When China cracked down on cyber crime, many involved in the industry moved to Cambodia. The Southeast Asian country has since become synonymous with online scams and forced labor. But the Cambodian government isn't just turning a blind eye — it is actively benefiting.

.....But why, in particular, has Cambodia become a hub for online scams? How did international cyber fraud become so widespread in this Southeast Asian nation of 16.7. million? The answers begin with an unlikely source — land.

There is a joke familiar to many Cambodians: only generals with two stars or more can own land in Sihanoukville, a popular beachside destination in the south of the country. That land eventually changes hands and ends up belonging to Chinese investors, who turn it into hotels, casinos and, eventually now: cyber fraud activities.

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Cambodia has now been ranked as the Southeast Asian country with the highest level of corruption for the fourth year in a row; it also has the highest rate of forest degradation over the last two decades, with vast areas of virgin forest destroyed by logging.

In the U.S. State Department's latest Trafficking in Persons Report 2022, Cambodia was even downgraded from the original Tier 2 to Tier 3, highlighting the country's extensive internet fraud parks and forced labor.

After the formal independence of the Kingdom of Cambodia in 1953, the government was overthrown multiple times, notably with the Khmer Rouge communist regime from 1975 to 1979, the 1978–1989 Vietnam occupation, and the UN takeover from 1992 to 1993.

It was not until 1998, when HE became the Prime Minister, that the political situation in Cambodia became more stable.

The Belt and Road Initiative has not only brought Chinese capital to Cambodia, but also unsavory industries such as prostitution, gambling and drugs.

Countries and regions where online gambling companies congregate, such as the Philippines and Cambodia, are among the poorest regions in the world and attract desperate speculators.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Oct 26, 2022 4:06 pm

The Belt and Road Initiative has not only brought Chinese capital to Cambodia, but also unsavory industries such as prostitution, gambling and drugs.

Yes, those never existed before the Belt & Road.

“Law enforcement cooperation is to be furthered with highlights on combating human trafficking, online gambling, telecom fraud and related heinous crimes, facilitated by closer cooperation in capacity building and information exchanges,” according to the joint statement.