US sisters arrested for nude photos at Cambodia's Angkor

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH: 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 (Feb 6), 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.

- AFP/rw

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/us-sisters-arrested-for/1643224.html

[ratcatcher]

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

How can you expect two young American women to understand that an 800 year old Hindu / Buddhist temple and the largest religious monument in the world, is a place to show some respect.

This is the 21st century and selfies are more important than silly old piles of rock.

[partington]

The hundreds of carvings of nearly naked women on the walls may have misled them...

[SiSePuede419]

IMG_1563.JPG

The hundreds of carvings of nearly naked women on the walls may have misled them...

Don't be silly! Those are KHMER dancing girls, Apsaras or goddesses:

"During the Angkor period the King would take a different goddeses to bed each night and thousands of them lived around the temples and performed temple rites and rituals."

http://www.holiday-in-angkor-wat.com/apsara.html

The difference is these are AMERICAN girls, so the King would have to be young, good-looking *AND* rich, before they would even think of sleeping with him...

[samsensam]

apparently deported from cambodia to thailand.

thailand welcomes more quality foreign tourists.

[LivinginKata]

Troll post removed.

[geovalin]

PPP update, Monday Caught with their pants down

Mon, 9 February 2015

Sarah Taguiam and Sen David

The Apsara Authority said yesterday that it is ramping up security and increasing printed warnings against desecrating temple ruins at the Angkor Archaeological Park after a second group of tourists – this time, two American women – were deported in less than two weeks for snapping partially nude photos at one of the historical sites.

Sisters Lindsey Kate Adams, 22, and Leslie Jan Adams, 20, were charged by the Siem Reap Court for trafficking pornography and exposing sexual body parts after they were caught on Friday morning with their pants down at the remote Preah Khan temple, according to a statement released by Apsara, which manages the temples. Photos of the incident circulated on social media.

Both received six-month suspended prison sentences, were fined 1 million riel ($250) and were banned from entering Cambodia for four years after Siem Reap provincial judge Kuy Soa handed down the verdict on Saturday. They were immediately deported after the hearing and sent by bus to Bangkok.

The incident comes on the heels of two photo scandals at the World Heritage Site, both of which have brought swift reactions from authorities. Three French nationals were deported after taking naked photographs on February 1, while on January 24, racy photos of a topless traditional dancer reclining on Angkorian ruins – the veracity of which are currently being investigated – surfaced on social media.

“Incidents like this have happened before but we stopped it in time and it’s very rare,” Apsara Authority spokeswoman Kerya Chau Sun said. “This is the first time we’ve had to deal with several situations like this in such a short time. I don’t understand what would drive people to do this.”

According to Chau Sun, Apsara has begun crafting flyers and signs cautioning tourists against acts that will desecrate the temple complex, the world’s largest religious monument.

Originally, the organisation was only planning to print a couple of warnings, worried that they would “destroy the beauty of the site”, but the magnitude of the situation, she said, has pushed them to dispatch more flyers around the archaeological park.

Apsara also plans to further beef up its security – especially in more secluded zones – from the current 1,000 guards patrolling the 40,000 hectare site.

“We have already increased security but it looks like we need to amplify it more when it seems that some people don’t care about how they offend Cambodian culture,” Chau Sun said.

UNESCO cultural specialist Philippe Delanghe decried the women’s actions, calling them “appalling”.

“Angkor is still very much a sacred site and people go there to pray every day and this is something that should never occur,” Delanghe said. “I think for the future Apsara and the government will consider different and more severe measures like maybe increasing sentences.”

The motivation behind the sudden upsurge in nude photo shoots at the temple ruins, however, remains a mystery.

“It is indeed very strange but we definitely don’t think it has anything to do with security because the fact that these girls were caught immediately is a sign that Apsara is doing its job,” Delanghe said.

“Frankly, we don’t understand why they’re doing this,” Chau Sun added. “Maybe the girls copied the others, but whatever it is, it’s disrespectful.”

Similar incidents, Delanghe confirmed, have happened in other World Heritage Sites across the globe, and UNESCO is advising Apsara on further steps to take to remedy the situation.

The Angkor Complex remains the crowning jewel of the Kingdom’s tourism industry. Last year, it brought in $59.3 million in revenue after more than 2 million foreigners visited the site.

“With more people visiting the site, taking a photo like this is very hurtful to Khmer culture and will set a bad example,” said Siem Reap tour guide Khieu Thy.

Contact information for the two American women was not immediately available.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/caught-their-pants-down

[kotsak]

[Friendly Stranger]

The no shame generation strikes again...

Geez, one looks like a ladyboy, no offense to them.

[webfact]

Caught with their pants down



BANGKOK: -- Two American women were deported yesterday and banned from returning to Cambodia for four years after they were caught snapping partially nude photos at one of the historical sites, The Phnom Penh Post reported.

The Apsara Authority, which manages the temples, is stepping up security and increasing printed warnings against desecrating temple ruins at the Angkor Archaeological Park.

American sisters, Lindsey Kate Adams, 22, and Leslie Jan Adams, 20, were charged by the Siem Reap Court for trafficking pornography and exposing sexual body parts after they were caught on Friday morning with their pants down at the remote Preah Khan temple, according to a statement released by Apsara, which manages the temples. Photos of the incident circulated on social media.

Both received six-month suspended prison sentences, were fined 1 million riel ($250) and were banned from entering Cambodia for four years after the Siem Reap provincial court handed down the verdict on Saturday. They were immediately deported after the hearing and sent by bus to Bangkok.

The incident comes on the heels of two photo scandals at the World Heritage Site, both of which have brought swift reactions from authorities. Three French nationals were deported after taking naked photographs on February 1, while on January 24, racy photos of a topless traditional dancer reclining on Angkorian ruins – the veracity of which are currently being investigated – surfaced on social media.

The Apsara has begun crafting flyers and signs cautioning tourists against acts that will desecrate the temple complex, the world’s largest religious monument.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/caught-pants


-- Thai PBS 2015-02-09

[Gordy Gambino]

Yankee shielas should get their asses down Pattaya and behave like that.

They would be a riot.

Even if they are ugly falung.

[mike2011]

The whole incident is as insignificant as it has been exploited for cheap publicity by people. A struggling Cambodian expat forum owner went through the facebook accounts of the ladies and posted their pics. Evidently reproduced here. By taking those fb pics out of context they obtained an entirely new meaning and the posting is nothing less than character wilfull assassination for a few extra views on the website. The British press was not slow to follow and here we have the same phenomenon.

The girls were a bit out of place and that was it.

Many issues concerning Cambodian society that matter do not receive any attention. it tells us all about this form of zero journalism.

I hope they take the owner of Cambodia Expats Online to court for plagiarism and teach him a lesson.

[JimmyTheMook]

They don't look a tad over 36.

[Rob8891]

The whole incident is as insignificant as it has been exploited for cheap publicity by people. A struggling Cambodian expat forum owner went through the facebook accounts of the ladies and posted their pics. Evidently reproduced here. By taking those fb pics out of context they obtained an entirely new meaning and the posting is nothing less than character wilfull assassination for a few extra views on the website. The British press was not slow to follow and here we have the same phenomenon.

The girls were a bit out of place and that was it.

Many issues concerning Cambodian society that matter do not receive any attention. it tells us all about this form of zero journalism.

I hope they take the owner of Cambodia Expats Online to court for plagiarism and teach him a lesson.

So you're saying that they DID take the photos?

and they DID post them to Facebook?

Not much a case for the defence, is it?

[iReason]

" the world’s largest religious monument."

I suppose if one wants to show their contempt for this archaic, superstitious phenomena called religion, that's the place to do it.

[SpokaneAl]

I am sure that this memory will remain a great source of pride and fun at parties for them and their friends and family members for years to come. I wonder if they have updated their Facebook pages.

[NextStationBangkok]

Why not these countries print a warning book let about "Does and don't s' and handover while getting a visa or ticket at the temple ?

It is not Hollywood studio open your pants for everyone in the world, primarily temples in Asia need a respectable dress code, and respect to the culture.

[ronthai]

Sent by bus to Bangkok. Now Thailand can deal with them.

[rickirs]

Maybe they were confused about where the Half Moon Party was held?

[Emster23]

I wonder what might have happened had they chosen to go topless, as the well endowed Apsaras carved at Angkor are clearly exhibited?

[klauskunkel]

Movie tonight:

Full Moon over Angkor

rated RX (prescription only)

[Benmart]

They don't look a tad over 36.

And the response, much more juvenile.

[TheKnave]

"...take away reason and accountability...", Jack Nicholson, describing women, in "As Good As It Gets".

"Air-headed and obnoxious", TheKnave, describing an entire generation of young "women", from the US (his own country).

[TheKnave]

Why not these countries print a warning book let about "Does and don't s' and handover while getting a visa or ticket at the temple ?

It is not Hollywood studio open your pants for everyone in the world, primarily temples in Asia need a respectable dress code, and respect to the culture.

On a related note, with the crass commercialization of Siem Reap, you might think they could afford said pamphlets. And, of course, exploiting the temple for monetary gain is not the least bit disrespectful...

[emanphoto]

Nope, don't do as they carvings do.

[tinom]

I'd like to see the pics...

[leo202]

I'd like to see the pics...

So would I.

[wabothai]

It's not only the Russians or Chinese, there are others too like these two ignorant, stupid and non educated brods. Shame !!!!!!

Their parents should know about this.

[bazza40]

I've encountered this mindset in Chiang Mai - an American with the attitude " I'm a US citizen - I can do anything I want, anywhere, without consequences". A few more rude awakenings would be helpful.

[bangon04]

At least the Chinese press is enjoying this - they can point to an example of crass behaviour by a foreign tourist at a well-known tourist site....