The Cambodian police recently launched a special crackdown in Mondulkiri Province, raiding a telecommunications fraud den in the provincial capital of Sen Monorom on March 6, successfully arresting 258 foreign nationals, 247 of whom are Chinese citizens. Additionally, the police specifically targeted 7 Chinese and 7 Burmese suspects alleged to have used violence and forced labor.
This operation has attracted widespread attention, as previous police crackdowns have mostly been concentrated in places like Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh, Mok Bai, or Poipet, and such a large-scale operation in the remote Mondulkiri Province is extremely rare.
Following the police announcement, the operation sparked heated discussions in the local public opinion sphere. Peng Wanna, a Cambodian internet celebrity journalist who has long focused on telecommunication fraud, also shared the police report on social media, commenting, "There's still a lot more in Mondulkiri Province."
According to Vanny, the coordinator for the human rights organization ADHOC in Mondulkiri Province, the Chinese population in the province has surged since the end of 2023. "They rent entire buildings, hotels, and resorts, move in batches, and arrange tight security measures," he said.
On social media, many local residents commented, "Many three-story buildings are rented out, mostly to Chinese people." "When one place is shut down, they move to another." "From the city to the countryside, they are everywhere." Some netizens even revealed that about 20,000 foreign nationals have quietly arrived in Mondulkiri.
Mondulkiri Province is the largest province in Cambodia by area, yet it has a population of less than 90,000. In comparison, its area is more than twice that of the capital, Phnom Penh, but its population is only one-thirtieth of that of Phnom Penh. The region is known for its mountains, forests, waterfalls, elephants, timber, and gold mines, and has always been one of the most tranquil and beautiful areas in Cambodia. However, with the infiltration of telecommunication fraud, the area may have to face a new label.
