Police raided a hostess bar in Siem Reap town on Saturday night arresting the South Korean owner and detaining 42 hostesses, one of whom was under the age of 18.
Police descended on the C Star NN Bar in Sra Nge commune as part of what officials described as an operation to root out prostitution, and to stop hostess bars from harming the reputation of Cambodia’s top heritage town.
“The anarchy of night clubs has spoiled the view of the city,” provincial deputy police chief Oum Amra said, adding that the raid on C Star NN was the fourth such operation conducted against such clubs this month. The other three August raids, he said,
netted another 24 female bar
“We already have our heritage, Angkor Wat, for the tourists. It is enough for this tourism site, we don’t need sex tourism,” he said. “This ruins the good name of Cambodian women,” he added.
Mr Amra said the Korean bar owner was sent to court on Monday, while the hostesses were turned over to the provincial department of social affairs.
Siem Reap district acting police chief Mok Sam Onn said yesterday that police found condoms and Viagra during the raid.
“We found condoms in all of the rooms and also drugs used for sex as evidence,” the police chief said, adding that the club had long been suspected of
Siem Reap Provincial Court Deputy Prosecutor Noun San confirmed that the bar owner appeared in court yesterday, but he said that the court needed more time to review the case before charging him with a crime.
Police in Phnom Penh have conducted two similar bar raids in the capital this month and according to Kirth Chantharith, national police spokesman, more raids are planned.
“If the police find out that there are prostitutes, the police will crack down on that,” he said
