Foreigners fear overstay fines as visa renewals put on holdMonday, 24 November 2008
Written by Brendan brady and Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post
Hok Lundy's death creates logistical nightmare for visitors, expatriates who relied on his signature from passport office
FOREIGNERS say they are racking up hefty overstay fines following the death of the visa office's previous boss, police chief Hok Lundy.
While Cambodia's recently deceased top cop was most closely associated with the police force, he also presided over a number of cash-making government offices.
Tep Sovann, deputy director of the Passport Department in the Ministry of Interior, said his agency would remain closed until it received new orders from the top levels of government.
"At the moment, I don't know whether or not there will be charges for overstay because we have not received any orders," he said. "Before we do anything, we must wait until we receive new word."
In the meantime, foreigners are worried they will pay for an administrative gaffe they can't control.
"I am already facing a fine of more than 31 days, and (there's) no end in sight," said Belgian Tom Windelinckx, who has taught English in Phnom Penh for more than two years.
As a rule, foreigners must pay US$6 for every day their visa is expired.
The visa office has refused to process any outstanding visas in its possession, according to Phnom Penh's Lucky Lucky motorbike shop, which said more than 2,000 of its customers are affected by the problem.
The owner of Ana Travel in Sihanoukville, Briton Mick Spencer, railed against the government, saying: "This is a totally corrupt practice that we can do nothing about".
"Even though the visa office has been closed for 10 days and it has not been possible to apply for visa over this period, we (foreigners) will still have to pay."
His wife and co-owner, Cambodian Ana Spencer, was suspicious of government officials' motives in the delay.
"They want to make more money from the overstay fines; it's just another chance to get money."
Affected foreigners and travel agents are hoping the problem will soon end, with a new National Police chief, Neth Savoeun, having been sworn in on Friday.
FOREIGNERS say they are racking up hefty overstay fines following the death of the visa office's previous boss, police chief Hok Lundy.
While Cambodia's recently deceased top cop was most closely associated with the police force, he also presided over a number of cash-making government offices.
Tep Sovann, deputy director of the Passport Department in the Ministry of Interior, said his agency would remain closed until it received new orders from the top levels of government.
"At the moment, I don't know whether or not there will be charges for overstay because we have not received any orders," he said. "Before we do anything, we must wait until we receive new word."
In the meantime, foreigners are worried they will pay for an administrative gaffe they can't control.
"I am already facing a fine of more than 31 days, and (there's) no end in sight," said Belgian Tom Windelinckx, who has taught English in Phnom Penh for more than two years.
As a rule, foreigners must pay US$6 for every day their visa is expired.
The visa office has refused to process any outstanding visas in its possession, according to Phnom Penh's Lucky Lucky motorbike shop, which said more than 2,000 of its customers are affected by the problem.
The owner of Ana Travel in Sihanoukville, Briton Mick Spencer, railed against the government, saying: "This is a totally corrupt practice that we can do nothing about".
"Even though the visa office has been closed for 10 days and it has not been possible to apply for visa over this period, we (foreigners) will still have to pay."
His wife and co-owner, Cambodian Ana Spencer, was suspicious of government officials' motives in the delay.
"They want to make more money from the overstay fines; it's just another chance to get money."
Affected foreigners and travel agents are hoping the problem will soon end, with a new National Police chief, Neth Savoeun, having been sworn in on Friday.
26 comments:
អាហ៊ីង អាហុក និង អាហោ
អាហ៊ីង (ប៊ុនហ៊ាង) មេចោរប្លន់ដីរាស្រ្ត
អាហ៊ុន មេឆ្កែយួនកញ្ជះ, អាត្រូវរន្ទះបាញ់ដូចគ្នា!
មិនយូរ មិនឆាប់ គង់វិនាស
លិចទូក រន្ទះ ឡានបុកគ្នា
ព្រលឹងវិលវល់ តាមចងពៀរ
នេះជាកម្មពៀរ អាក្បត់ជាតិ
អាពាលហេង ពៅ នៅដេកគុក
ចំណែកអាហុក ងាប់តៃហោង
អាហ៊ុន, អាហ៊ីង, អាហោ ជាមេខ្លោង
នឹងងាប់តៃហោង ឆ្នាំក្រោយហ៎ង... សាធុ... សាធុ... សាធុ...
Yuon Hok Landy est le meilleur fils de Sihanouk et un bon nationaliste (sic!)
Cambodgien dit:
Sihanouk est chien de yuon Hanoi
Sihanouk est yuon Hanoi d'esclaves
Sihanouk est les serveurs des yuon viêtcông.
i don't know if ah Hok fingerprint will do, I pick up one of his finger after the crash.
Wow, Mr. Hok can still smell money from the underground??
This is amazing!
I bet Ho Sok beat him up down there.
Khmer PP,
Ah pouk nes neyai te knear eng.You just known how to talk with only khmer and khmer, you scare talking about youn,and siem right.
Yea ah Hok is Khmer from Hanoi.
Dov Ma do ma mey ah HOK!!!
De Tov Hanoi vihn tov!!
Khmer citizen,
This is the proof and evidence of rule by man, not by law. If the passport and visa development has been ruled by law and system is working well, then even though almost of all of high officials die, the department still functions well. Many more issues will emerge especially the mass documents he had signed before he died. His sucessor will be headache to deal with those issues.
Please reform the way of the public institutions function.
When Ah Lundy come and bring his Preah Beyda Ah Sihanouk?
Yuon Hok Landy est le meilleur fils de Sihanouk et un bon nationaliste (sic!)
Cambodgien dit:
Sihanouk est chien de yuon Hanoi
Sihanouk est yuon Hanoi d'esclaves
Sihanouk est les serveurs des yuon viêtcông.
Sokam khoy said.
This is the proof that Cambodia are ruled by people who haven't finished their elementary school.
Sihanouk choy yuon rohot oss reach balain,chas.
Ah Polpot said.5:28AM
Hok Lundy is in charge of issuing visas that's why he was involved in trafficking by issuing fake and illegal visas. Hok made millions from issuing illegal visas.
The responsibilities of the corrupted individual are so absurd to some extents. Is there a procedure instructing visitors what to do in Mr. Hok’s absence? What’s an asshole... it’s an excuse to make money off visitors. They are corrupted from the heads to the toes. Visitors should not pay a dime for overstay due to authority’s fault.
A cowboy of USA.
ខួបឯករាជ្យទី ៥៥ (៩ វិច្ឆិកា ១៩៥៣-៩ វិច្ឆិកា ២០០៨) ជាទិវាឯករាជ្យ របស់ប្រទេសខ្មែរ ពីអាណានិគមបារាំង។ ខួបឯករាជ្យទី ៥៥ នេះ ជាមហាជោគជ័យ សំរាប់កូនខ្មែរ ដែល អាពេជ្ឈឃាដឃោរឃៅ ឈ្មោះហុក ឡងឌីបានត្រូវ ងាប់តៃហោង ដោយ រន្ទះបាញ់យន្តហោះកន្ទុំរុយ។
ឮដំណឹងអាហុក ឡងឌីងាប់តៃហោង, ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ នៅគ្រប់ទិសទី លើពិភពលោក បានទូរសព្ទ ប្រាប់ដំណឹងគ្នីគ្នា ជប់លៀង ផឹកស្រាទំពាំងបាយជូ យ៉ាងរីករាយ អបអរ ការងាប់តៃហោង អាហុក ឡងឌី។
ច្រើនគ្នាណាស់ ដែលកាន់ Passport មានហត្ថលេខា អាងាប់តៃហោងឈ្មោះហុក ឡងឌី, ត្រូវអាឧក្រឹដ្ឋជនងាប់តៃហោងរូបនេះ ពន្យល់សប្តិ ជួនកាលលង ទារលុយបង់ Passport អោយវា នៅថាននរក បើមិនដូច្នោះ វានឹងតាមយកជីវិត ទៅថាននរក ជាមួយវា!!
សូមអ្នកដែលកាន់ Passport មានហត្ថលេខា អាមេពេជ្ឈឃាដងាប់តៃហោង ឈ្មោះហុក ឡងឌី, ប្រញាប់ប្រញាល់ ដូរ Passport ថ្មីទៅ ដោយឥតគិតលុយ, បើមិនដូច្នោះ ប្រយ័ត្នគ្រោះអាសន្ន ដោយអាខ្មោចតៃហោងហុក ឡងឌី!!
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2008/11/bondasa-hor-3-3h-curse-poem-in-khmer-by.html
បណ្តាសា ៣ហ
១- ស្នូររន្ទះបាញ់ ផ្ចាញ់ដល់មារ
កម្មតាមចងពៀរ មិនប្រណី
យន្តហោះតូចមួយ ធ្លាក់ដល់ដី
យមបាលកាត់ក្តី ផ្តាច់សង្ខារ។
២- ប្រានចនក្បត់ជាតិ ឃ្ទាតជាផ្នែក
ដាច់តាមបំណែក គួរខ្លោចផ្សារ
តំណក់ទឹកភ្លៀង លាងកាយា
ចោរចិត្តឫស្យា ចាកលោកីយ។
៣- ជាបណ្តាសា គេចមិនរួច
លើមេឃខ្យល់គួច បោកបក់ វៃ
ចុះទឹកលិចទូក ក្រពើឆី
បើដើរលើដី គង់ឡានបុក។
៤- ឈាមស្រែកស្បែកហៅ បន្តគ្នា
ជនពាលច្បាស់ជា មិនបានសុខ
ដូច ជុង កំពុងរង់ចាំ កុក
បំណុលអ្នកស្រុក ខ្មែររងគ្រោះ។
៥- ហ ២ ទៅបាត់ នៅ ហ ១
កំពុងដេកព្រួយ ភ័យបុកពោះ
ចាំថ្ងៃយមរាជ ហូតឆូតឈ្មោះ
ប្រហែលមិនហួស ឆ្នាំក្រោយទេ !
This visa havoc is yet another testimony to the lack of the rule of law and the ensuing dysfunctional system. It is a reflection of the late Four Gold Star Police General Hok Lundy's bad leadership and management.
When a system is governed by the rule of men and when these men disappear, it simply collapses or is in havoc. There is no smooth transition.
A lesson: Build strong and functional institutions whose functioning is based on rules, not on the will of men.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
this is a good example of why cambodian leadership needs a lot of reform because one may do his/her job well to most but less-well to some, so when the unforeseen happens like mr. hok lundy's life got taken away by accident, cambodia needs to have some form of continuum of good leadership so the country and those effected by his achievement would not be left in agony with reminiscence and rumination of his glory. c'est la vie - life goes on without or without you. it would be less of a chaos if people don't just look up to just one individual. my condolences to his family. god bless cambodia.
Neth Savoen is in his position yet. But he already knew how to do corruption before he took place Hok Lundy.
Did you think he is still a good police chef?
I read through most of the comments from everybody. It sound like everybody knew the main issue on bad leadership and management/cannot develop faster in Cambodia. My question is why Cambodia cannot get reform ??? I think gov't did not have willing to reform in faster way.
well, give him a chance as no one individual is the same person. only time will tell whether he is good or not. if he cares for the poeple and take his job seriously like a police chief should be, then people will praise him for his achievement.
i think it is important for a police chief to find justice for people of cambodia who fall victim to injustice. he should only go by the law and not let personal favoritism, nepotism, fraternization, etc... affect his decision-making as the head of the national police. who says this job is easy? if it is easy, then everybody could do it, right? i think reform is the key, if he can show people this, he will be known for his maverick or tough guy perhap in the history of cambodia. remember, it shouldn't be about him or his friends; it should be about the national interest of cambodia and khmer people. may god help him.
He is the one who kang in Srok Khmer. (www.cambohistory.blogspot.com)
AH HOK will make more money then Elvis Presley after It dead ... It will go to hell and rape Khmer peoples in hell too .. He He Khmer alway will be Youn slave Youn speak khmer like AH HOK will sit , eat , sleep , piss on KHmer head .. and Ah Khmer like ah Hun Sen can do nothing for Khmer ..
You right ah Hok Lundy is dead famous.
Don't get to excited Vietnamese, your leader will die one by one, and there nothing you can do.
China.
Hok Lundy is the best chief of police that Cambodia ever has.
He so good that he is more needed in Hell. So we transfer him there.
LOL
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