By James Welsh and Pin Sisovann
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Two Australian government programs that place volunteer aid workers in Cambodia have issued a warning to their staff following a recent attack on an Australian woman in Phnom Penh.
The regional managers of Volunteering for International Development from Australia and Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development warned in an e-mail of the "growing problem in Phnom Penh of western women being attacked by local men, often in groups."
The attacked woman is currently undergoing treatment in Australia, VIDA's Helen Booth and AYAD's Merrick Davidson wrote in the Nov 21 warning.
"[F]rom the information that is supplied to us from the Australian Embassy, it would seem that this is a growing issue and something that we as a program and you as individuals, must urgently address," the e-mail states.
Details of the attack were not revealed but unconfirmed reports of a serious incident at night involving an Australian woman, have circulated in Phnom Penh lately.
Neither Davidson nor Booth responded to e-mails seeking comment on Monday.
Song Kimhour, in-country manager for AYAD, who emailed the warning to some 40 volunteers at both organizations, said he could not comment on specifics as the e-mail was intended for volunteers only.
"This is a sensitive case and I cannot provide details," he said.
An official at the Australian Embassy said the embassy does not comment on consular issues and referred all questions regarding safety advisories to their government Web site www.smartraveller.gov.au.
The Web site made no reference to specific cases, but states that "foreigners have been the target of sexual assault in Cambodia."
Phnom Penh Municipal Police Commissioner Touch Naruth said he was not aware of any reports of foreign women being attacked, and emphasized the importance of reporting serious crimes to the police.
"Victim cooperation is very important to finding offenders," he said. "If the victim did not file a complaint, police don't have a report."
Mom Sitha, municipal foreigner police chief, said he hadn't received any complaints regarding the attacks.
"I heard no report, not even a rumor," he said.
Interior Ministry spokesman lieutenant General Khieu Sopheak also said he knew nothing of attacks on foreign women in Phnom Penh.
"If we have a complaint from the victim, we would investigate the case," he said.
The regional managers of Volunteering for International Development from Australia and Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development warned in an e-mail of the "growing problem in Phnom Penh of western women being attacked by local men, often in groups."
The attacked woman is currently undergoing treatment in Australia, VIDA's Helen Booth and AYAD's Merrick Davidson wrote in the Nov 21 warning.
"[F]rom the information that is supplied to us from the Australian Embassy, it would seem that this is a growing issue and something that we as a program and you as individuals, must urgently address," the e-mail states.
Details of the attack were not revealed but unconfirmed reports of a serious incident at night involving an Australian woman, have circulated in Phnom Penh lately.
Neither Davidson nor Booth responded to e-mails seeking comment on Monday.
Song Kimhour, in-country manager for AYAD, who emailed the warning to some 40 volunteers at both organizations, said he could not comment on specifics as the e-mail was intended for volunteers only.
"This is a sensitive case and I cannot provide details," he said.
An official at the Australian Embassy said the embassy does not comment on consular issues and referred all questions regarding safety advisories to their government Web site www.smartraveller.gov.au.
The Web site made no reference to specific cases, but states that "foreigners have been the target of sexual assault in Cambodia."
Phnom Penh Municipal Police Commissioner Touch Naruth said he was not aware of any reports of foreign women being attacked, and emphasized the importance of reporting serious crimes to the police.
"Victim cooperation is very important to finding offenders," he said. "If the victim did not file a complaint, police don't have a report."
Mom Sitha, municipal foreigner police chief, said he hadn't received any complaints regarding the attacks.
"I heard no report, not even a rumor," he said.
Interior Ministry spokesman lieutenant General Khieu Sopheak also said he knew nothing of attacks on foreign women in Phnom Penh.
"If we have a complaint from the victim, we would investigate the case," he said.
1 comment:
FIND THE RAPISTS AND HANG THEM HIGH. THERE WERE A LOTS OF YUONS PROSTITUTE IN CAMBODIA. THOSE RAPISTS SHOULD GO TO PROSTITUTE PARLOR. RAPE THE FOREIGNERS GIVE CAMBODIA A BAD NAME.
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