S IEM REAP province will be the first to have a special tourist police force, now

being trained by two Interpol officers, according to third deputy governor Kang

Heang.

Heang named two French Interpol detectives who arrived in December

to train local police.

"Provincial police are financed by Interpol, with

ammunition and training," he said.

Interior Minister You Hockry said that

both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh would have units of special tourist police, as

later would other "tourist" provinces, such as Kompong Som.

Hockry said

that some officers had been sent recently to Bangkok for training.

"We

have been trying to create such a special tourist police unit since last year.

In think the process takes a long time, with training, funds and uniforms," he

said.

The unit will come under the Interior Ministry's umbrella.