IN A move to augment the management of security in Cambodia, a network of surveillance cameras will be installed at 231 points along major boulevards in Preah Sihanouk province with help from the Chinese authorities and tech giant Huawei.
The plan was unveiled in May last year during a meeting between China’s Ministry of Public Security, Zhao Kezhi, and National Police chief Neth Savoeun.
Kezhi vowed to help Cambodia install closed-circuit television (CCTV) security cameras across the Kingdom, but he was very clear about the need to attack the project “little by little” by dividing it into phases.
The National Police spokesperson at the time confirmed that the first batch of CCTV cameras will be installed in Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk provinces.
The government and civil society organisations lauded the “high-tech solution” as a means to strengthen security in the Kingdom.
Chhay Kim Khoeun, the current National Police spokesman, told The Post on Tuesday that the cameras will be provided under “cooperation” with the Chinese police.
On Monday, officials from Preah Sihanouk provincial police met with Huawei representatives to discuss the plan.
‘In the near future’
Provincial police chief Chhuon Narin said his team has identified the locations for the cameras and that Huawei will begin the installation work “in the near future”.
The video surveillance units, he noted, will allow a database to be built up to assist in criminal investigations.
“Some of those 231 targeted locations will have two cameras, others will have three,” he said, adding that the exact number of CCTV cameras to be installed remains unknown.
According to Narin, Preah Sihanouk province will be the second region after Phnom Penh to have a video surveillance system to monitor real-time situations on the streets.
He reiterated that in due course, the network would be expanded to other cities and provinces across the country.
Provincial deputy police chief Chin Vichea said after the meeting that of the total 231 points in which CCTV cameras will be installed, 150 locations are in Sihanoukville, 48 in Prey Nob district, with 13 and 20 locations in Kampong Seila and Stung Hav districts, respectively.
The initiative to install CCTV cameras across Preah Sihanouk province was proposed following the increasing number of Chinese nationals settling in the area.
Recent Ministry of Interior figures showed that as of the end of last year, there were over 77,000 Chinese nationals living in Preah Sihanouk province, the majority of whom did not have work permits.
Speaking to The Post on Tuesday, Adhoc provincial coordinator Chieb Sotheary suspected that the arrival of Chinese nationals may have contributed to the rising number of “social problems” in Preah Sihanouk.
“The province is facing many issues, such as traffic congestion, public intoxication and chaos, in which Chinese nationals are involved most of the time. These sorts of problems did not previously occur as much as they do now,” Sotheary said.
As of press time, the authorities have not set any concrete date to start installing the cameras.