Prime Minister Hun Sen addressing the 6th national interfaith forum against human trafficking, held in Phnom Penh on September 29. SPM
Prime Minister Hun Sen has reiterated his warning to Cambodian delegates against allowing others to accompany them in future official visit to the US, unless they are certain of their loyalty.
According to the premier, some officials had taken uninvited Cambodian nationals on previous trips to the US, only for their companions to refuse to return home. This has led the US to imposing travel ban on certain delegates, barring them from entering the US.
Addressing the 6th national interfaith forum against human trafficking, held in Phnom Penh on September 29, Hun Sen said such actions tarnished the nation’s reputation abroad.
“I remind and warn all government officials or investors who travel to the US, to act correctly. Some dishonest people had asked to accompany them, and once they arrived in the US, they refused to return,” he added.
“As a result, the US has imposed sanctions not just on those who stayed illegally, but on the heads of the delegation they travelled with. In the future, many of them will no longer be able to enter the US. I merely issue this instruction to maintain the dignity of those Cambodian delegates who go to other countries,” he continued.
He warned that some delegates had inadvertently helped others to enter not only the US, but France and other European nations as well.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said he had no information regarding cases of Cambodian delegates’ travel companions failing to return to the Kingdom. But he agreed with the premier that the acts seriously affect the reputation and honour of Cambodia.
“This must be why we have previously seen sanctions imposed on certain senior Cambodian officials, with some barred from entering US territory. This should not have occurred as it seriously affects the image of Cambodia in the eyes of the US,” he told The Post.
He added that Cambodian delegates who were assigned to visit the US should maintain their dignity and honour. They should avoid any act that could be deemed as human trafficking as it badly affects the Kingdom’s reputation when it comes to trafficking issues.
