Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively engaging in discussions with partner countries to improve citizen protection efforts and strengthen the fight against organised crime in Cambodia and beyond, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said at a regular press briefing on October 16.
The ministry has directed Vietnamese representative missions in Cambodia to closely monitor the situation, prepare necessary contingency plans, and coordinate with both domestic and Cambodian authorities to implement citizen protection measures, she said.
Hang noted that amid the complex developments of fraudulent high-tech criminal activities and forced labour in Cambodia, countries, including Vietnam, have engaged in vigorous action to protect and safeguard the rights and interests of their citizens.
Responding to a reporter's inquiry about Cambodia’s October 14 raid on a suspected online scam compound, in which eight Vietnamese nationals were arrested for allegedly operating a fraudulent call centre targeting Vietnamese victims, Hang said Vietnamese missions in Cambodia had immediately worked with local authorities to obtain information, requested the Cambodian side to ensure the safety and living conditions of the Vietnamese citizens, and coordinated in the initial identification process.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed its missions and relevant units to cooperate with competent authorities both at home and in Cambodia to carry out necessary consular procedures and repatriate affected citizens as soon as possible. According to Hang, 33 Vietnamese nationals are expected to be brought home in the coming days.
At the same briefing, when asked about the Republic of Korea's media reports on a Korean woman in her 30s found dead near the Vietnam–Cambodia border — allegedly linked to cross-border scam networks — Hang said Vietnam is verifying the information and reaffirmed the country’s readiness to work with relevant parties to address issues involving foreign nationals in accordance with Vietnamese and international law./.
