Passengers in Cambodia were put on hold after being excluded for fear of spreading the Coronavirus

The Cambodian authorities have allowed the “Westerham” cruise ship to dock at the port of Sihanoukville with hundreds of passengers on board. Prime Minister Ho Sen attended to welcome the passengers and gifted them with roses.

The passengers on board the ship were long trapped at sea, and countries such as Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Guam (of the American territories) refused to receive them, due to fears of cases of infection with “Covid-19” (Corona) in their ranks, despite the fact that “Holland America” Line “said that there are no cases of injury among the ship,” Westerdam “, which number 1455 passengers, in addition to the number of crew members, who numbered 802.

“No discrimination, no fear.”

The passengers who arrived at the port were relieved when the ship docked to them, describing the Cambodian Prime Minister with the big heart, and they went to buses waiting for them.

The Prime Minister said to passengers who received them, that his country, Cambodia, is a poor country, and he has always stood by the international community to solve the problems facing the world and the region.

“He Sen” also said that it was a humanitarian move and that he wanted the passengers to return to their countries, indicating that he wanted by his short presence to receive the passengers to make clear that there is no room for discrimination or fear, and that there is a need for solidarity to solve the problem.

Imminent return to the homelands

In the same context, a Cambodian official said that all the passengers of the ship may return to their countries on Sunday, if the flights are smooth.

The Cambodian Prime Minister is a strong supporter of China, and he reduced the horror of the virus threats unlike other Asian countries, he did not prevent flights between his country and China, saying that this will harm bilateral relations, as will be seen the Cambodian economy.

Cambodia had confirmed the presence of a single case of the virus with a Chinese visitor, despite the country’s reception of many Chinese tourists. The Cambodian official took the opportunity to support tourism in his country, and said that the passengers of the ship are free to go to the beach or hike in the city, or visit the compound of temples in the northwest of the country.

“good job“

The passengers who arrived at the port were relieved when the ship docked to them and admired the Cambodian initiative, which they liked, describing it as a wonderful and great work, and a number of them wore the traditional “dignity” scarf around their necks.

One passenger said that only Cambodia had accepted the ship’s passengers, while the United States authorities in Guam did not. For his part, the American ambassador to Cambodia, Patrick Murphy, said on his account on the Twitter website, that allowing passengers to leave the port, with what Cambodia showed generous hospitality, was a pleasure.

The spread of the virus has infected tens of thousands of people in China and hundreds of others in the world, including the passengers of another giant cruise ship, “Damon Princess”, which stopped in Hong Kong and other ports, before arriving in Japan last week.