Hun Sen urges police to be aware of terrorist threats
Prime Minister Hun Sen is speaking at the Royal Police Academy on Monday
- Thmey Thmey
- August 5, 2019 6:27 AM
‘We must be careful,’ prime minister says
PHNOM PENH — Prime Minister Hun Sen urged security forces Monday to be aware that Cambodia could be used by terrorists as a transit route or safe haven.
Speaking at the Royal Police Academy near Phnom Penh, he noted that terrorism already existed in Southeast Asia including in the Philippines and Thailand.
“We must be careful. Islamic State-linked groups are not only in one place. They can be anywhere,” Hun Sen said.
“Even though we are not a terrorist target, we must not allow our country to be used by terrorists for transit or as a safe haven.”
In addition to countering terrorism, Hun Sen also stressed the need to tackle crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking and weapons smuggling.
Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen warned last month of a new wave of terrorism threatening regional peace and stability.
Speaking at an ASEAN defense ministers meeting in Thailand, Ng called for regional cooperation in boosting capacity, intelligence-sharing and urban counter-terrorism operations.
