Cambodia has close relations with China. (Photo : Getty Images)
In a bust conducted by the Cambodian police, 13 Taiwanese nationals and 50 mainland Chinese citizens were deported, despite protests from Taiwan.
The telecom and internet scam ran by the Chinese and Taiwanese nationals have led to extortion of billions of dollars and some victims have committed suicide.
Since November, China has cooperated with police in Kenya, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia to bust 65 telecom fraud rings since November, according to the ministry. This lead to the arrest of 1,168 suspects, including 347 Taiwan residents.
The Chinese Ministry of Public Security from Beijing released the report. All deportees are in the custody of the ministry.
Cambodia is a close ally of China and does not recognize Taiwan as an independent state, but a province of the mainland. Taiwan does not have a representative office in Cambodia.
A senior a senior official in Cambodia's immigration department, Uk Heisela, said that Taiwan has not been in touch with Phnom Penh regarding the Taiwan nationals.
He said, "All victims are in China."
Upon receipt of reports of the arrests, the Taiwan government dispatched Liang Kuang-chung, director-general of Taiwan's office in Ho Chi Minh City. Liang traveled to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh to argue that the Chinese nationals should be deported to Taiwan.
However, China argued that all deportees should be sent to China. The Taiwanese scammers have allegedly scammed Chinese citizens as well.
The Chinese government was accused by Taiwan for hindering the victims to seek proper representation.
The negotiations took 20 days.
Rights activists in Taiwan said that China is using its economic influence as a lever to control political affairs in Cambodia.
As of 2013, China has a total of $10 billion in Cambodia, on sectors of agriculture, mining, infrastructure projects, hydropower dams and garment production.
