Dan Jones, left, apologises on behalf of the group, with Kiwi Paul Brasch, centre, also begging for forgiveness. Photo / AP
Dan Jones, left, apologises on behalf of the group, with Kiwi Paul Brasch, centre, also begging for forgiveness. Photo / AP
Tourists jailed in Cambodia over what authorities have called "pornographic dancing" have been made to plead for forgiveness in front of a camera.
The 10 foreigners include New Zealand man Paul Brasch, 32, who has been living in Cambodia for about a year. Brasch was born in Auckland, educated in Taupo and understood to have lived in Hamilton.
Brasch, five British men, two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Dutch national, were arrested on Thursday at a party in Siem Reap for allegedly posing in sexually provocative positions, which was captured in photographs released by police.
They have been charged with producing pornographic pictures and materials, which carries a maximum one-year sentence in Cambodia.
Cambodian National Police issued these images of a group of unidentified foreigners, who are accused of 'dancing pornographically' at a party in Siem Reap town. Photo / AP
When the group was asked if they would like to return to their countries, all 10 could be seen desperately nodding.
The men in the group appeared with freshly shaved heads, reportedly to avoid the spread of lice in their Siem Reap jail.
Brasch's mother, Vicky Malden, told John Campbell on RNZ's Checkpoint that Paul was pretty inconsolable.
"I mean, he can be a bit of a rebel, I suppose, but he's just a guy. He loved Cambodia," she said.
"He loved the culture, he loved the people. In fact, I was pretty sure I'd lost my son to Cambodia because he loved it so much. He's just devastated, he can't believe what's happening."
Images emerged this week showing the group in the jail wearing orange prison uniforms as they awaited trial.
Dan Jones, fourth from left, apologises in front of media for the actions of the Cambodia tourists - including Kiwi Paul Brasch, in white with arms crossed. Photo / AP
Dan Jones, centre, apologises on behalf of the group, with NZer Brasch, right, watching on. Photo / AP
After their arrest last week Cambodian police released images that showed the group appearing to simulating various sexual positions at a party, but the origin of the images were unclear, AFP reported.
Earlier, members of the group admitted they were dancing provocatively at a drunken party but denied they made porn.
Their appointed lawyer Soung Sophea told AFP they admitted to wearing "sexy" clothes and singing, dancing and drinking during a pool party called "Let's Get Wet".
But their activities "did not fall under the charges", he said.
"They did not produce pornographic images or show their genitals."
Seventy-seven partygoers were initially rounded up during the crackdown but were released with a warning.
Samrith Sokhon, a prosecutor at the court in Siem Reap, said the group produced "pornographic images" and circulated them online to attract tourists to the event.
He said their activities were against "our tradition" and noted Siem Reap's proximity to Angkor Wat, which in addition to being Cambodia's most popular tourist site is also considered sacred.
Kiwi Paul Brasch was born in Auckland and has lived in Cambodia for a year. Photo / Supplied
Cambodia banned skimpy clothing inside the temple complex in 2016 and has previously arrested foreigners for taking racy photos among the ruins.
The location of past offences have also been inside the ancient city, not in the adjoining town of Siem Reap, a popular hub for tourists and foreigners that is known for late-night carousing on its "pub street."
