In the past several years, Sihanoukville has gone from quiet coastal village to bustling gaming center, with 100 or more casinos and others under construction. The development continues despite resentment from residents who say the influx of Chinese investors has played havoc with the environment and even constitutes a threat to their culture.
The South China Morning Post reported that the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia is investigating a gang, said to be from Chongqing, threatening to seize control of Preah Sihanouk, the capital of Sihanoukville Province. In a video posted on Facebook, a Chinese man in a T-shirt surrounded by about 20 others, all bare-chested, addresses the camera, saying, “Kampong Som, in the next three years, whether it will be safe or chaotic is under my control.” Kampong Som is Preah Sihanoukville in Mandarin.
On May 7, a report from the Cambodian Ministry of Interior said Chinese nationals are the most criminally active foreigners in Cambodia, and many of the estimated 78,000 Chinese now in Sihanoukville are there without permits.
Supporters of the casino boom say it will bring jobs and boost the economy, but critics decry the environmental damage, escalating property values, illegal evictions, land disputes and rising crime.
The chief of a commune in Sihanoukville said Chinese nationals disregard regional laws. “In my opinion, the Chinese nationals who come don’t seek to learn our laws,” Thong Mardy said. “I think the government has to push them to respect the law, Cambodian traditions and practices.”
In January, Sihanoukville Governor Yun Min express concerns about the rise in crime, the effect of inflated property prices on Cambodians and the number of Chinese laborers in the construction sector. “It provides the chance for Chinese who are part of the mafia to do criminal activities,” he wrote to the interior minister. “The Chinese nationals who come here were mostly criminals in China who have poor track records … were we to implement our country’s legal measures, there’d be no pardons for them.”
Political scientist Sophal Ear said dissent has been suppressed and Prime Minister Hun Sen could face a backlash if he continues to allow development of Cambodia’s “crown jewels,” including Siem Reap, gateway to the ruins of Angkor.
“I think the situation in Sihanoukville is so egregious that suppressing dissent is just another way of losing what little popular support the ruling party has at this point,” Ear said.
Meanwhile, Jinbei Group CEO Anson Chan recently told Macau Business that his group plans to expand its Jinbei Casino and Hotel complex, launching a Phase II and Phase III before the end of the year.
“In February this year, Sihanoukville released a 2030 Master Plan that will align with the Belt and Road development opportunity,” said the CEO. “In the master plan, the vision is for Sihanoukville to develop as a global tourism city.”
Jinbei Marketing Director Victor Chong Wei Yong told the publication that Sihanoukville will experience “exponential growth” over the next decade.
“There is space, but you can see that every 100 meters there is a development,” said Chong. “It’s like an arms race” as developers try to build bigger and more spectacular resorts.
