Breaking! KaZantip Cancelled By Cambodian Police

Article by: Laura Mason|@masonlazarus

Thu February 19, 2015 | 00:00 AM


As if having to relocate from Eastern Europe to the country of Georgia, then to Cambodia – where the festival was to be held this year, starting yesterday – wasn't difficult enough, KaZantip is now being forcibly, completely cancelled by local Cambodian police and military police.

It seems the Cambodian government has deemed the wild, often fleshly 10-day electronic music festival an exercise in "indecent tourism." According to Cambodiadaily.com, provincial deputy governor Chhin Seng Nguon led a task force on Monday to inspect the planned festival site and then decided to deploy forces to block the bridge (seen below) linking the mainland to the small island of Koh Puos, where KaZantip was to be held.

Kazantip Republic Cambodia 2015 Kazantip Republic Sneak Peak   07

Photo courtesy of KaZantip

“Our principal focus is on ecotourism and cultural tourism and we don’t need indecent tourism,” said Seng Nguon to Cambodiadaily.com.

KaZantip has apparently been dealing with governmental red tape for the entirety of 2015 so far. Though this year's event was formally approved by officials on January 30, provincial governor Chhit Sokhon announced on February 2 that KaZantip would be shut down, citing concerns over “sexy activities.” Governor Sokhon then publicly negated those concerns, saying he'd allow KaZantip to go down if the Tourism Ministry gave the festival a green light – which it received on February 13, according to Cambodiadaily.com. The head of the country's tourism, Thon Khon, added that the decision ultimately rested with the provincial authorities – and it looks like they, in the end, decided to give KaZantip the axe.

However, the KaZantip Republic is refusing to be deterred. Its homepage offers encouragement for KaZantip citizens pulling for its return, saying that the "Republic is able to move in space rapidly and create colonies within a few months.” Looks KaZantip will rise again at some point – how, when, or where, no one knows just yet.