem to control themselves. and on top of that cambodia seems like an easy destination to do so, that's why they are attracted to cambodia in the first place. even their country knew this already. so, it is so ignorant to blame this kind of problem on the prime minister as it is not his responsibility to enforce it as his job has more important task to tackle than this type of problem. so, do complain to the police, and you will have a better chance of getting help. hello. people should know this already, why do i need to explain here!
1:03AM,
But problems like this ARE LINKED TO THE PRIME MINISTER because he keeps a very tight association with heads of the National Police, Minister of Interior (who at times cooperates with United States' FBI as well as INTERPOL). Unlike most countries, the National Police Chief and Minister of Interior in Cambodia takes direct commands from Prime Minister Hun Sen and rarely operate independently.
So how can you complain to the police when the police and military are Hun Sen's own armed instruments? The police in Cambodia rarely performs their duty unless they are highly pressured by INTERPOL, the FBI, ministries of interior from other nations and NGOs. And even at that rate, they are still incompetent in their performance.
so, it sounds like the problem is bigger than mr. hun sen, don't get me wrong, i'm not trying to defend anyone at fault; however, sometimes, i hear or see the prime minister himself tried to tackle this kind of people's problem such as not doing their jobs due to whatever reason, who knows! and so it looks in ineffective, and when s leader like mr. hun sen tries to get people to do what they supposed to do in terms of their respective responsibility in their ministrial position, then you hear other complains or unhelpful critics like name calling such as dictator, strongman, iron fist, etc..., of course, someone has gotten to enforce the rule and supervise the people as there are many people of all ages and educatiion level, etc... so, what i'm trying to say here to be considered and be educated to understand the big picture as it is not that simple to tell people what to do in an authoritative manner. and when mr. hun sen does it, it seems like him a dictator, et... my god, it's not an easy job at all, especialy in cambodia who inherented a lot of unfinished problems from past regimes, etc... please help out by doing what everyone supposed to do for the nation, and for once stop bitching and whining nonstop as though to show ignorance completely. wake up and smell the coffee, people! if it were easy, everyone could've done it! that said, of course, people in cambodia are trying and working hard to tackle and sort out all problems in cambodia; they don't need people to costantly criticise them without putting effort to undertand and see the reality behind the scene, etc... it's easier said than done, you know! this is a very complicated matter of the state, indeed, and it requires times, patient, support, assistance, understand, education, etc, etc..., so, if people don't have the patient, then it will become problematic, to say the least, you know!
1:24 AM, I believe you are right.
I don’t think 1:03 AM knew what he talking, may be this guy is CPP family.
In Cambodia government run by CPP gangster and Hun Sen is the head of this gangster.
1:24 AM, I believe you are right.
I don’t think 1:03 AM knew what he talking, may be this guy is CPP family.
In Cambodia government run by CPP gangster and Hun Sen is the head of this gangster.
1:43 AM,
Tell me something, please? Would you ever think that Hun Sen's Viet controlled regime do anything for the interest of Khmer?
A Yes or No would do, just like you're being hooked onto a polygraph machine!
Crazyglue
i think the problem with many people's here, as shown by their comments are due to fear of the unkown. in college, we all taught to think logically and use evidence when speaking in civilizely. so far, i see a lot of people are being brain-washed to belief or thinking illogically, therefore, it sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy in itself. have you ever heard empowerment. please look up this term as it has a deep meaning in all of this discussions. you don't empower something you think is wrong to do, you don't support it. however, sometimes, when you keep on talking about it, then it become ingrained in your head, thus hard to let go. i, personally, am chose to think positively, on the bright side of thing. i chose not to empower something i don't believe in or have no concrete evidence for my argument. i just don't. so, for some people to just keep accusing and display fear on 24/7 basis, it can get annoying! so what to do about it? making war? more people are doing to die, and take risk? how do we know the next leader not going to be as corrupted as the previous ones, etc.? to expect so, is like living in a fairyland, in place time gone by, in the after life, etc..., this is the reality on earth. i beg people should just focus on the reality and go on with their life, instead of worry sick about the what ifs, the buts, assumption. of course, in the past during the dark ages, stone ages, these things did happen@! why? because back then there were no advance in technology, advance schools, no rule of laws, no justice, hunting and gathering society, no need for money, etc... but nowadays? it is questionable for, say youn, siem, etc... to just come and steal from cambodia without regard to the world watching them or even khmer people to fight back, etc... i just don't see it possible, especially in this day and age as there are defined borderlines, international law that protect and governs such action; and to say least, there are penalty for doing so, believe it or not! so, what i see here is old way thinking, way old fear, paranoia, histeria, etc... that's is what drives or what created different political view. so, i think we all should start anew by adopt new thinking, better, smarter way of seeing things and helping, instead of the old mentality of youn and siem are going to swallow cambodia like the entire world is going to sit still and allow that to happen without some kind of retaliation, penalty,etc... so, wake up, people we are in the new millenia, not in dark ages anymore! god bless cambodia.
Arrest of pedophiles fell from 15 to 6 in 2008.
I see progress, so stop yapping!
2:27AM did you realy go to college or you just hang around vaste your corrupted traitors parents money?
Look at history fool! and read new peper (the one not from Hanoi or by ah KagnaRith , fool!)
If the wold as secure as you say no country would need army!!!!
fuckin sick fuckers...........go use your hand are somthing
they even blame all the pol pot killings on the yuon. no wonder cambodia is full of former killers living side by side their victims. never get to heal. hun sen does the same, he has no intention of healing the wounds in khmer society. i doubt very much if these people ever learned to write one objective essay on any topic in a tertiary study.
2:27 AM,
listen up and listen good ass hole! Go to talk or walk into one of any government office in Phnom Penh and open your freaking eyes and ears and see if you can see or hear something from those people. I bet you can't because you are a freaking Viet slave ...so please quit your fucking lecture and don't ever use the word such as "We Khmer" or anything of that sort because being a Viet's slave, you can't even fucking represent yourself...understand? You're the one that must wake up 2:27 AM! I dare you to say something bad about Yuon/Viet in any of the government office buiding anywhere in Phonm Penh or anywhere in the provinces...
i will continue my lecture until you drop dead or become deaf from the constant noise.
That's what I thought, you asshole ...7:01 AM! Be also advised you will be the one to go first, and that's a promise!
OMG! Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy is working hard to turn Cambodia into Long Beach (CA) where there is no virgin over the age of 10.
I could have sworn that you told us that your 13-year-old sister was raped by the Viet soldier in Cambodia, 7:47 PM? Think and think hard 7:47 AM!
Yes, but the Viet soldier studied in France with Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy.
Yea yea blame Hun Sen for two foreign pedophiles arrest? I don't know what they did to your brain when you were conceived.
How is this Hun Sen's faults? So is Hun Sen supposed to track down every foreigners entering Cambodia to make sure they don't rape a child? All of you are goddamn stupid as fuck when you put your dumbfuck politics before logical thinking.
People that are quick to blame other people for problem are themselves the problem because they can't comprehend the bigger picture and resort to irrationality of making a scapegoat out of someone to justify things they don't fully understand.
2:27
You got some good points.
Don't pay attention to embiciles.
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