WITNESS
Stories & Photojournalism
Photo
Field photos were captured on-site in frontline zones. Images were shared by survivors, with consent and safety considerations in place.
Interview
During a summer internship/field study, I met a Chinese restaurant owner. With his help, I gathered three people for an online anonymous group interview:
Q1. In recent years there has been a lot of news about “parks/zones” in Sihanoukville/Phnom Penh. Have your life or your friends’ lives been affected—e.g., public security, prices, or attitudes toward Chinese doing business in Cambodia / toward foreigners?
A: Basically everyone minds their own business. A “park/zone” is a relatively closed environment with its own management system. People inside don’t go out; people outside cannot enter without prior registration, and entry requires strict security checks due to concerns about hidden recording devices or weapons that could disrupt internal order. Staff inside the parks don’t dare to go out either, fearing they’ll be arrested, jailed, deported, or face threats to personal safety. Because rent, utilities, and living costs in the parks are very high, prices inside are far higher than outside—people are used to it. Locals generally think foreigners, especially Chinese, are wealthy. Some locals who speak Chinese are willing to work for Chinese companies, helping with local business contacts or acting as translators; Chinese employers pay higher wages than local averages.
Q2. Have you heard of people being lured to Cambodia by high-paying jobs and then trapped in scam companies? If yes, what do you know?
A: As far as I know, there isn’t “high-pay deception.” In fact, many who come to Cambodia can’t make money in China for various reasons, so they take a last-ditch gamble, hoping to earn fast, big money. After all, this is a “grey industry paradise.” Since local industry and the tertiary sector are relatively underdeveloped, grey industries have become a major growth point. For example, online gambling is legal here and exploits human greed. “Keyboard operators” in online gambling earn about RMB 10,000 per month with food and lodging included—better than many jobs back home—so they’re willing to stay. Basically, there is no restriction on personal freedom.
Below is a reply from A, who once worked in Cambodia:
“My only regret is not doing more for my family when I had money—failing to keep the things that mattered most. Fortunately, the low points calmed me and woke me up. Now I just want to remember these days known only to myself—the cold and the warm—and remind myself not to go back to the old path. I think most of the brothers still in Southeast Asia have the same thought—to improve our families’ lives. If there truly were no way out, then life here would be all neon indulgence, partying every night, with no way home. But we know that’s just an illusion. I want to advise all brothers: the window to make money here is actually very short. If you find an opportunity, don’t focus only on immediate pleasure. Learn to save, think of your family. Because everything here is fake, it’s empty—only family and responsibility are real. Our families far away are waiting for us to return, to come home in honor.”
Q3. If a Chinese person claims they are being controlled by a scam company and asks locals for help, how do locals usually respond—call the police or seek other channels?
A: Chinese people generally don’t seek help from locals, and locals are powerless in such cases. Some will try various ways to contact family back in China to arrange ransom, or they seek help online.
Q4. Do you think ordinary locals are aware of these “parks/zones”? What is their attitude? For example, some areas’ economies improved but their reputations worsened…
A: Of course locals know. For them, it’s an additional employment channel because restaurants and hotels inside the parks need locals for simple jobs such as waiters and delivery staff. Cambodian wages are low—about RMB 300–500 per month—whereas Chinese workers would cost at least RMB 5,000. Because of cultural and language barriers, Cambodians are hired mostly for low-skill work. The locals we’ve met are still friendly toward Chinese; they praise Chinese bosses for being generous and say the Chinese government has money and is willing to spend on infrastructure. At the same time, they complain that their own money is all in the government’s hands and isn’t used to fix the roads.
Q5. Have you heard of or do you know Cambodians or Chinese working inside the parks? How do they view their jobs and what are their lives like?
A: Yes. Whether Chinese or Cambodian, for them it’s simply a job to make a living; they don’t have any special views.
Below is a reply from B, a Chinese person working in a park:
“Among job opportunities in Southeast Asia, some are reliable and some are not. But knowing full well how complicated it is here, why insist on coming in the first place? Some arrive with dreams of getting rich overnight, but when it comes time to work hard, they complain. Do you think pies fall from the sky for outsiders? If making money were so easy, the boss would have already brought all their own relatives—why hire outsiders and increase costs? What’s worse, when they have family troubles, they borrow money without hesitation, but when they leave, they don’t repay a cent. Back home, they even go around reporting and exposing others. If you have to be pushed by others even to make money, why leave home to come here? I once introduced two people to jobs here. When they left, they said there was an emergency at home; I didn’t press them for what they owed me. Then they started asking around about me, trying to report me in turn. I told them straight: check your conscience before you act. If you really push me, I also know things about you. At worst, we can all go back and make everything clear.”
Q6. After the government cracked down on scam parks recently, have you noticed changes—e.g., shops closing, lower rents?
A: Yes. After park closures, people inside were relocated, and the number of Chinese in surrounding areas noticeably decreased. The impact on locals isn’t big because nearby small shops didn’t rely on the parks for customers.
Q7. If someone wants to escape a scam park in Cambodia, who can help most effectively—the embassy, police, or NGOs?
Below is a reply from C, who has been in Cambodia for many years:
“Regarding calling the Interior Ministry for help in Sihanoukville—there’s that emergency WeChat account for reporting, and it has always been operating and accepting various park-related pleas. But based on feedback, they handle cases strategically. First, don’t go as a group; if there are too many people and all are pulled out, how can those doing business continue? So the central authorities also have their considerations. Second, places with very ‘hard’ backing may not be effectively handled because very powerful patrons are involved. Third, state your request clearly—don’t always say ‘illegal detention’ or ‘electric torture,’ etc. If they accept your case based on those reasons, it’s tantamount to admitting such acts exist. Just say you’re homesick—be more pragmatic. That said, still report truthfully as needed. If you say you’re just homesick or can’t get used to the food, they’ll likely tell you to ‘get lost.’ Lastly: 99% of people seeking help are not innocent; they simply want a way out.”
Q8. Would you recommend foreign friends come to work in Cambodia now? What risks should they know in advance?
A: There are still normal job opportunities in Cambodia. Many large labor-intensive industries like garment factories exist, and there are small firms like advertising companies. Because local resources are scarce, raw materials are largely imported from China, so margins can be higher than in China. High-end consumption sectors like beauty/aesthetic medicine are also underdeveloped; with the right resources, there is room to grow in Cambodia. The biggest risk is personal safety—don’t flaunt wealth.