At least 11 members of a 43-person Cambodian delegation to the Francophonie Games in Canada have requested asylum, the Ministry of Culture confirmed Thursday.
Initial reports indicated 17 Cambodians had sought asylum, but Prince Sisowath Panara Sereyvuth, undersecretary of state for the Ministry, said the correct figure was 11.
He said the Ministry of Culture was not happy with the situation. “It is not fair to other performers. We are very worried about it. It will affect the chances of other performers to get visas in the future,” the prince said. He said he could not provide additional details about the asylum requests, saying that he has not seen an official report on the Canadian incident.
Canadian Ambassador Normand Mailho said Thursday that he could neither confirm nor deny the report.
A second group of 41 dancers and musicians from the Royal University of Fine Arts left Cambodia Thursday for the US, where they are scheduled to perform in 12 cities between Aug 11 and Sept 29.
The second tour marks the first time in more than a decade that university arts students have visited the US, and organizers say they are optimistic the tour will spark widespread interest in Cambodian culture.
“I hope what happened in Canada will not affect this tour,” said Suon Bunrith, cultural heritage specialist with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
“They are in Singapore now, before flying to the US,” said Suon Bunrith, who helped to organize the US tour. He said Unesco had heard nothing to indicate the tour would be canceled.
Suon Bunrith said he was not worried that some of the students would attempt to stay in the US.
“They are artists, and they all have families here. We hope everything will be fine,” he said.
The possibility that visitors to prosperous nations will refuse to return home is one that concerns many governments as well as tour and delegation organizers.
The US Embassy in Cambodia examines visa requests closely, seeking reassurance that Cambodians who visit the US have compelling reasons to return to Cambodia.
The 43 Cambodians who visited Canada for the Francophonie Games included athletes as well as artists. The games, which ended July 24, welcomed nearly 3,000 people from 52 governments worldwide that share French heritage or culture.
