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Concerned residents in the BKK have joined together to alert the general public's awareness to increased incidences of armed crime in the capital city. Reading the following incident reports (that may or may not have been reported to the police) a pattern emerges: three people on a moto, the back person jumps off with gun and mugs the unsuspecting person.
Below is an excerpt from a Weekly UN Security Report
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3 June: Mugging, unconfirmed
A mugging on the corner of st 352 and 57 - always a dodgy corner. A western woman walking back from Gasolina at 10ish was mugged and rumors say that a guard said it sounded violent.
9 June: Armed Robbery, confirmed
Street 57 and 302.
International woman working for an NGO was robbed at knifepoint on June 9th between 9:45-9:55pm, The location of the incident was in front of the NGO, Center For Social Development. The victim was out for an evening walk, alone.
She was wearing gym shorts, a t-shirt, and running shoes. She had a cell phone, IPod, and around $3 in riel on her. At the time of the incident she was listening to an IPod. All of the sudden near the corner of Street 302 at what I would estimate around 9:45pm-9:55pm, a new black Honda moto with three Khmer men, somewhere between the ages of 16-24, drove very close to me and parked diagonally in front of her path.
All of the men were nicely dressed in dress black pants and ironed dress shirts. The men looked like young guys who were going to go out to a club. They were all clean shaven and had lean, skinny builds. None of them stood out as being much taller, fatter, or more muscular than another. Because of how they were dressed in nice clothing and on a nice moto, it didn't register with the woman that they wanted to rob her, so tried to step around the moto. The front two never got off the moto the back one approached her. He had a switchblade knife in his right hand and pointed it upwards and toward her. The knife was about 1.5 times bigger than a Swiss army knife. She estimates it had a 3-4 inch blade length and was definitely a switchblade, not a dagger or a kitchen knife.
The mugger is described as a man of Khmer ethnicity who was somewhere between 16-24 years old, 5'5'', 120-140 pounds, black hair neatly trimmed (not long or scruffy), no moustache and no facial hair. He was not muscular, had small shoulders and was quite skinny to my eye. He was a short man, but not exceptionally short or out of the ordinary. Nothing in his build was outside the ordinary for many Khmer men that I see in that age group.
9 June Armed Robbery, confirmed
Street 57 near Sihanouk Boulevard: Reported to Embassy but not police.
On Monday 9 June, a female international was robbed at gunpoint on Street 57 near the Comme a la Maison restaurant and Sihanouk Boulevard. Time of the occurrence was 1000pm. She and a male colleague, who was staying at the Goldiana Hotel were walking down the street, when 2 motos, with 2 persons on each moto pulled up in front of the pair, and brandished a revolver. The female international gave them her handbag and they sped away quickly. Robbers described as young on new motos.
June 17 Armed Robbery
Street 360: Reported by UNAKRT to authorities.
At about 6:15pm three UNAKRT staff members were walking past house number 9 on Street 360 when two motor scooters (motos) rode towards them from Norodom Boulevard. One moto was carrying two males and the second moto had three males all Cambodians. The motos stopped near the three UNAKRT staff and passengers on both motos pointed two guns at the staff. One of the passengers approached two of the staff, took their handbags than both motos left the scene, turned onto Street 51 and headed in a Southerly direction.
The staff members described the assailants as young males 16-20 years old - typical Cambodian youths. Neither of the motos had licence plates fitted.
Unconfirmed day - Street 312, 16.30pm
- three people on a moto and back person jumped off with a gun.
Unconfirmed day - Street 57, just after 10pm
- two females were on a moto and stoppd at their house. A moto with three Khmer men came up to them and tried to mug them. One of the women ran for safety and alerted the house guards screaming loudly. The muggers got scared and ran off. She didn't see if they had weapons or not.
Please report all incidents to your embassy and police.
June 25, 2008
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I have lived here nearly 6 years now and have never come close to having an incidence like these but then again these guys don't pick on anyone who may be able to defend themselves. They are cowards who prey on the vulnerable, at night especially, due to the fact all the police go home! Now the officials will re-act instead of acting by having a police presence on the streets at night.
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I have lived in Cambodia for nearly ten years. I have been only been robbed on the street once (at gunpoint in 1998) when I was walking home alone. I have heard of many people being robbed in a similar way to mine.
At night you will notice that most Khmers will have locked themselves up their houses by about 9pm. There's a reason for this. They don't feel safe. I think that anyone, especially a lone female, wandering the streets after this time is asking to be robbed sooner or later. Get a moto you trust, even if your house is just down the street. You should also be careful at home. I have a secure house with bars on windows and steel doors. However last week at 20.30 I was watching TV when I heard a noise behind me. Somebody was pushing a long pole with a scoop on the end through the bars. The message is: don't give the robbers a chance. You have to take responsibility for not getting robbed. The police may step up patrols, but robberies will still happen (they still happen in cities like London). Get a moto, travel in groups, don't leave doors and windows open etc etc. This won't stop all robberies but may reduce chances of you being robbed. Whatever you do, don't fight back if they are armed. Statistics say you will end up worse off and robbers here have a lot to lose (maybe their lives if they are caught by an angry mob) so they won't care about you.: |
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Better still....go to Psar Jao and buy a colt .45 and pull it out when they pull their little K55 popper. Watch them shit their pants and go screaming off to mummy..........
it |
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I don't think anyone (woman or man) ASKS to be robbed at gun point or otherwise. I am a woman who lives in BKK and walks and rides my bike around my neighbourhood. I don't have a sign on my head that invites men bearing arms to come and get me. Everyday, I do take as many safety measures as possible, but at the end of the day if someone wants to rob me at gun point, that is something they have planned and are out to do and there is nothing I can do to stop that.
Of course there are bigger social issues that are causing these crimes to happen with impunity and women living in Phnom Penh are not to blame for that. In all cities across the world, women are made to feel afraid and that they need to lock themselves up in their homes otherwise they are asking for it. It's not an individual's responsibility to stop it, it is the responsibility of the community. Thanks p.s I don't think more people having guns in this city is the answer. |
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Surprise, Surprise ...
sometimes, we need to get our heads out of our 'Friends' and 'Sex in the City' soapies, and realise that we live in a very poor country (surprise again, the extreme wealth of Phnom Penh is not, derrrr, representative of the whole country). Just take the time one day, and visit Kandal, or the outskirts of Siem Riep. Maybe this means us not rocking up to Elsewhere parties dressed like f**ing George Cloonies, or Angelina Jolies ...! Yes, whilst the Cambodian economy still means that the large majority earn less than $1 a day, it may be best for now for us to leave our Gucci outfits at home in Conneticut or Sydney, or London, and remember ... We live in a poor, quite dangerous, unsafe country (even though our tepid, frivolous travel guides may not say emphasise this so much ... Anyway, who's off to the Congo? I hear they make great cocktails there... (!???) |
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Haz. Of course I'm not saying anyone ASKS to get robbed. 'Asking to be robbed' means 'putting yourself at risk of being robbed'. I'm not saying anyone should stay indoors in fear. I'm just pointing out the the reality. You need to take precautions, male or female. Do you really think it is sensible for a woman (or a man) to be walking down an unlit street at night wearing an I Pod? What do you suggest 'the community' do to stop these robberies? How long will it take to stop them? I for one am not going to wait for 'the community' to sort it out, I'll continue to take sensible precautions and continue to go out at night and continue to run the risk of being robbed. That's life. I'm not just talking about BKK either. Robberies happen all over Cambodia all the time, not just in expat land.
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I am so surprised that there are not more rapes, robberies and murders against tourists and expats. We should take more appropriate measures. Phnom Penh can be a dangerous place and we need to be aware of that and lose what I call the "theme park" attitude. Many people (foreigners)behave in ways that they would not dream of back home.
I was shot just before the last election. I was actually riding a motorbike at the time, on my way home from a bar, this stuff does happen. Although my experience was unusual I put myself at risk by being out late(2am)alone. Stroker - two K55 shattered my left ulna and traveled all the way down my right leg through the muscle, if the round hits you in the chest or head, believe me, you will die. I was lucky, only two rounds out of five hit me. Anybody who thinks by carrying a weapon will protect them, think again, the only way to win a gun fight is to be ready and open fire first. Things happen too fast, there is no time to think, draw the weapon, load and aim it, before they shoot or stab you. Believe me, I have thought this through many many times. The best protection is awareness and sensible behavior. Of course you have to life your life, but I would never walk or ride a bicycle at night alone. Take a tuk-tuk and travel in pairs particularly women. Make sure you have somebody who can open the gate for you when you arrive home, many muggings take place while people open their gates. Bars should be more responsible by not allowing party nights to go on too long or start too late, its dark at 6.30 why start drinking at 10pm? |
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I'm Cambodian, foreigners who come to our country, many are ignorant, and think its fasionable experience.
You needs to think and understand that, it is like to be very poor, and have the wealth thrown in your face, its not a nice experience. We poor Khmers also look to the rich Khmers with the rich cars and the rich houses - it's not so bad you rich, but why you throw the rich and the fashion in our faces when you know many of our brothers and sisters live in the dirt and eat not much at all? And then, you complains and wonder why robberies? Remember, dear foreigners who think for the riches and fashions is important at the big green parties on the Friday nights... is the factors that only 30 years ago gave rise to the Khmers Rouges tyranny. The reasons that started this was the struggle of the poor against uncaring rich folks. Despair! Sleep on that with kind advice, no offence from, me, and thanks for your time, I enjoy reading the Eexpat Adis, no offences, but I want you think, please, thanks you. Please, be more than fashions when you come to Cambodia! Mr Socheat Phnom Penh resident |
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