European MPs banned from entry to Cambodia

[gavinmac]

I landed at Phnom Penh airport today and was directed to immigration cubicle #13, where I had a view of the postings in cubicle #12. To me surprise, there was a sheet with a photo of a half dozen white looking faces, which is rare these days because most of the targeted subjects posted in the immigration cubicles in recent years are Chinese.

Anyway, at the top of the list was a photo of a white haired guy that said "Phil Bennion, British" with date of birth 7/10/54. Then Anna Gomes, Javier Something, a Dutch name, a Bulgarian, etc.

I had never heard pf Phil Bennion but googled his name upon leaving the airport and it appears he's a pro-Rainsy UK and EU politician. The other people on the list are the EU politicians named in this article as willing to accompany Rainsy back to Cambodia.

The article theorizes that they could be banned from entering Cambodia, it appears that they are certainly "flagged" at immigration.

https://en.vodhotnews.com/eu-lawmaker-o ... -cambodia/

[Spigzy]

Phil Bennion is on Twitter, you should let him know between your travels - could save him a few bob on air fares

[OK, I mean it could cause him to dig an even deeper EU/Cambodia hole for our entertainment!!]

[angsta]

I landed at Phnom Penh airport today and was directed to immigration cubicle #13, where I had a view of the postings in cubicle #12. To me surprise, there was a sheet with a photo of a half dozen white looking faces, which is rare these days because most of the targeted subjects posted in the immigration cubicles in recent years are Chinese.

Anyway, at the top of the list was a photo of a white haired guy that said "Phil Bennion, British" with date of birth 7/10/54. Then Anna Gomes, Javier Something, a Dutch name, a Bulgarian, etc.

I had never heard pf Phil Bennion but googled his name upon leaving the airport and it appears he's a pro-Rainsy UK and EU politician. The other people on the list are the EU politicians named in this article as willing to accompany Rainsy back to Cambodia.

The article theorizes that they could be banned from entering Cambodia, it appears that they are certainly "flagged" at immigration.

https://en.vodhotnews.com/eu-lawmaker-o ... -cambodia/

An E.U. parliamentarian has said he would accompany exiled former opposition leader Sam Rainsy back to Cambodia in order to help restore democracy in the country.

Bennion = Rainsy apparently. One gets two.

[slavedog]

Also came through the airport today. Looked for but couldn't see those names. But someone has obviously been on an Excel course as there's a lovely colour coded list of mostly Asian names. There was one barang name that I noted down. Lane no. 5. Full name is yours, Gavinmac, for a couple beers.

[Playboy]

When I came through the airport last week, there was a long list of Chinky names, but I did not see a barang name. Although it was difficult to check them all as the immigration officer recognised me and would not stop chatting.

On the flight out the previous month, I do recall seeing several non-Chinky names on their watch list, but can not remember any of them now - other than the fact that one of them was a German.

[Miguelito]

[Playboy]

Well, I guess that he needs something to do, as he will be out of a job post-BrexIt

[Miguelito]

I asked him if he thought it was democratic for 160,000 or so (no-one seems to know the true number) Conservative party members to decide who will be the next U.K. prime minister and, more importantly, lead Britain at a critical point of its future.

[Alexandra]

I asked him if he thought it was democratic for 160,000 or so (no-one seems to know the true number) Conservative party members to decide who will be the next U.K. prime minister and, more importantly, lead Britain at a critical point of its future.

wtf? That's not how to make an MEP sign up to Khmer440 to comment about being on an immigration watch list. Why would you ask him bollocks when you had him on the hook? What a wasted opportunity...

[Miguelito]

I don’t think he’s going to sign up here and comment, and I also have not informed him of the watch list.

I do think it’s extremely hypocritical for a British politician to be talking about “bringing democracy back to Cambodia” by flying in with a French national. And I also think it’s detrimental to the Cambodian people for Rainsy to be working to take away EBA for his own political purposes.

[Alexandra]

I also have not informed him of the watch list.

You asked if he has any intentions to visit Cambodia with Sam Rainsy and in the next tweet addressing him you asked him about UK politics. There was no mention of any watch list. Am I reading the right feed? https://twitter.com/khmer440/with_replies

Between those tweets to the MEP you wrote something that could be interpreted as a threat to Gordon Ramsay.

Idk, man. I think your Twitter game could be improved.

[scobienz]

Why would Migs ask a Liberal Democrat MEP a random question about whether the tory party leadership election is legitimate or not?

[Miguelito]

Re Ramsey: He is active on Twitter and has a new show debuting this week. Cambodia will be featured in it. Last time he aired a show with Cambodia he drove a truck into a tree. He is the king of giving people shit, especially on Twitter - how is my tweet “threatening”?

Re asking the Tory question: I answered the question above. I find it hypocritical of him to be talking about “bringing democracy back to Cambodia” when he comes from a country that has a House of Lords and will end up getting Johnson as a PM in a most undemocratic manner. It doesn’t matter what party he is, what moral high ground is he standing on?

[scobienz]

Re Ramsey: He is active on Twitter and has a new show debuting this week. Cambodia will be featured in it. Last time he aired a show with Cambodia he drove a truck into a tree. He is the king of giving people shit, especially on Twitter - how is my tweet “threatening”?

Re asking the Tory question: I answered the question above. I find it hypocritical of him to be talking about “bringing democracy back to Cambodia” when he comes from a country that has a House of Lords and will end up getting Johnson as a PM in a most undemocratic manner. It doesn’t matter what party he is, what moral high ground is he standing on?

Good grief. What nonsense. Are you really attacking him for perceived failings in Britain's democracy, simply because he is British? And even better, a British opposition politician, presumably working to fight the very thing you're asking him to justify?

You're American. Do you think you're accountable for the challenging state of American politics right now? Should a Cambodian wife be blamed for HE's actions? Should a Thai opposition politician be blamed for the actions of the military junta?

That's just silly.

[Miguelito]

It’s silly to hold a politician accountable for his own government? He’s not a private citizen like me and you - he is a politician and questioning him should be part of our civic duty. He is using his position in power to infringe upon the sovereignty of another state and I don’t support that and think he should be more focused on his own country and constituents.