The cruise from hell finally ended in Cambodia Friday for elated and relieved passengers whose ship had been turned away from ports around Asia amid fears they could be carrying the coronavirus.
After being rejected from docking at five ports, passengers on the MS Westerdam were welcomed to Cambodia, a staunch Beijing ally whose authoritarian leader handed them flowers when they disembarked.
Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed to let the Holland America Line vessel dock at the port of Sihanoukville after Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Guam had barred the ship earlier.
“Today, although Cambodia is a poor country, Cambodia has always joined the international community to solve the problems that the world and our region are facing,” the strongman said as the first passengers emerged after two weeks at sea.
“How wonderful it is to be here. Thank you very much to the prime minister. He has a wonderful heart,” said Anna Marie Melon, from Queensland, Australia, who was among the roughly 100 tourists who were greeted warmly after their ordeal.
Waving a rose she received from the leader, she added: “I’m very excited (to be here)!”
The Westerdam, with 2,257 passengers and crew on board, was supposed to go on a 14-day cruise around East Asia — beginning in Hong Kong on Feb. 1 and ending on Saturday in Yokohama, Japan.
But despite having no confirmed cases of coronavirus, the ship was turned away over fears it was carrying someone with the new virus, which has now killed almost 1,400 people and infected over 64,000, mostly in China.
Dozens of ecstatic passengers took advantage of their new-found freedom by visiting a nearby beach, hugging the country’s ruler and cheering as they headed to waiting buses.
One man even kneeled down and kissed the ground.
“Cambodia pays more attention to human rights… we respect the rights of the more than 2,000 people on the boat,” Hun Sen said, adding that all the passengers would be allowed to disembark after no cases of the coronavirus were found aboard.
Some 20 passengers had reported stomach aches or fever, but tests for the virus done at the Pasteur Institute in Phnom Penh showed none had the illness.
“We don’t have wealth like a rich country but we have sympathy for the passengers stranded on the ship,” he said. “If Cambodia did not allow this ship to dock here, where should this ship go?
“I want to inform Cambodians and the world that I coming here even for a short time means this is no time for discrimination and to be scared, but a time for everyone to be in solidarity to solve the problems we are facing now,” added Hun Sen, who has been in power for 35 years.
Joe Spaziani, 74, from Florida, said: “Your country did a great job. Did a wonderful job. Thank you very much. We appreciate it very much,”
He and many fellow passengers wore a krama, a traditional Cambodian scarf, around their necks.
“Cambodia alone, even the United States, Guam, did not let us land, but Cambodia did, so that’s wonderful. Absolutely wonderful,” Spaziani added. “We appreciate it very, very much. It’s been a long struggle and we appreciate everyone being here.”
US Ambassador to Cambodia W. Patrick Murphy called the disembarking activities “heartwarming sights … with Cambodian hospitality on full display.”
He tweeted that “joint operation ‘Homeward Bound’ is underway!”
With Post wires
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZWh0dHBzOi8vbnlwb3N0LmNvbS8yMDIwLzAyLzE0L2NydWlzZS1mcm9tLWhlbGwtZmluYWxseS1kaXNlbWJhcmtzLWluLWNhbWJvZGlhLWFtaWQtY29yb25hdmlydXMtZmVhcnMv0gFpaHR0cHM6Ly9ueXBvc3QuY29tLzIwMjAvMDIvMTQvY3J1aXNlLWZyb20taGVsbC1maW5hbGx5LWRpc2VtYmFya3MtaW4tY2FtYm9kaWEtYW1pZC1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1mZWFycy9hbXAv?oc=5
2020-02-14 14:43:00Z
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