A LARGE crowd of Chinese nationals, believed to have escaped from the scam parks in Cambodia following the clampdown on several large-scale syndicates, gathered outside the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh to seek help, major Chinese dailies reported.
Several people told the local media that they came from Sihanoukville, a coastal city in southwest Cambodia, and wished to return home before the Chinese New Year next month.
However, embassy security personnel clarified that only a small number of those queuing were Chinese nationals who had fled scam parks.
Most were local citizens applying for visas to China, said the personnel.
In recent years, Cambodia, together with Myanmar, Thailand and China, have stepped up crackdowns on online scam operations.
The country has vowed to continue taking firm measures to wipe out scam syndicates and improve Cambodia’s image.
> Hong Kong-based Malaysian actress Fish Liew Chi Yu won the Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.
She was recognised for her performance in Someone Like Me, in which she portrayed Ah Mui, an artist with cerebral palsy who is determined to live independently.
The 36-year-old triumphed over established stars including Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing to clinch the title.
“This award means a great deal to me. Ah Mui is one of the rare optimistic roles I’ve played.
“I want to keep this beautiful memory and let it become the nourishment that drives me forward. I won’t stop,” she added.
Louis Koo Tin-lok was named Best Actor for his role in Behind the Shadows, in which he played a private detective.
The film, which was shot in Malaysia, also won the Best Director trophy for Chow Man-yu and Jonathan Li.
Koo said he was delighted to receive the recognition at the start of 2026.
“I hope everyone will continue to support good Hong Kong films,” he added.
The Best Film award went to Ciao UFO, while Unidentified Murder won Best Screenplay.
The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.
