Western pair arrested, await charges in court.

TWO foreigners have been arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex from a 16-year-old girl outside Wat Phnom last week, police said.

A Greek national and a French national, both friends in their 40s, were arrested over the weekend after police suspected them of for sex with sex from the underage girl on separate nights at guesthouses on Boeung Kak lake, said Keo Thea, head of Phnom Penh's Anti-Human Trafficking police.

"We are now compiling our report to send to the prosecutor to make an inquiry and formally charge the individuals in court," he said.

Keo Thea said the two men were also suspected of taking pornographic photos of the girl.

"As police officers, we have a duty to implement the law, and in the case of minors with foreigners like this, it goes against the human-trafficking law," he said.

Samleang Seila, country director of the anti-paedophile NGO Action Pour Les Enfants, told the Post on Monday that the girl's family had alerted the group, who then alerted police.

"So far in 2009, there have been over nine foreigners arrested, which is an increase from the same period last year. This is what we are worried about because it shows that the law is still weak," he said.

Number of arrests to rise

Samleang Seila said that he expected the number of foreigners arrested over child sex abuse to increase in 2009.  

"Authorities on all levels are working hard day and night to investigate and search for sex tourists," Keo Thea said.