Samaritans deliver Vietnamese escapees from Cambodian casino to safety

Mai Van Hung, 36, and Ngo Van Sen, 38, were feeding the fish and watching the news near Binh Di River in An Giang on Aug. 18 when human screams made them turn their gaze toward a seven-floor casino on the other side of the border.

From the Golden Phoenix casino in Cambodia’s Kandal Province, dozens of people poured out as they were chased by guards with sticks. The group then jumped into the river, just 150 meters from where Hung and Sen sat, crying for help.

The duo rushed toward a nearby motorboat. Hung started the engine, praying it would not malfunction like usual.

"Just one pull of the string started the engine. Normally I would have to pull six to seven times," Hung said.

Heads were bobbing up and down the water as the boat reached the middle of the river. Sen prioritized saving those who couldn’t swim first, getting three people on the boat and bringing them to safety. As there were still too many people in the river, Hung and Sen told them to hang onto the boat instead so they could be pulled to safety.

"It’s better to lie low as this type of boat is easily tilted. The water current was strong, it would be dangerous if it got capsized," Sen said.

Hung and Sen were not alone. Three to four other boats later came to the rescue, each going in different direction to save as many people as possible.

Tu Duc, 52, a neighbor of Hung, managed to save three lives that day. As soon as he heard cries for help, Duc ran over to a border guard station, jumped on a boat and quickly approaches those in the river.

"It’s not just me. Anyone would have helped their own people in trouble," Tu said.

Not the first time

Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, who lives opposite the casino, said it was not the first time someone had tried to escape from it. Since the Lunar New Year in February, around 30 people have escaped from the casino and tried to swim across the river, but only two to three made it each time.

Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen sits near a bag of clothes she has prepared to give anyone who escapes from a casino in Cambodia across a river. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Tai

The largest group to ever make it through was a group of five men and one woman two months prior, who jumped into the river at around 9 p.m. and were fortunately saved by boats.

"When they made it onto land, they hugged each other and cried. I felt so sorry for them," Tuyen said. Ever since the escapes happened, Tuyen and others locals would often prepare different sets of clothes for any escapee who made it to the other side. For those with empty pockets, locals would also give them some money so they could return home.

Regrettably, a 16-year-old boy could not be saved in time and drowned.

"He sank in front of our eyes. Everything happened so fast," Hung said.

Authorities of An Phu District plan to congratulate and give out rewards to rescuers who helped the 40 Vietnamese escape from the casino. They would also acknowledge the contribution of locals living in the area for their support of escapees.

The 42 Vietnamese workers swam across Binh Di River, the natural border between Vietnam and Cambodia, to escape from the Golden Phoenix casino in Cambodia’s Kandal Province due to their imprisonment and torture.

A total 40 succeeded. Besides the boy who was swept away by the water, another was recaptured by casino guards. Of the 40, five are women and the rest, men.