Tourists take photos at Siem Reap province’s Angkor Archaeological Park. Hong Menea
Relevant authorities were told on Saturday to do their utnost to keep tourist areas free of drugs, gangsters and threats of terrorist attacks.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, who said this at the 8th Sea Festival in Kampot province,continued: “We must try to keep security and social order so that there is no terrorism, drugs, gangsters and groups of people that destroy the potential of our tourist sites.”
“Tourist areas must be tourism sites where people are safe and there is no threat from gangsters and terrorist attacks.”
Meas Virith, the secretary-general of the General Secretariat of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), said the prime minister’s instruction was good advice and his officials must try their best to implement it.
“The prime minister’s role is to advise and provide direction. We must follow and work to combat drug crimes. This is the advice from the leader, so the relevant officials should pay attention to crack down on drug crimes at tourism sites,” Virith said.
He said if there were reports of drug crimes happening at a particular place, the authorities there much immediately investigate, identify the source, the sellers and users, and clamp down on it. We are working hard to stamp out drugs,” he said.
He said that thanks to the NACD’s hard work, there have been a lot of achievements. The people are happy, and in turn, they will help the authorities to ensure security is maintained.
Under the leadership of Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, Virith said drug crimes were being eliminated and this would be achieved by the end of the year.
“We have specifically cracked down on drug crimes at night clubs, and this problem at such venues has been eliminated. But still, we are keeping track of it,” he said.
NACD president Ke Kim Yan led a group of officials to China between December 16 and 20. He told his Chinese counterpart that Cambodia was working very hard to stamp out drug crimes, educate people and provide treatment to addicts with cooperation from relevant institutions, said the NACD Facebook page on December 20.
Kim Yan sought China’s support in terms of materials, technology, official training, law enforcement and the treatment of drug addicts. In response, China requested cooperation in drug crimes, security and social order involving both countries.
