Saturday, September 15, 2007By Seyha
Sralanh Khmer newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
The economy in Cambodia has made significant progress, especially in the gambling casinos industry. Rich businessmen who came to invest in Cambodia, all received proper authorizations from the government. However, there are hundreds and thousands of small gambling parlors that the government considers as being illegal, and this week, Keat Chhon’s Ministry of Economy and Finance issued a ruling to conduct raids against these illegal gambling parlors. This is a good action taken by Keat Chhon.
Nevertheless, the big casinos are sprouting up like mushrooms at the beginning of the season, along all border entry gates between Cambodia and its neighbors, for example in Poipet, Banteay Meanchey, Pailin, O’Smach (in Oddar Meanchey province) next to Thailand; Bavet (in Svay Rieng province) and Chrey Thom (Kandal province) next to the Vietnamese border, all have brand new casinos to welcome all nationality guests, at all time of the day, as well as Cambodian guests.
Among the many casinos dotting these border gates, the majority of employees are Cambodian, and Cambodian government officials boasted that these casinos create jobs for several thousands of our Cambodian youth. But, in fact, these casinos are seriously destroying the honor and the Cambodian culture instead, because their employees are being looked down at, especially women employees who are forced to wear indecent clothes to show off their bodies in order to attract the (male) customers.
In addition to forcing them to wear indecent western-style clothes, a source from the Las Vegas Casino in Bavet which is owned by Koreans, indicated that the Korean owners are forcing women employees to wear Vietnamese dress (the “ao-dai”) to serve customers. Women who refuse to wear the Vietnamese dress are kicked out from their jobs. Because the majority of young Cambodian women in this region do not have work, they are forced to accept to wear Vietnamese dresses, with great reluctance, to serve the customers.
When asked why this casino forced Cambodian women to wear Vietnamese clothes, even though it is located well within Cambodian territory, the young women employees told Sralanh Khmer that it is mainly because the majority of the casino’s customers are Vietnamese who cross to border to come to gamble. Everyday, the casino counts a small number of customers who are Chinese, Korean, or Thai, but the majority of them are Vietnamese from Vietnam and from abroad.
However, at the Macao Casino and a number of other casinos in Bavet, there is no rule forcing Cambodian workers to dress up in Vietnamese dress like the rule imposed by the Las Vegas Casino at all, even though the owners of the Macao Casino are also Korean.
In another case, servers at the Faroma Club located near the Veal Vong commune, 7 Makara district, Phnom Penh city, have asked Cambodian leaders, in particular Kep Chuktema, the Phnom Penh governor, to help teach this club owner to allow his employees to wear decent clothes also.
Several of the Faroma Club servers complained to Sralanh Khmer yesterday that the owner of the Club should not order the servers to wear very short and revealing sexy dresses to attract customers.
These women servers said that they were forced to wear revealing dress that almost make their chest bare naked, and they were also forced to wear micro mini-skirts to attract customers. These women said that women working in casinos are being used for their beauty to attract customers.
Even though they put in very long hours in these casinos, their earning is still very little. These women workers said that even though their salary is very low, they only ask that the owners do not force them to wear indecent clothes. It is interesting to note that gambling clubs like the Ly Lay, Peace Hotel, Phnom Penh Casino, the owners do not force the servers to wear indecent clothes like the Faroma Club does. Therefore, the upper echelon, and Kep Chuktema, in particular, should look after the owner of the Faroma Club, so that its foreign owner and the casino’s customers would not look down on Cambodian women any more.
Nevertheless, the big casinos are sprouting up like mushrooms at the beginning of the season, along all border entry gates between Cambodia and its neighbors, for example in Poipet, Banteay Meanchey, Pailin, O’Smach (in Oddar Meanchey province) next to Thailand; Bavet (in Svay Rieng province) and Chrey Thom (Kandal province) next to the Vietnamese border, all have brand new casinos to welcome all nationality guests, at all time of the day, as well as Cambodian guests.
Among the many casinos dotting these border gates, the majority of employees are Cambodian, and Cambodian government officials boasted that these casinos create jobs for several thousands of our Cambodian youth. But, in fact, these casinos are seriously destroying the honor and the Cambodian culture instead, because their employees are being looked down at, especially women employees who are forced to wear indecent clothes to show off their bodies in order to attract the (male) customers.
In addition to forcing them to wear indecent western-style clothes, a source from the Las Vegas Casino in Bavet which is owned by Koreans, indicated that the Korean owners are forcing women employees to wear Vietnamese dress (the “ao-dai”) to serve customers. Women who refuse to wear the Vietnamese dress are kicked out from their jobs. Because the majority of young Cambodian women in this region do not have work, they are forced to accept to wear Vietnamese dresses, with great reluctance, to serve the customers.
When asked why this casino forced Cambodian women to wear Vietnamese clothes, even though it is located well within Cambodian territory, the young women employees told Sralanh Khmer that it is mainly because the majority of the casino’s customers are Vietnamese who cross to border to come to gamble. Everyday, the casino counts a small number of customers who are Chinese, Korean, or Thai, but the majority of them are Vietnamese from Vietnam and from abroad.
However, at the Macao Casino and a number of other casinos in Bavet, there is no rule forcing Cambodian workers to dress up in Vietnamese dress like the rule imposed by the Las Vegas Casino at all, even though the owners of the Macao Casino are also Korean.
In another case, servers at the Faroma Club located near the Veal Vong commune, 7 Makara district, Phnom Penh city, have asked Cambodian leaders, in particular Kep Chuktema, the Phnom Penh governor, to help teach this club owner to allow his employees to wear decent clothes also.
Several of the Faroma Club servers complained to Sralanh Khmer yesterday that the owner of the Club should not order the servers to wear very short and revealing sexy dresses to attract customers.
These women servers said that they were forced to wear revealing dress that almost make their chest bare naked, and they were also forced to wear micro mini-skirts to attract customers. These women said that women working in casinos are being used for their beauty to attract customers.
Even though they put in very long hours in these casinos, their earning is still very little. These women workers said that even though their salary is very low, they only ask that the owners do not force them to wear indecent clothes. It is interesting to note that gambling clubs like the Ly Lay, Peace Hotel, Phnom Penh Casino, the owners do not force the servers to wear indecent clothes like the Faroma Club does. Therefore, the upper echelon, and Kep Chuktema, in particular, should look after the owner of the Faroma Club, so that its foreign owner and the casino’s customers would not look down on Cambodian women any more.
