The Bati district police in Takeo province have instructed officers to enforce the ban on gambling or online cockfighting, in a bid to maintain security in line with the government’s safe village-commune policy.
District police chief Keo Mony said on April 26 that in order to better maintain security at the local level, he had instructed all forces to inform the public not to get involved with cockfighting, even online. Anyone who was caught doing so would have to sign an agreement saying they would cease the activity.
“To follow the provincial police chief’s instruction and further strengthen the safe village-commune policy, we are implementing this immediately,” he said.
Sophy commune police chief Srun Srong told The Post on April 26 that his officers had strictly enforced the policy.
“Since we began this campaign, there has been no gambling. If anyone is found committing actions related to betting, they are offered the chance to sign an agreement to stop. They know that if they do not comply, they will be arrested,” he said.
Srong said his force had enforced this for a long time as gambling is legally banned in the Kingdom by law, and no exceptions will be made.
“Gambling creates crime, and now crime in the village has been relatively low. Crimes such as domestic violence are reduced, and this is because we have followed our orders and eliminated betting,” he added.
Sophy commune clerk Phuong Leng said on April 26 that gambling activities in the commune did not appear to exist because authorities – in cooperation with the police force – regularly educated the local populace about the crimes caused by various activities that arise from gambling. It also leads to domestic violence, he added.
“At my local level, I have no worries about the hardships caused by gambling. My commune does not have any gamblers. If it did, the authorities would take action,” he said.
