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Prime Minister Hun Sen has arrived Monday in Brussels to co-chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-European Union (EU) Commemorative Summit, said officials. Among other meetings, he will also meet representatives of VINCI Airports in Paris. VINCI Airports has developed, built and operated the three principal international airports in Cambodia. Prime Minister is leading a high-level delegation including Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC), Pan Sorasak, Minister of Commerce (MoC), Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and other senior government officials to attend the summit. The summit will commemorate the 45th Anniversary of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations with Charles Michel, President of the European Council, while the plenary session of the summit will review the existing ASEAN-EU cooperation and chart the course for the future direction of the ASEAN-EU relations, said the MFAIC release. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501201167/pm-arrives-in-brussels-to-attend-asean-eu-summit/

Civil society groups say corruption is propping up the drug trade in the country. Cambodian authorities in the resort town of Sihanoukville seized nearly 1 ton of ketamine over the weekend in the latest high-profile drug bust in this country, prompting calls from civil society groups for more transparency and stricter enforcement of measures used to target drug crimes. The Sunday afternoon raid by a joint force of gendarmes and police on a rented warehouse yielded 34 large containers of the powerful anesthetic known recreationally as “Special K,” National Authority for Combating Drugs Secretary General Meas Vyrith told RFA Khmer. The seized ketamine, which can put users into a mildly hallucinatory state, is currently being held in a secure location in Sihanoukville, he said, adding that authorities believe it had been illegally smuggled into Cambodia for sale. “Efforts are underway to locate those who are responsible for the drugs,” he said. “The criminals took advantage of a loophole when the relevant authorities took shifts in carrying out their duties and also employed different tactics to carry out their illegal activities.” The bust follows several other large seizures this year in Cambodia, which is becoming a transit and production point for illicit drugs in the region. Authorities shut down a processing site and seized 40.5 kilograms (89 pounds) of ketamine in May, and in July, they seized 1.8 tons of ketamine and nearly 300 tons of chemicals after raiding a processing site and six storage facilities. In August, authorities seized an additional 871 kilograms of ketamine throughout the country. According to the NACD, authorities in Cambodia arrested more than 30,000 suspects in 10,461 drug-related cases in 2020 and 6,308 cases in 2021. Meas Vyrith told RFA that the amount of drugs seized by authorities in Cambodia so far in 2022 had increased by more than half of the total seized in all of 2021. The latest bust also follows an announcement by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in August which said that ketamine seizures had increased sharply in Cambodia from 112.5 kilograms in 2020 to 2.8 tons in 2021 – accounting for more than 50% of all ketamine seized in Southeast Asia (5.4 tons) that year. UNODC said that the increase was associated with growing evidence of illicit manufacture of the drug in Cambodia, based on the detection of several clandestine ketamine laboratories in the country. Authorities dismantle a large-scale clandestine ketamine laboratory in Cambodia, Dec. 2021 Credit: NACD of Cambodia Call for stronger oversight Speaking to RFA on Monday, civil society groups urged the government to take stronger action against traffickers of ketamine and other illicit drugs to prevent Cambodia from becoming a haven for the drug trade in Southeast Asia. Cheap Sotheary, the coordinator for human rights group ADHOC in Sihanouk province, said that the authorities need to be more transparent and forthcoming about information related to drug seizures. She said that drug trafficking remains a problem in Cambodia due to corruption. “We are requesting that the information and photos of criminals be made public because we worry that local authorities may be complicit and allow them to get away,” she said. “We also have no information about the places where [authorities] keep the seized illicit drugs. We’re talking about hundreds of tons of these drugs. What would happen if the people who look after the confiscated drugs steal them and sell them themselves? It’s very dangerous without proper oversight.” Other groups have said that the rise of drug trafficking in Cambodia shows that criminals are not afraid to set up manufacturing operations in the country. Ketamine is widely used in human and veterinary medicine and, while the drug is not under international control, its non-medical use has been related to a number of severe adverse health effects. According to UNODC, high doses of ketamine used recreationally can cause cardiovascular and respiratory toxicity effects, as well as other adverse effects like bladder problems, anxiety, panic attacks, palpitations, tachycardia, chest pains, depression, aggravated symptoms of existing mental health issues, slurred speech and inability to speak. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/bust-12122022164507.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Three human rights organizations have filed a complaint against a Netherlands-based microfinance investor on the grounds that it violated international responsible business standards and for years ignored its own evidence of harms linked to predatory lending practices. Cambodian NGOs Licadho and Equitable Cambodia and international rights group FIAN Germany lodged a 28-page complaint to a Dutch body that oversees and promotes the OECD guidelines — which are standards for multinational businesses — accusing Oikocredit of expanding its practices within Cambodia even as it internally acknowledged the myriad abuses linked to the industry. For months, Oikocredit has also refused to meet with the groups filing the complaint, they wrote. The complaint, filed to the Dutch National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct, calls on the investor to provide compensation to borrowers, make public and explain details of their due diligence and monitoring of Cambodian partners such as Prasac, LOLC and Amret, and suspend investments until land titles taken as collateral are returned to their owners, among other requests. read more https://vodenglish.news/three-ngos-allege-investor-ignored-own-evidence-of-microfinance-abuse/

Washington – After Cambodian officials reportedly suspended all shipments of monkeys for experimentation, today PETA is calling for a full accounting of monkeys in every laboratory that since 2018 has received long-tailed macaques from two major U.S. primate importers—Inotiv and Worldwide Primates—because those monkeys may have been illegally trafficked. PETA is also calling on those laboratories to transfer illegally trafficked monkeys to a reputable sanctuary immediately and pay for their lifetime care. The laboratories in question are AbbVie, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Altasciences, AmplifyBio, Batelle Memorial Institute, Biomere, Bioqual, BTS Research, Charles River Laboratories, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Labcorp, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, MRI Global, National Institutes of Health, Northern Biomedical Research, PreLabs, Southern Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, USAMRIID, Washington University at St. Louis. Copies of the letters to those labs are available upon request. read more https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/cambodia-suspends-monkey-exports-peta-demands-labs-reveal-source-of-monkeys/

Four young food delivery drivers were seriously injured after being shot early this morning by an unidentified gunman in central Phnom Penh. The shooting happened at 1 am on December 12, 2022 at the traffic light on Street 271 in Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh. A witness says that he saw the 4 young delivery drivers waiting at a traffic light They became embroiled in an arguement with a man, who then pulled out a pistol and shot the four men at least 10 times – chasing some of them as they attempted to flee. The injured youths have been named as Mas Ravit, male, 20 years old, injured leg, Sin Po Kim, Male, 20 years old, injured left leg and left hip, Sroeun Sopheak, Male, 22 years old, Occupation: Carrier, injured left leg, Kheang Ly Keang, Male, 22 years old, injured elbow. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501201040/4-food-delivery-drivers-shot-in-phnom-penh-by-unknown-gunman/

A foreign national who attempted to leave Cambodia with heroin strapped to his body has been arrested. Police from the 10th Office of the Anti-Drug Department on December 6, 2022, sent a Taiwanese national to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in connection with the case of illegal drug trafficking and transportation. The suspect is YANG CHIN CHUNG, a 46-year-old Taiwanese man The man was detained by customs authorities at Phnom Penh International Airport (Passenger Exit) while trying to board a flight to Taipei (Taiwan) through the Phnom Penh International Airport, with eight packages of heroin, weighing almost 3kg, strapped to his body. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501199847/foreigner-arrested-at-phnom-penh-airport-for-smuggling-heroin/

Imagine a future Phnom Penh where active commuters are able to breeze through the riverside, where local businesses enjoy high foot traffic at all hours of the day, where the government can keep road maintenance costs low, where tourists can find new and exciting experiences, and where the city is more vibrant and sustainable. All of these things can be jump-started with one step — if we choose to eliminate all car traffic on Preah Sisowath Quay where it runs along the river from the Chaktomuk Conference Hall to the Night Market, and replace it with a pedestrian-only thoroughfare. As Phnom Penh’s first pedestrian street, “Preah Sisowath Quay: Riverside Heritage Walk” would be an ideal option due to its strategic urban geography, existing historical heritage, and already-vibrant natural surroundings. At present, Phnom Penh lacks pedestrian-only streets that can generate these benefits. For the future, Phnom Penh should offer more pedestrian-friendly environments to bring economic value, leisure opportunities and environmental benefits. The riverside is an excellent place to start. read more https://vodenglish.news/opinion-pedestrianizing-phnom-penhs-riverside-could-be-economic-masterstroke/

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court brought another incitement case against two government critics to trial on Friday, accusing them of spreading misinformation on social media and trying to incite chaos with Facebook posts criticizing Covid-19 lockdowns and Prime Minister Hun Sen. The two defendants, Meas Leakhena and Kay Sophy, were not present in the court Friday. Leakhena is already facing a separate court case related to other alleged Facebook comments about exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy. The court clerk said police had sent letters to the defendants to join the trial but had not received responses; Sophy lives in Germany and Leakhena lives in the Philippines. Without the defendants, Friday’s proceedings lasted under an hour and included judge Seng Socheat, a prosecutor and three officials from the anti-terrorism police. Chan Darith, director of an office of the anti-terrorism unit, told the court that police had monitored the defendants’ Facebook posts closely last year. read more https://vodenglish.news/more-incitement-cases-brought-against-two-government-critics/

PETALING JAYA: AirAsia Aviation Group Limited (AAAGL), the aviation arm of Capital A Bhd, has signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with Sivilai Asia to establish AirAsia Cambodia, a new low cost airline in Cambodia. In a statement, the budget carrier said the new airline would further cement AirAsia’s brand in Cambodia and Indochina, providing AirAsia with greater access to its domestic market and most importantly connecting it to the international markets across Asean, North Asia and beyond. This new airline will allow AAAGL to operate to the various existing markets where it already has presence and operations to build scale, network connectivity and further reduce the cost of operations, it said. AirAsia Cambodia aims to further stimulate the Cambodian aviation and tourism industries, launch exciting new destinations, create jobs and bring a true low cost operation to the country. Subject to obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals, the JV is expected to commence operations in late 2023. Capital A CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the group continued to focus on Asean where it know best and its brand is the strongest. read more https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/12/09/airasia-launches-new-low-cost-airline-in-cambodia

2 notorious Phnom Penh brothels – masquerading as ‘massage shops’ – were raided by Phnom Penh Police yesterday. The Anti-Human Trafficking Office Police Force of the Phnom Penh Municipal Police in cooperation with the Local Authorities launched a series of crackdowns – arresting a shop owner and arresting eight women. 10 people were interrogated, including two minors, and exhibits of used and unused condoms were confiscated. The crackdowns took place at around 8:30 pm December 7, 2022 at 2 massage parlors: 1. “Red Rose 168′ Located at No. 33, Concrete Street. House No. 281, Concrete Street 1, New World Borey, Top 1 Snguon Pich Village, Sangkat Kantouk, Khan Kampoul, Phnom Penh. The operation was led by Lieutenant Colonel Hak Ly, Director of the Office of Anti-Trafficking and Protection of Minors, and coordinated by Ty. Monin, Deputy Prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. The arrested shop owner is Pak Udom, male, 35 years old, living at house No. 33, Concrete Road, in Borey Piphop Thmey, Sangkat Kantouk, Khan Kam Ball Phnom Penh, which is home to the massage shop of the brand “Red Rose 168”. pictures https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501199065/in-pictures-police-raid-phnom-penh-brothels/

Surprise erupted in Siem Reap at the scene of the death of a foreigner who allegedly leapt from the third floor of a building The discovery of the death took place at 20:50 on Tuesday evening in front of a gym building along Tep Vong Road, about 100 metres west of the Wat Bo bridge in Mondul 1 village, Svay Bongkum, Siem Reap. Some police told local news that the foreigner is an Australian. The authorities are still investigating the cause of the suspected jump. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501198361/foreigner-dead-after-alleged-jump-from-building/

Defense lawyers called on the court to acquit their clients during closing arguments Thursday, saying there was not enough evidence for the plotting charges against the former CNRP members who allegedly supported the failed return plan of exiled party leader Mu Sochua. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court is trying 37 defendants — most of whom are overseas — linked to the disbanded Cambodia National Rescue Party for supporting the unsuccessful attempt by Mu Sochua to return the country to face trial in 2021. They are facing plotting charges, which carry five to 10 years in prison if found guilty. It is the fourth mass trial against former CNRP activists being tried in Cambodian courts. In his closing arguments Thursday morning, deputy prosecutor Seng Heang told the court that the charge stemmed from an overseas group using the idea of repatriation to hide an ill-intentioned plan to launch a revolution and topple the government. read more https://vodenglish.news/in-mass-trials-closing-defense-says-not-enough-evidence-of-plotting/

Next year maybe the busloads of Chinese tourists will be back but for now, Cambodia’s on a slow road out of COVID. The Angkor Ticket office on the outskirts of Siem Reap, Cambodia’s second-largest city, is designed to handle crowds with plenty of space for queues. Last Saturday, however, there was no waiting. Angkor Wat visitor numbers are still well down on what they were pre-pandemic. In the year to December 8, just over 247,000 foreign tourists visited the temple complex. In 2019, there were 2.2 million international visitors and in 2018, when the temples were in danger of being loved too much, 2.6 million people came. For now, though, at visitor peak hour, which is around 5am – in time for dawn and before it gets hot – motorised tuk-tuks that dispense one or two travellers at a time outnumber the tourist buses. This is great for visitors, but the slow recovery is one more test for locals keen to turn their back on the pandemic years. https://www.afr.com/world/asia/always-wanted-to-go-to-angkor-wat-now-s-the-time-20221208-p5c4rv

Health ministry orders probe of all private clinics in case that has garnered widespread attention The Cambodian government on Thursday shut down and revoked the permit of a private maternity clinic after an unlicensed midwife there removed part of a woman’s intestines during a procedure to remove a dead fetus. The case has received widespread attention in the country on social media and the news. On Nov. 2, Chheang Srey Oun, a 22-year-old factory worker, underwent an operation at the Doeum Angkorng Maternity Clinic to remove a 5-month-old fetus that had died in her womb. A preliminary investigation found that she had been operated on by a licensed midwife named Ung Thearin, who had never been trained to perform that type of procedure. The ministry also said it would pursue legal action against Dr. Sous Chanraksmey who owns and runs the clinic. In response to the incident, Health Minister Mam Bun Heng last week ordered a probe of all private clinics and other facilities, and said that those found to be performing abortions illegally would be punished accordingly. Abortions performed by trained and licensed medical staff are legal in Cambodia prior to the 18th week pregnancy. Chheang Srey Oun was moved to a hospital in Phnom Penh, where she was receiving help from the Red Cross to pay for treatment. Her husband had filed a criminal complaint against the hospital, but he told RFA’s Khmer Service Thursday that he withdrew the complaint after the clinic agreed to pay compensation. Authorities would still take legal action against the clinic, said Soeung Seng Karuna, spokesperson for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association. “The prosecutor should have an investigation into the matter to find out the reasons behind the incident, how did the doctor make this mistake?” he said. The president of the Cambodian Alliance of Trade Union, Yang Sophorn, said closing the clinic is not a long-term solution. She asked the Ministry of Health to improve measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. “Our country has laws for when doctors breach their code of ethics,” she said. “They should be prosecuted.” Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Edited by Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/botch-12082022180353.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

The dolphin’s decline is a stark illustration of the global biodiversity crisis and the challenges of conservation. The fishing gangs visit the river at night and the rangers do nothing to stop them. Working in large groups, the boatmen use fishing methods that have long been outlawed in this part of the mighty Mekong River like gillnetting, which uses nets that hang like a curtain in the water and snag fish by their gills, and electrofishing. Normally, the rangers would intervene. But these days, they hang back out of a mix of intimidation and sympathy for neighbours made desperate by the pandemic. Cambodia’s strict fishing rules, first imposed in 2006, are crucial to the fortunes of the Mekong dolphin, giving the rare but nationally beloved animal a chance at survival after decades of population decline. But while dolphin conservation is broadly popular in Cambodia’s poor river communities – and some make money from the visitors they bring – the economic stresses of the prolonged pandemic border closures forced some into desperate measures to feed their families. read more https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/8/cambodias-mekong-dolphin-is-dying-despite-efforts-to-save-it

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least four people on average are killed and 11 injured every day due to road accidents in Cambodia, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said here on Wednesday. "Seventy-nine percent of the dead were motorcyclists, and 74 percent of them were unhelmeted," he said in a speech marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. "The main cause of traffic accidents was speeding, followed by neglecting to give way and not driving on the right side of the road," he added. Kheng, who is also Cambodia's deputy prime minister, called on motorcyclists to properly wear helmets, and drivers to fasten their seat belts, saying that helmets and seat belts are crucial to protecting their lives in case of an accident. Road accidents are the leading cause of deaths and injuries, costing the country about 466 million U.S. dollars a year, according to a report jointly released by the United Nations Development Program in Cambodia and the National Road Safety Committee last year. The Southeast Asian country recorded 1,342 deaths and 2,004 serious injuries from road traffic accidents during the first nine months of 2022, the National Road Safety Committee said. https://english.news.cn/20221207/09ffaee20b5747f7a3ac8f427353cce1/c.html

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's economy is recovering well from the influence of COVID-19 pandemic with the growth being forecast at 4.8 percent in 2022 and 5.2 percent in 2023, the World Bank said in a report released on Wednesday. In its Cambodia Economic Update, the lender said the post-pandemic economic recovery has expanded thanks to a rebound in tourism, as the garment industry, travel goods and footwear exports have been resilient. "The services sector, especially travel and tourism, has done well since the introduction of the 'Living with COVID-19' strategy in late 2021, and total international visitor arrivals have steadily increased, reaching 1.2 million in the first nine months of 2022," the report said. "Business and consumer confidence have risen and both domestic and foreign investment have increased," it added. However, prospects for faster growth face serious risks due to developments beyond Cambodia's borders, the report warned. Cambodia has a small economy that is open to outside trade and investment, and the global growth outlook is gloomy, it said, adding that global trade growth slowed in the second half of 2022 and is projected to slow sharply in 2023. "The economies of developing countries such as Cambodia are particularly vulnerable to rising inflation, slower global economic growth, decreased availability of energy supplies, and higher interest rates," the report said. "Cambodia's manufacturing sector depends on export markets to thrive and would be negatively affected by an extended growth slowdown in its two largest export markets, the United States and the European Union," it added. Speaking at the launch of the report, Mariam Sherman, World Bank country director for Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, said to shield its economy from a possible drop in external demand, Cambodia could take steps to strengthen its fiscal position and promote its domestic economy, particular its globally attractive tourism industry. "Revenues are up, thanks to the economic recovery and administration improvements," Sherman said. "Broadening the tax base will help ensure the resources needed to promote Cambodia's economy and weather slowing growth among major trading partners." She added that tourism and hospitality are particularly promising areas for growth. Looking farther into the future, Cambodia's economy is expected to advance to a growth rate of around 6 percent, as international and domestic tourism adds strength, the report said. "Participation in recently concluded trade agreements can boost agriculture and agro-processing industries," it said, referring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA). https://english.news.cn/20221207/e23f2d7b91d44b47be6265360cdc2d5d/c.html

Cambodia has more than 17.82 million internet subscribers as of October this year, slightly down from 17.87 million users at the end of last year, according to a report from the Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia. The internet subscription has already surpassed the total population of 16 million in the country. Cambodia Digital Tech Association president Chhin Ken said: “The high number of internet users showed how fast the Cambodian people were embracing technology, as the trend of using smartphones for studies, shopping, and social networks is increasing.” Almost all Cambodian people have smartphones, which led to a rise in the use of the internet, and it is mostly used for surfing social networks, Ken said. “The high demand for the internet is a new opportunity for businessmen and the high competition can bring down the cost of the internet,” he told Khmer Times. Chea Vandet, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, said that the increase in internet users reflected the development of e-commerce activities in Cambodia. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501197606/internet-users-at-17-82-million-in-october/

The prime minister’s son Hun Manith has been given an additional rank equivalent to minister, adding to his existing duties as the head of military intelligence. Manith was given the rank of a minister by a royal decree signed by King Norodom Sihamoni on Tuesday, along with four other government officials. Manith is also a deputy chief for the prime minister’s cabinet and retains his old positions, according to the official document. The four others given the rank are: Pankhem Bunthorn, a deputy chief of Hun Sen’s cabinet; Chhiv Yiseang, who heads the National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations at the Foreign Ministry; and Slat Sopheap and Hak Sokhay, who could not be identified. Royal Cambodian Armed Forces spokesperson Thong Solimo declined to comment on Manith’s promotion and Defense Ministry spokesperson Chhum Socheat could not be reached Tuesday evening. Manith’s older brother, Hun Manet, is the commander of the army and has been voted by the Cambodian People’s Party to succeed his father. Hun Sen has yet to lay out a timeline for when he will step aside and let his son take over as prime minister. read more https://vodenglish.news/hun-sens-son-promoted-to-rank-of-minister/

A gambling den – frequented by foreigners – was raided yesterday in Phnom Penh The forces of Po Sen Chey District Unity Command raided the Chinese gambling den at Jing Siek Lay brand shop Prey Tea 1 Village, Sangkat Choam Chao III, Khan Por Sen Chey at 4 pm on December 6, 2022 Authorities said that with confidential reports from citizens, the venue was rented out by Chinese nationals for a variety of casinos, with the same Chinese guests visiting every day. On the day of the inspection, the commanding force agreed to inspect and found that the location was hosting illegal gambling. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501198189/foreign-casino-busted-in-phnom-penh/

Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn, as the Special Envoy on Myanmar, will not make a planned third official visit to Myanmar, with time running out when Cambodia’s term as ASEAN Chair expires at the end of the month, and he is scheduled to attend a key summit in Brussels. However, analysts have speculated that the trip will not be made because Myanmar’s ruling State Administration Council (SAC) has not shown progress in implementing ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and recently sentenced seven university students, detained during a crackdown on dissent, to death. Luy David, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday that Sokhonn is due to attend the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels from December 14. “We cannot visit Myanmar for the third time because the time is too short and we will leave this opportunity for Indonesia as ASEAN’s chair next year to continue this work. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501196851/its-a-no-go-asean-special-envoy-sokhonn-cant-make-third-visit-to-myanmar/

The bilateral trade between Cambodia and Thailand increased significantly to $8,589 million in the ten-month period of 2022, up 29 percent compared to the same period last year. From January to October, Cambodia exported $959 million worth of goods to its neighbouring nation, a 28 percent increase year-on-year, according to an official report from Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce. The Kingdom imported $7,630 million worth of products from Thailand, up 29 percent, the report said. Cambodia’s main exports to Thailand include textiles, agricultural products, gems, raw materials and semi-finished products. Imports from Thailand include fish, meat, vegetables, automobiles, organic fertilisers, foodstuffs, and construction materials. President of Thai Business Council in Cambodia Jiranan Wongmongkul said that more Thai investors and businessmen are exploring investment opportunities, and some others are planning to expand their existing businesses in Cambodia. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501196940/cambodia-thailand-trade-surges-29/

News of the proposal comes as top wildlife officials are accused of being part of a monkey smuggling ring. Hunting in Cambodia’s protected areas and forests would be legal in some cases under a proposal from the country’s Ministry of Environment that conservation groups fear could lead to abuses that threaten wildlife populations, according to drafts of rule changes seen by RFA. The ministry is currently floating amended versions of the Law on Forestry and the Law on Protected Areas, which govern the Kingdom’s forest reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, respectively. Proposed updates to the Law on Forestry would allow “game hunting on forest reservations owned by the State and other areas with appropriate permission,” the draft proposal states. The amendments stipulate that any hunting “must not greatly affect wildlife populations” and would only be allowed with letters of permission issued by the Ministry of Agriculture specifying quotas for how many of each species can be hunted, when and where. If amended, the Law on Protected Areas would also allow game hunting as part of “projects that manage conservation and natural resources in protected areas,” provided it was conducted with Environment Ministry approval and in consultation with “all key relevant stakeholders.” Potential for abuse The existing legislation allows for some seasonal hunting within the country’s forests but prohibits all killing of animals within protected areas. Amos Courage, director of overseas projects at British conservation charity the Aspinall Foundation, said the proposed changes are unwarranted. “The whole point of a national park is that it excludes that sort of activity,” Courage told RFA. “I can’t think of any species in Cambodia that you would have a valid reason for hunting. The only reason that might be given would be revenue generation. “It never ends up with the right people, every time there’s monetization of wildlife the possibilities for corruption are so large,” Courage added. The Environment Ministry’s proposals have surfaced at an awkward moment. Just weeks ago, the head of Cambodia’s Forestry Administration and one of his deputies were charged by U.S. prosecutors with facilitating the smuggling of endangered long-tailed macaques. The agency would be responsible for policing licensed hunters under the proposed amendments to Cambodia’s Forestry Law. Path to approval The proposed changes would have to get approval from both the country’s Council of Ministers and its National Assembly, which is controlled by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party, to become law. Nick Marx, a conservationist who has worked in Cambodia for 20 years, said he does not support licensing hunters, for the time being at least. “It seems unwise from a conservation perspective for the Cambodian government to implement a law legalizing hunting,” Marx said. “All of the large charismatic megafauna are either extinct in Cambodia or IUCN-listed as endangered or vulnerable,” Marx added, referring to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. “With this in mind it would seem more sensible over the short to medium term to prohibit hunting and conserve our remaining wildlife.” Endangered species Tigers were declared extinct in Cambodia in 2016. Cambodia’s national animal, the kouprey, a species of wild cattle, is widely believed to be extinct. Most of the country’s endangered species, which include elephants, Indochinese leopards, wild water buffalo and Eld’s deers, have been hunted to the point of extinction. Environment Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra told RFA that he could not comment on the proposed amendments until they were adopted. He said that he could not give a timeframe for when or if that adoption might take place. For Carl Traeholt, Southeast Asia program director for Copenhagen Zoo, the situation is not black and white. “In many countries where you have local communities that are frontliners in their own environment, they have been hunting for survival for generations,” Traeholt said. “I don’t think it’s my right to tell them they can’t do that, so long as it doesn’t undermine the survival of that particular species.” Hunting happens Subsistence hunting is already taking place within Cambodia’s protected areas. A 2020 study of Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia’s east found that, regardless of licensing, hunting is already taking place in Cambodia’s protected areas. Researchers carried out interviews with 705 families living within Keo Seima and found that while only 9% admitted to hunting, 85% reported consuming wild-caught meat and 70% said they preferred it. The study’s authors noted that more than half of the respondents were unaware that hunting was illegal. Cambodia’s wealthy and powerful have been known to stalk the country’s wildlife for sport. In 2017, photos emerged online of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son-in-law Sok Puthyvuth posing with an assault rifle and an assortment of animal carcasses. Strict quotas There is potential for licensing and regulation of hunting to play a role in conservation in Cambodia, Traeholt told RFA, but several criteria would have to be in place in order to do so. “When it comes to hunting in Cambodia, I don’t blame them for putting it on the list of things that could be allowed as a tool in the box, it’s another thing to do it,” he said. “I think they need to do a lot more homework.” According to Craeholt, before regulated hunting could be beneficial, Cambodian authorities would have to enforce strict quotas and monitor wildlife populations and they should direct most of the fees and meat from the hunting to local communities. “My main concern is I don’t really know what kind of species they can hunt without having population issues. Everything is almost hunted out as it is in Cambodia, so it’s not the first thing I’d think of for conservation,” Traeholt said. “Many of us are a little bit skeptical about the motives behind this kind of thing. Knowing Cambodia, you always get a little bit suspicious about the motives behind it,” he said. “Unfortunately Cambodia is not a place where the governance is of the right quality.” read more https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/conservation-12052022130416.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

There are more than 3,000 endangered Germain’s langur (Trachypithecus germaini) in Cambodia’s protected areas, due to favourable factors, much to the excitement of conservationists. Neth Pheaktra, Secretary of State and spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, made the statement yesterday night. According to the study, there are currently more than 3,000 Germain’s langur living in , while the number of the primates around the world is declining by about 50 percent. This species is found in dense forests, semi-dense forests and coastal mangroves, as well as flooded forests and can be identified by their dark grey fur. Most of the population are centred in the eastern regions of Cambodia, such as the Keo Seima, Lumphat and Sre Pok wildlife sanctuaries. They normally settle down near rivers and streams, such as the Sekong River and Sre Pok. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501196704/cambodias-protected-areas-home-to-more-than-3000-endangered-germains-langur/

223 foreigners were detained during a raid on a company in Sihanoukville, after complaints were received of torture From November 30 to December 2, 2022, the Provincial Administrative Unity Command led by Mr. Mang Sineth, Deputy Governor of Preah Sihanouk Province, under the coordination of Mr. Penh Piseth, Deputy Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office. The Provincial Court operated and searched a company building located in Group 9, Village 1, Sangkat 3, Sihanoukville, after a complaint to the hotline of the National Police on November 29, 2022. After conducting a search and inspection of the building, the company found the five Chinese complainants in Case 627 in Room 316 on the third floor. As for the examination of the situation of the five Chinese nationals in Room 316, authorities found there was no torture and no evidence related to criminal offenses. After inspecting and searching the above location, 223 foreigners were found, including 35 women, as well as some exhibits. more and picture here https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501195972/in-pictures-over-200-foreigners-detained-in-sihanoukville-raid/