US sisters arrested for nude photos at Cambodia's Angkor

Cambodia detains 2 American female tourists for taking nude photos 

 

Photo/CEN

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Friday detained two American female tourists for taking naked photos at the complex of the Angkor Archeological Park, a world heritage site, according to a news statement released by the Apsara Authority.

The Apsara Authority is the institution responsible for the protection and management of the 12th century Angkor Archeological Park.

"The Apsara Authority, in close cooperation with the tourism police unit and the heritage protection police unit in Siem Reap province, had prevented two American female tourists from taking nude back photos at 10:00 a.m. (local time) on Feb. 6, 2015 at Preah Khan temple," the statement said.

"After being questioned over this case, the two tourists had confessed and recognized that they made a mistake by taking naked back photos," the statement said.

The two tourists have been detained at the tourism police unit in Siem Reap province, it added.

It was the second incident just in over a week. Last week, the authority arrested three French male tourists for taking nude photos at the complex of the famed Angkor Archeological Park, and they were given a six-month suspended sentence and deported by a Cambodian court.

The Angkor Archeological Park, located in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province, is the country's most popular tourist destination.

It attracted 2.35 million international visitors last year, earning gross revenue of 59 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales, according to the Apsara Authority.

----------------------------------------------------------

View photo

Two American sisters have been arrested in Cambodia for taking naked photos of each other inside the …

Two American sisters have been arrested in Cambodia for taking naked photos of each other inside the country's famed Angkor temple complex, officials said Saturday -- the latest nude stunt by tourists to spark anger.

Lindsey Adams, 22, and her 20-year-old sister Leslie were discovered taking "nude pictures" inside the Preah Khan temple at the world heritage site on Friday, the Apsara Authority -- the government agency managing the Angkor complex -- said in a statement.

"The two tourists admitted that they really made a mistake by taking nude photos," the statement read.

It is the second time in the last fortnight that tourists visiting the sprawling temple complex have been caught without their clothes.

Three French tourists were deported last weekend after they pleaded guilty to taking nude pictures of each other inside another temple within the complex.

Chau Sun Kerya, a spokeswoman for the Apsara Authority, said the women's actions were offensive because Angkor is considered sacred ground.

"Perhaps they did not know Angkor is a holy site. But their inappropriate activities affect the sanctity of the place," she told AFP.

Keat Bunthan, a senior heritage police official in northwestern Siem Reap province, said officers were now questioning the women.

"They lowered their pants to their knees and took pictures of their buttocks," he said, adding that he was not sure yet what charges they might face for their action.

The three deported French men received a suspended six-month prison sentence on two charges -- public exposure and making pornography -- and will be banned from re-entering Cambodia for four years.

The trio were caught just days after a series of photos of Asian women posing nude at ancient Cambodian temples went viral online and outraged officials who vowed to step up efforts to prevent similar stunts.

The Angkor Archaeological Park, a world heritage site, contains the remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, dating from the 9th to the 15th centuries, and is Cambodia's most popular tourist destination.