Chinese Embassy in Cambodia has saved some scam victims from Taiwan island: FM

Sixty-three telecom fraud suspects, repatriated from Cambodia, arrive at an airport in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, June 26, 2019, under the escort of police. The suspects are part of a group of 73 people caught in a joint China-Cambodia police operation earlier this month. The suspects allegedly made phone calls to people on the Chinese mainland cheating victims out of money in dozens of cases involving more 5 million yuan ($730,000). (Photo: China News Service)

The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia has so far received more than 20 requests for help from scam victims from Taiwan island and successfully assisted the Cambodian government to save some of them, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday, after reports showed that some Taiwan residents were forced to join online gambling, telecommunications fraud and other illegal activities and have been subjected to movement restriction in Cambodia.

The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia is in close communication with the Cambodian government and actively searching for and rescuing relevant personnel, said Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry at a press conference.

"We will continue to closely follow up on the handling of the case. The stranded Taiwan compatriots and their families can contact the Chinese embassy for help any time," he said.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to and makes every effort to safeguard the safety and legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens, including Taiwan compatriots, he added.

Zhao also noted that he had once received multiple messages on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo from a Chinese citizen who was a scam victim in Cambodia, asking for help. He sent the relevant information to the Chinese embassy in Cambodia and the person was later successfully saved by the embassy and Cambodian police and sent back to China.

Zhao's remarks came after media reports of some tragic cases of Taiwan residents being trapped in fraud and subject to violence in Cambodia had seized public attention and triggered controversy in both Taiwan island and the mainland recently.

The Chinese embassy issued "a letter to Taiwan compatriots" on August 20, telling those Taiwan compatriots who are in difficulty in Cambodia to contact the embassy for help.

In an email reply to the Global Times on Thursday, the embassy said they had received more than 10 requests for help from those Taiwan people who were trapped in fraud and suffered personal restrictions via telephone and email.