Cambodia arrests foreigners for 'pornographic dancing'
Cambodian authorities arrested 10 foreigners for "singing and dancing
pornographically" at a popular temple site. The authoritarian regime has become
increasingly intolerant of lewd behavior at sacred tourist spots.
Prosecutors charged the five British nationals, two Canadians, one Norwegian,
one New Zealander and one person from the Netherlands Sunday after they were
arrested at a party Thursday in Siem Reap, near the country's famed temple
complex known as Angkor Wat.
Authorities said the foreigners were participating in a pub crawl, and when
police arrived at a rented villa, they found the foreigners "dancing
pornographically."
Police posted photos on their website showing young adults simulating various
sexual positions at a party, but everyone appeared to be clothed.
Ninety foreigners attending the party were detained; all but 10 were
released.
Authorities did not give any further details about those charged, and did not
say who had taken the photos which had been posted to social media.
'Activities against our culture'
Those arrested were a mix of expats and tourists who had been in the country
for several months, according to Duong Thavry, who heads the Anti-Human
Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department in Siem Reap.
"We cracked down on them because they committed activities that are against
our culture," she said.
Local prosecutor Samrith Sokhon said the suspects face up to a year in prison
if convicted.
Britain's Foreign Office confirmed they were in contact with the affected
British nationals in the Asian country.
"We are assisting five British men arrested in Cambodia and are providing
support to their families," the office confirmed.
Crackdown on revealing images
Authorities have begun cracking down on visitors who post revealing images of
themselves at Cambodia's temple sites, and in 2016 management said they would
prohibit entry to tourists wearing clothing they deemed inappropriate.
The Angkor Archeological Park is a world heritage site. It showcases the
remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, dating from the 9th to
the 15th centuries.
It is Cambodia's most popular tourist attraction with millions of foreigners
visiting the site each year.
Source: USA TODAY
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