Cambodia's notorious red light district again closed by police

Cambodia's notorious red light district Svay Pak, some 11 km north of Phnom Penh, was closed again by police in a three-month-long law enforcement campaign, local media reported on Wednesday.

Police said that "all brothel houses have completely closed their doors and ended their activities," The Commercial News quoted Un Sokunthea, director of the Interior Ministry's anti-human trafficking department, as saying.

The campaign, which lasted from Aug. 25 to Nov. 25, involved the Interior ministry and municipal, district, commune departments and local police.

Police estimated that more than 500 clients, mostly foreign tourists, visited the area per day. More than 80 suspected pimps, drug offenders and "gangsters" were arrested during the campaign.

Svay Pak has about 35 brothels with a total of 210 rooms and some 700 to 800 prostitutes, most of whom were ethnic Vietnamese aged under 18.

The police have raided and closed the red light district several times in the past, which usually reopened after the police action.

Though prostitution is illegal in Cambodia, prostitution and child sex offenders are rampant due to poverty and lack of law enforcement.

Source: Xinhua