(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Cambodian officials said Tuesday they had banned partygoers from holding a massive rave on a tropical island after deciding the festival would be "indecent".
Thousands of predominantly Russian revellers were expected at the Kazantip festival in Koh Pos - also known as "Snake Island" - for ten days of non-stop partying that was supposed to kick off on Wednesday.
Previously held in the Crimea and Georgia, the Cambodia event was billed as the organiser's first winter gathering and was described on its website as one of the world's "longest, craziest and liveliest" parties.
But Cambodian officials Tuesday said they had told the organisers the party could not go ahead.
"We have stopped the festival," Chhin Seng Nguon, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province - also know as Sihanoukville - told AFP by telephone.
"We saw what the festival looked like in other countries and their performances involved indecent activities. But our culture and tradition is different from others," he added.
Kazantip's organisers could not be reached for comment.
Photos posted on the group's Facebook page showed organisers constructing a stage and putting up large wooden structures on a tropical beach venue.
An official line-up flyer posted to the page also listed at least 53 DJ's and artists who were expected to play at the festival.
The island is owned by the Koh Pos Investment Company, which was once headed by Russian businessman and convicted paedophile Alexander Trofimov.
He was controversially pardoned in Cambodia's largest known child sex scandal and deported from the country in 2012. It is not known who currently heads the company, which also could not immediately be reached for comment.
Chhin Seng Nguon said police had now been stationed on the island and organisers had been given 15 days to remove their items from the site.
"If they proceed with it (the festival) we will take legal action," he said.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.