Cambodia Investigating Employment Status of Chinese Nationals Amid Complaints of Lost Jobs
2019-03-18
Cambodia’s government is investigating the employment status of Chinese nationals operating businesses in Sihanoukville province, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said Monday, amid complaints by local residents who say they are losing work to the immigrants.

Speaking at a ceremony to announce the establishment of a national working group for Sihanoukville in the provincial capital, Sar Kheng said that while locals were initially happy that Chinese investors were purchasing their land at high prices, they are now frustrated because they are losing jobs to an increasing number of Chinese nationals who are moving to the area.

Sar Kheng said he learned of the situation after ordering experts from his ministry to investigate the matter in Sihanoukville by meeting with the provincial governor, businessmen and local residents.

“Our people in the past used to earn money running barbershops, for instance, but since the Chinese have arrived, they can’t do it anymore,” he said.

“We cannot close these [Chinese] businesses. We’ve thought about closing some of their businesses to allow a number of businesses reserved for local residents, but we … can’t do that these days.”

Cambodia drew condemnation after its Supreme Court dissolved the country’s main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in November 2017, paving the way for Prime Minister HE’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to steamroll a general election in July last year widely seen as unfree and unfair.

After the CPP’s election victory, Beijing offered its full support of HE’s government, and Cambodia has increasingly backed China in its international affairs, including in disputes with ASEAN nations over its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Chinese investment has flowed into Cambodia in the form of real estate, agriculture and entertainment, but Cambodians regularly chafe at what they say are unscrupulous business practices and unbecoming behavior by Chinese residents, and worry that their country is increasingly bending to Beijing’s will.

The Interior Ministry’s secretary of state Sok Phal recently said that as of 2018 there were more than 210,000 Chinese nationals living in Cambodia, 78,000 of whom reside in Sihanoukville province.

Only 20,000 of those living in Sihanoukville have proper employment permits, he said.

A resident of Sihanoukville named Seng Meng Bunrong told RFA’s Khmer Service on Monday that if the government does not act to restrain the growth of Chinese businesses in the area, the Cambodians who live there “will all end up becoming their workers.”

“The Chinese have their own barbershops, mechanics garage, vegetable stores and restaurants,” he said—in short, they own everything,” he said.

“I see that now they are conducting their businesses alongside Cambodian residents. But in the future, when the Chinese own everything, our Cambodian residents will lose their jobs and the Chinese will only help one another.”

Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA) executive director San Chey told RFA that the increasing presence of Chinese in Cambodia has been “complicating the situation for locals,” and that the government should set out a mechanism to determine what types of businesses can be operated by foreign nationals.

“This problem has arisen because of a legal loophole—we fail to specify clearly which types of business are permitted for foreign nationals and what kind of human resources are needed from China,” he said.

Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambod ... 62902.html

Interesting article. I think Cambodia will again follow a similar path to Thailand, like they did by introducing a retirement visa and Condo law.
IIRC, foreigners cant own 100% of a small/medium business in Thailand, and there's restrictions on the type of work they're allowed to do. Thats whats required here by the looks.
Later on, I reckon Cambo will also target the unconstitutional legal loopholes used by foreigners to own land.

And why would the people who are making out like bandits be interested in any of these restrictions? As long as the cash keeps lining the pockets of the top 0.1% nothing will change. How would they buy their mistresses new mansions and themselves new Bentleys? You don't actually think they care about their people do you?

Johnny

johnny lightning wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:44 pm And why would the people who are making out like bandits be interested in any of these restrictions? As long as the cash keeps lining the pockets of the top 0.1% nothing will change. How would they buy their mistresses new mansions and themselves new Bentleys? You don't actually think they care about their people do you?

Johnny

Why would the khmer top 0.1% care if foreigners had work permits or not. Well, they probably dont care but now its required.

^^ Lots of happy, smiling people. Might be worth a visit one day.

Username Taken wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:29 pm ^^ Lots of happy, smiling people. Might be worth a visit one day.

A paradise by the sea.

Did I miss a few brain cells watching that video?

All happy smiling Khmer, no Chinese influence in the area.

Clean beaches, clean ocean water.

Light traffic.

No dust.

Where is this place in Sihanoukville? I wanna go there!

when my Khmer apartment owner happily signed and thumb printed a 1 year lease on August 13, 2017 I thought I had a good future in Sihanoukville... I had just spent a week on Koh Rong Sanloem...
The very next week an expat told me the chinese would buy my building and I would get kicked out..
I got that news in January of 2018...
numbly went down the coast to Kampot and rented half a house which I ended up hating...
I stayed 11 months...the landlord wanted me to move because the same realtor who found me the place had found another barang who would pay 60% more per month... I found a great apartment in Siem Reap..
left a month early..got my 2 months deposit back and rented a truck in PP to come move me...
I have a beautiful apartment for the same rent as my half house...and just $50/month more than my Sihanoukville pad that I had to climb 72 steps up to.
I don't miss the coast.. I saw the invasion and the greed in the eyes of the people in Kampot hoping to cash in on the land grab and big money...
I would not go back to sihanoukville for any reason.
I even saw that chinese casino bullshit out on Koh Rong Sanloem... sickening...
I have great shopping..my Khmer wife has great Khmer markets...quiet Khmer neighborhood...
Pass App tuk tuks are cheap...and so easy..
My wife has lovely stories of going to Sihanoukville and Kep as a girl or young lady with her dad and friends for holidays...
those days are over...
I don't think 1 in 10 chinese has a valid visa or work permit....
they bring them in containers and they do whatever they want..