During the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Prime Minister Hun Manet met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo who urged for stronger protection of Indonesian citizens from the cyber crime industry.
Widodo and Manet discussed “strengthening cooperation in protecting Indonesian citizens…who have become victims of online scams or cyber fraud,” and Widodo “emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation among law enforcement agencies,” Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Monday.
From January to July this year there have been 515 cases “related to online scams” in Cambodia, the Indonesian government’s statement noted.
In August, Indonesian authorities reported they rescued and repatriated 41 nationals who had been trapped in the online scam industry in Cambodia. But Cambodian authorities contradicted the Indonesian government’s statement, claiming the Indonesian nationals were not victims.
Last week, the UN released a report that stated that at least 100,000 people have been forced to get involved in online scams in Cambodia.
In response, Chou Bun Eng, Cambodia’s vice chairperson of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking in Persons, previously asked: “Where are they?”
She declined to comment.
Deputy Thai National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn also reportedly sought help from Cambodian counterparts to handle the online scam industry when he met with newly appointed National Police Chief Sar Thet on Monday.
Hakparn, who has accused Cambodian authorities of sabotaging his efforts to retrieve victims from scam compounds, did not respond to a request for comment.
Following a triple death in Thailand in August, allegedly connected to an online scam in Cambodia, Hakparn and Thai national police requested cooperation from the Cambodian national police in taking down the Chinese call center that uses Cambodia as a base for defrauding Thai citizens, according to Thai media. He told Thai media he is seeking the capture of nine Thai and Chinese nationals believed to be part of the scam center’s operations.
The recently promoted Thet told CamboJA that there was no discussion with Hakparn related to the deaths of the three Thai people and instead said Hakparn came “to celebrate me.”
He added they also discussed strengthening cooperation, without going into more detail, echoing a National Police statement saying they would work together to combat transnational crimes.
Asked about the reported Thai triple murder and its alleged connection to online scam in Cambodia, “I don’t know if it is true or not; it depends on the Thai side,” Thet said.
The Thai Embassy and Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to requests for comment.
