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PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose country still grapples with deadly war remnants, on Sunday (Jul 9) urged Ukraine not to use cluster bombs, after Washington announced plans to send the weapons to Kyiv to fight Russian troops. Humanitarian groups have strongly condemned the US decision to supply cluster munitions, which can go undetonated and potentially endanger civilians for years to come. "It would be the greatest danger for Ukrainians for many years or up to a hundred years if cluster bombs are used in Russian-occupied areas in the territory of Ukraine," Hun Sen tweeted. He cited Cambodia's "painful experience" of US cluster munitions dropped in the early 1970s, a foreign legacy that has left tens of thousands maimed or killed. "It has been more than half a century. There have been no means to destroy them all yet," Hun Sen added. "As my pity for the Ukrainian people, I appeal to the US president as the supplier and the Ukrainian president as the recipient not to use cluster bombs in the war because the real victims will be Ukrainians," he said. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ukraine-us-cluster-bombs-hun-sen-cambodia-russia-3616591

The APSARA National Authority (ANA) has planted about two million trees as part of its annual reforestation activities, in addition to the distribution of seedlings to the public to protect the Angkor heritage area from the dangers of climate change. In a statement released on Friday, the Authority said that it has also taken care of restoring the ancient irrigation system by repairing and replenishing water in many ancient barays around Angkor and continue to cooperate with partner institutions to monitor air quality in the Angkor area. Deputy Director General of Apsara Authority Yit Chandaroat said that that climate change is a common phenomenon for the whole world, not just in Cambodia. So, if we manage well, the impact is minimal, especially for the heritage sites. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501321023/2-million-trees-planted-by-apsara-authority-to-protect-angkor-heritage-site/

A man has been arrested after an incident in which a young woman died after falling during a violent robbery. The incident took place in front of Trapeang Veng Market at 21:05 on June 13, 2023. Colonel Kim Sok Makara, Stung Sen City Police Inspector, said that after receiving information about the crime, forces investigated and detained Pin Sithol, male, 17 years old, unspecified occupation, living in Tuol Vihear village, Chreab commune, Sar district Nuk, Kampong Thom province. The police confiscated exhibits, including: 1 black Honda Dream motorcycle, 2022 series, with license plate Kampong Thom 1S- 4055 and 1 mobile phone. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501320933/man-arrested-after-womans-death-in-bagsnatch/

The CCFTA, signed in October 2020 and effective since January 2022, was initiated by Cambodian officials with the aim of broadening its trade relations and export markets in China in response to the economic fallout caused by the pandemic, local flooding, and economic pressures and sanctions from the EU and the US. Cambodia’s economic policies are relatively liberal for the region and its investment and trade regimes remain attractive. However, being a small and open economy, Cambodia is susceptible to external changes and shocks. Cambodia’s trade volume nearly doubled between 2017 and 2021, increasing from $25.44 billion to $48.01 billion. Furthermore, Cambodia’s export potential to regional markets is limited. Only a small portion of total exports go to such markets, and the country’s businesses are as yet not adequately integrated into regional value chains. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501320543/china-remains-the-largest-export-market-for-cambodia/

A Candlelight Party youth activist who fled alleged political persecution in Cambodia has been arrested by Thai authorities this week, according to Human Rights Watch. The Candlelight activist, Thol Samnang, 34, arrived in Thailand earlier this week to “seek asylum” according to Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson. Samnang was arrested on Friday by Thai authorities. “For Thol Samnang’s personal safety, the Thai government must not return Thol Samnang to the Cambodian authorities,” said Candlelight’s acting secretary general Kong Monika. He confirmed Samnang is an active member of Candlelight’s youth wing. On June 30, Samnang’s village chief reportedly warned Samnang that he would need to switch his party affiliation to the ruling CPP to avoid arrest, Candlelight’s Kandal province party chief Ly Mengkheang said. Prek Koy commune and district police then repeatedly visited Samnang’s home in Tropeang Chuok village on July 3, according to Mengkheang. They did not have a court order, he said. https://cambojanews.com/candlelight-party-activist-who-fled-cambodia-reportedly-arrested-in-thailand/

Twelve million dollars held by Jersey financial institutions have been frozen in what has been described as the ‘largest ever’ forfeiture of proceeds from the sale of stolen antiquities. The Royal Court agreed to freeze the assets following an investigation into a scheme by the late Douglas Latchford, a disgraced art dealer, to sell stolen Cambodian antiquities in the USA and elsewhere. Attorney General Mark Temple KC said that the Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit in the Law Officers’ Department and the Jersey Financial Intelligence Unit worked ‘in close partnership’ with the US Department of Justice in this ‘important case’. Following the death of Mr Latchford, the proceedings were brought under the Civil Asset Recovery (International Co-Operation) (Jersey) Law 2007, which Mr Temple called a ‘powerful additional weapon for Jersey in the fight against international financial crime and money-laundering’. Following an approach by the US Department of Justice to the Attorney Jersey, the Royal Court yesterday agreed to make the funds subject to a property freezing order. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501320551/12-million-frozen-following-investigation-into-disgraced-art-dealers-stolen-cambodian-antiquities/

PHNOM PENH, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia had reported 4,668 dengue fever cases in the first half of 2023, a sharp increase of 62.7 percent from 2,869 cases over the same period last year, a health official said on Thursday. "The disease claimed 10 lives during the January-June period this year, slightly up from seven deaths in the same period last year," Leang Rithea, National Dengue Program manager and deputy director of the National Center for Parasitology and Malaria Control, told Xinhua. He said the capital Phnom Penh and the provinces of Kandal, Tboung Khmum, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap recorded the highest numbers of dengue cases. "Stagnant water acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which are the primary carriers of the dengue virus. By neglecting to clean or change the water, individuals provide an ideal environment for mosquitoes to reproduce, leading to a higher risk of dengue transmission," he said. The official said another reason for this increase was that the disease generally increases cyclically every five years. He recalled that the last big outbreak was in 2019 and recorded more than 60,000 dengue cases, killing more than 40 people. "Now, we are at year 4 following this last outbreak year; therefore, the probability of dengue outbreak is quite high this year and even in the next two years," Rithea said. "The participation from all sectors is crucial to mitigate the impact of potential dengue outbreak in Cambodia." Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. The disease causes an acute illness that usually follows symptoms such as headache, high fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rash. https://english.news.cn/20230706/868fdaf6412f4b0fa503b23798265393/c.html

According to the ‘2023 Global Peace Index” Cambodia ranks 73rd in the world as a peaceful country, and in the Asia-Pacific region, Cambodia ranks 13th. The study, done by the Institute of Economics and Peace, ranks 163 countries on a number of criteria Cambodia has a better overall score than Thailand, but lags behind Laos and Vietnam. In terms of the most peaceful countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Cambodia and it’s neighbours rank as so : Vietnam (7th), Laos (10th), Cambodia (13th) and Thailand (15th). In addition, the report states that Kuwait, Mauritius, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cambodia had the largest improvements in the economic impact of violence. All these nations recorded reductions of more than 25 per cent from 2021 to 2022. The report also noted Cambodia’s growing trade with China. The number one ranked country in the world is Iceland, while the number one country in the Asia-Pacific region is New Zealand. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501320107/cambodia-ranked-73rd-most-peaceful-country-in-the-world/

The government recently revoked the licence of an influential news outlet. The crackdown against journalism has accelerated ever since On 13 February 2023, the Cambodian government revoked the operating licence of Voice of Democracy (VOD), closing one of the last remaining independent news organisations in Cambodia. VOD, run by the nonprofit Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) since 2007, was based in Phnom Penh and produced radio broadcasts as well as publishing online in two languages: English and Khmer. The outlet created radio and online news, features and investigations into political corruption, land rights and labour rights. The homepage of its Khmer website was last updated on 12 February and broadcasts were prohibited from the day after. The week before its licence was revoked, VOD reported on Cambodia giving aid to Turkey after the recent earthquake. Its report quoted a government spokesperson who said that Hun Manet, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son, had allegedly signed off $100,000 in aid, a move that would overstep his authority. read more https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/cambodia-approaches-crucial-election-journalists-suffer-shutdowns-and-abuse

A group of rampaging Thai nationals stabbed a security guard at a Poipet casino during a series of disturbances last night. The incident took place on the night of July 3, 2023 at Phsar Teuk Pou Kbal Spean 1 Village, Sangkat O’Chrov, Poipet City. Witnesses say that two groups of Thais, numbering more than 10 men and women, had been drinking at the scene, During the ensuing ruckus, the male Thais stabbed a security guard at the entrance to a casino and then fled – leaving their womenfolk behind Poipet City Inspector Sao Saroeun said that his forces have already arrested some of the louts and he expects more arrests soon. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501318724/foreigners-stab-security-guard-at-casino/

International tourist arrivals in Cambodia surged by a whopping 409 percent in the first six months of this year, reaching 2.57 million. This is a significant increase from the 506,762 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2022. Tourism Minister Thong Khon said around 910,000 foreign tourists visited the country by air, an increase of 279 percent when compared with the same period last year. “About 1.63 million foreign tourists visited Cambodia by land, up 526 percent; and 30,000 by waterways, up 586 percent,” the minister said in a report. The Kingdom also welcomed 10,635 international flights in the first six months of this year, he pointed out. “Based on our latest forecast, Cambodia will be able to receive up to 5 million international tourists in 2023, an expected increase of 120 percent from 2.27 million in 2022,” he said. Thailand topped the list of international tourist arrivals to the country in the first half of this year, followed by Vietnam, China, Laos, and the United States, the minister said. Cambodia is expected to receive 7 million foreign tourists in 2025, a significant increase from the pre-Covid-19 level of 6.6 million in 2019. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501319002/kingdom-intl-tourist-arrivals-surge-409/

Human Rights Watch findings raise questions about impartiality of July 23 parliamentary elections. A report from Human Rights Watch released Monday found numerous irregularities during the 2022 local commune elections that suggest widespread vote tampering and improper counting, raising concerns about whether Cambodia can hold a fair parliamentary election later this month. The irregularities, which include vote tampering and improper vote counting and reporting, “call into question the credibility of Cambodia’s National Election Committee,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “While it’s already clear that the national election in July will be a mockery of the democratic process, a toothless and incompetent National Election Committee only makes matters worse,” he said. The report comes as Cambodia’s Constitutional Council approved – as expected – an amendment to the election law that prohibits those who don’t vote in the July 23 election from running for office in future elections. It now goes to King Norodom Sihamoni for his signature. The election change appears to be aimed at preventing a large-scale boycott of the vote by supporters of the main opposition Candlelight Party, the only one that could have mounted a serious challenge to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party. Im Chhun Lim, President of the Constitutional Council of Cambodia, announces the election disqualification of the Candlelight Party for the upcoming election in May 2023. Credit: Cindy Liu/Reuters A boycott would be a way of expressing public anger over the committee’s decision in May to ban the Candlelight Party from running in the election. The committee blamed inadequate paperwork, but opposition activists have said the decision was politically motivated. Anyone who doesn’t vote next month won’t be able to run as a candidate in next year’s Senate, district and commune elections, and also won’t be able to run in the next general election scheduled for 2027. The amendment also allows for the prosecution of individuals and parties who discourage people from voting. Human Rights Watch’s report cites a joint statement issued last week by a coalition of civil society organizations, associations and trade unions that was critical of the amendment’s “impact on free democracy, voter freedom of expression, voting rights, and to stand for candidates.” It said the amendment “was made hastily and without consultation with stakeholders, including civil society organizations” in keeping with democratic standards. Fraud and tampering Human Rights Watch’s report also noted that the Candlelight Party reported widespread intimidation of its polling place observers in Phnom Penh during last year’s commune elections. In at least five Phnom Penh polling places, officials counted votes behind closed doors, the organization said. Limiting observation of ballot counting wasn’t widely seen or reported during the previous commune election in 2017, it said. Election officials were required last year to submit a results form – called an “1102 form” – after ballots were counted at each site. A police officer casts his vote at a polling station during a general election in Phnom Penh, in 2018. Credit: Darren Whiteside/Reuters Human Rights Watch said it looked at the Phnom Penh forms because the 2022 results in the capital were so different from previous elections. In 2017, for example, the CPP won in 690 of 2,080 polling places, or 33 percent. But last year, the CPP won 99.9 percent – or all but one – of the 2,155 polling places in Phnom Penh for which Human Rights Watch examined the 1102 forms. Additionally, vote numbers didn’t correctly add up on the 1102 form in 19 percent of total stations, and “corrections, correction fluid or crossed-out sections were found in key sections” on 1102 forms in 15 percent of polling stations. “The irregularities in the 1102 forms are especially important because the commune elections are often seen as a testing ground for the national elections,” Human Rights Watch said. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/commune-election-counting-07032023165406.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

(Reuters) - Cambodia said on Tuesday Meta Platforms Inc's 22-member oversight board was unwelcome in the country, days after the panel recommended suspending Prime Minister Hun Sen's Facebook account over content violations. The board's recommendation was "political in nature", Cambodia's foreign affairs ministry said. Hun Sen's Facebook account went offline last week after the Oversight Board, which is funded by Meta but operates independently, said the platform had been wrong not to remove a video he published in January that breached rules against violent threats. Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. "It intends to obstruct the freedom of the press for the citizens of Cambodia," the ministry said of the board's recommendation in a statement shared with the media. Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving leaders with nearly four decades in power, last week declared ahead of his account suspension that he would switch to communicating with his people via Telegram. read more https://news.yahoo.com/cambodia-bars-meta-oversight-board-122632555.html

4 men have been arrested in connection with Saturday’s deadly nightclub inferno that left 8 people dead. The 4 men are workmen who were working on the building at the time of the fire. Tuol Kork Police Inspectorate have named the arrested men as Khom Sophal, 30 years old, Soy San, 34 years old, Lak Lin, 26 years old and Khon Tak, 33 years old. Under interrogation, suspect Khom Sophal, 29, stated that three of the men were working on the ground floor and one was working on the fifth floor ceiling to renovate the rooms. He stated that the four arrested men had suddenly seen smoke coming from the top of the ceiling, causing flames. The man added that the workmen had tried to put out the flames but had not succeeded so had called the fire service. The deadly fire started at around 5pm on the 1st of July on the 5th floor of the ‘6969’ nightclub in Sangkat Phsar Depot 1, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh. Colonel Prohm Yorn, director of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Office, stated that, although firefighters quickly arrived at the scene, they were unable to rescue the 8 as they were trapped in a high part of the building read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501318231/4-arrested-after-phnom-penh-nightclub-blaze-that-left-8-dead/

Authorities say that the heaviest rainfall in 3 years was responsible for yesterday’s flooding in parts of Phnom Penh. Mr. Sam Piseth, Director of the Department of Public Works and Transport of Phnom Penh, said that heavy rainfall on the evening of July 3 of up to 153 mm (measured at Boeung Trabek station) was the heaviest rainfall in the last 3 years and caused heavy flooding in the central areas of Khan Sen Sok Meanchey, Chbar Ampov, Por Sen Chey. The director of the department asked citizens to ensure that no garbage was blocking drains, as this can exacerbate flood issues more pictures: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501318283/in-pictures-heavy-rainfall-causes-severe-flooding-in-phnom-penh/

Now being kept under house arrest in Tampa, 42-year-old Rugh James Cline is facing 170 years in prison for his alleged crimes, which happened abroad in 2019 The charges include alleged payments to rape four minors in Cambodia A statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida last Monday outlined the attorney's alleged crimes, which carry a harsh sentence An American lawyer who has spent the past two-and-a-half years in Cambodian prison for raping four children is now facing five federal counts in the US - after being deported back to the states earlier this month. Currently being kept under house arrest in Tampa, 42-year-old Rugh James Cline is facing 170 years in prison for his alleged crimes, which include alleged payments to rape four minors in the Southeast Asian nation back in 2019. According to the lawman's indictment, he arrived in Cambodia in May of that year with a photo or video showing two Cambodian children engaged in sex acts - before and after raping two minors under the age of 15 on multiple different occasions. read more https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12257693/Florida-lawyer-paid-rape-four-children-multiple-times-visiting-Cambodia.html

Phnom Penh, Cambodia — A cascade of former Cambodian opposition politicians and activists have defected to the ruling Cambodian People's Party ahead of the July 23 election amid alleged government threats and frustration with Cambodia's political situation, putting pressure on the country's remaining opposition leaders. In May, the government disqualified its main opposition Candlelight Party from participating in the election, hastening the departure of members. Even before that, though, defections had accelerated as Prime Minister Hun Sen cracked down on dissent with lawsuits, arrests and alleged beatings in recent months. Candlelight spokesman Kimsour Phirith estimated that 10% to 15% of the embattled party’s central leadership has defected. Cambodian People’s Party spokesman Sok Eysan claimed “hundreds, thousands” of opposition supporters and officials had joined the party in the last year but did not provide evidence. “This is the strategy of the rival party in order to make our party become weak … to show the image that we are breaking,” Phirith told VOA. Among the defectors is Yim Sinorn, who spent a decade organizing Cambodian migrant workers in South Korea and worked closely with Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Kem Sokha, who was recently sentenced to 27 years of house arrest. In March, Sinorn was arrested for posts on Facebook allegedly insulting King Norodom Sihamoni. While on bail, he posted a public apology on his wife’s Facebook page and announced his allegiance to the ruling party, quickly receiving a high-level appointment at the Ministry of Labor. Sinorn claimed his decision stemmed not from pressure related to his arrest but years of frustration with the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party and its successor, Candlelight. “I’ve seen the weakness of leadership of the former opposition party that made me realize I can’t continue the journey,” Sinorn told VOA. “I decided that I have to choose a new place to participate in serving the nation.” “Everything I have done comes from my own will,” he added. “I think [my former work] was serving the benefit of society. It’s not that everything I did with the opposition group was a useless thing.” Candlelight Party leaders preside over the party's congress in Siem Reap province, Feb. 11, 2023. read more https://www.voanews.com/a/many-opposition-members-defect-to-cambodian-ruling-party-ahead-of-election/7163691.html

A political fiasco has unfolded for Facebook after Prime Minister Hun Sen was accused of inciting violence on the platform. Would Cambodia’s strongman ruler Hun Sen follow through on a threat to block access to Facebook for his country’s millions of users? That was the question many asked in the nation of 17 million people on Friday when the prime minister began his day threatening to ban the social media platform, but then walked back his warning in a late-night statement. “I only decided to close down my own Facebook,” Hun Sen said in a voice message on the Telegram messaging app on Friday night. “I have no intention to shut down Facebook in Cambodia,” he said, closing out a day in which many Cambodians discovered that their ruler of almost 40 years had been accused by a Facebook oversight board of inciting violence against political opponents on his profile page. What has become a political fiasco for Facebook in Cambodia began on Thursday when a board of experts adjudicating content for Meta Platforms Inc, which owns Facebook, called for a six-month suspension of Hun Sen’s Facebook and Instagram accounts over a livestreamed speech in which he allegedly threatened violence against political opponents. read more https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/1/cambodia-pm-backtracks-on-threat-to-ban-facebook-amid-content-row

PHNOM PENH, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian authorities had arrested 9,034 drug-related suspects, including 167 foreigners, in 3,764 cases during the first half of 2023, said an Anti-Drug Police Department's (ADP) report on Sunday. Some 52 percent of the suspects were drug traffickers, manufacturers, possessors and transporters, while 48 percent were drug users, the report said. "A total of 993 kg of illicit drugs, 9 kg of dry marijuana, and 17,950 marijuana plants were seized from those suspects from January to June 2023," the report said, adding that some 326 kg of chemical substances used for drug manufacturing were also confiscated. The authorities have also impounded 12 homemade rifles, 26 pistols, 99 cars, 1,025 motorbikes, 3,195 telephones and 229 scales, as well as some cash, it said. The seized drugs included heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine pills, cathinone and ketamine, among others. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said earlier this week that illicit drugs have continued to pose a threat to security, public order and development in the Southeast Asian country. He said that despite great strides already made, criminals still continued to actively smuggle drugs across borders by land, sea, post and air, and some had manufactured illegal drugs for circulating within the kingdom and trafficking to other countries. Cambodia has no death sentence for drug traffickers. Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drugs could be jailed for life. read more https://english.news.cn/asiapacific/20230702/b77f964b32ca46c9887e28cb7d9cfaac/c.html

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday (Jul 1) commenced his ruling party's campaign for an election later this month – a poll that has been criticised as a sham after the main opposition party was prevented from running. The 70-year-old strongman, who has ruled the nation of 16 million for four decades, spoke before a crowd in the capital of Phnom Penh. He stood beside his son Hun Manet, who is also a candidate in the polls and widely tipped as his successor. Hun Sen said his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has ensured peace, socio-economic development and the strengthening of democracy, adding that rights and freedoms were being respected. But he also warned that any attempts to incite "social disorder" or rebellion would be put down. Other than the CPP, only small parties with little funding or popularity will be standing in the Jul 23 election. The main opposition party was dissolved in 2017 over an alleged coup attempt, with scores of its members imprisoned. A party formed from its remnants was barred in May over a paperwork discrepancy. read more https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/cambodia-hun-sen-kicks-campaign-virtually-unopposed-election-3599736

Authorities have given more details on yesterday’s devastating nightclub fire in Phnom Penh and have upped the death total from 6 to 8 people – with the majority being foreigners Police say that the fire started at around 5pm on the 5th floor of the ‘6969’ nightclub in Sangkat Phsar Depot 1, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh. Authorities say that 8 people died in the blaze – six were Chinese (five males, one female) and two Vietnamese and one Cambodian Colonel Prohm Yorn, director of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Office, stated that, although firefighters quickly arrived at the scene, they were unable to rescue the 8 as they were trapped in a high part of the building. He added that toxic smoke from the fire added to the difficulty. The Colonel stated that the fire had begun due to an electrical fault. Police say they are still searching the building. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501317587/7-foreigners-1-cambodian-die-in-phnom-penh-nightclub-inferno/

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a devoted and very active user of Facebook — on which he has posted everything from photos of his grandchildren to threats against his political enemies — said Wednesday that he will no longer upload to the platform and will instead depend on the Telegram app to get his message across. Telegram is a popular messaging app that also has a blogging tool called “channels.” In Russia and some of the neighboring countries, it is actively used both by government officials and opposition activists for communicating with mass audiences. Telegram played an important role in coordinating unprecedented anti-government protests in Belarus in 2020, and currently serves as a major source of news about Russia’s war in Ukraine. The 70-year-old year Hun Sen, who has led Cambodia for 38 years, is listed as having 14 million Facebook followers, though critics have suggested a large number are merely “ghost” accounts purchased in bulk from so-called “click farms,” an assertion the long-serving prime minister has repeatedly denied. read more https://news.yahoo.com/cambodian-leader-hun-sen-huge-163904665.html

A man and a woman have been arrested after a mother was raped and then killed along with her 2 year old son at the weekend. Police in Svay Antor district, Prey Veng province arrested the two perpetrators after they murdered the victims and then attempted to hide the evidence by burning the house down. Prey Veng Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Chhoeun Bunchorn stated that the suspects are Nuon Touch, a 49-year-old female worker and Mom Nheb (male, age not given). The victims have been named as Poy Yim (aka Mey Achan alias Khlot), 35 years old, a farmer living in Prey Lveay village, Teuk Thla commune, Svay Antor district, Prey Veng province, and her son Moy Chan, 2 years old. According to the confession of the perpetrator, Nuon Touch, she had began to become jealous of the victim after she felt that her husband, Poy Yim, spent too much time with her. On June 24, 2023, at around 05:30 pm, the suspect and her husband argued over the matter. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501315888/shocking-beyond-words-man-and-woman-arrested-for-brutal-slaying-of-mother-and-son/

The Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum in Siem Reap province will hold a one-year exhibition of ceramics and various artefacts donated by residents of the Angkor site. The exhibition will kick off on July 03, 2023 and last until June 31, 2024, said the APSARA National Authority in a news release this afternoon. Khoy Savoeut, Acting Director of the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum, said the upcoming exhibition will display 16 pieces of ceramics. They are hard brown and green pottery with smooth layers, which were baked in a kiln between 1,000 and 1,200 degrees Celsius. The 16 pieces of ceramics originated from eight villages in Siem Reap province, he pointed out, adding that they are the types of art objects that have different ages and origins. Therefore, he continued, the public, students, teachers, and researchers can come to learn more about the history of these works of art, with professional officials presenting the latest information related to research, religious practice, business, and people’s contribution to the preservation of antiquities and sustainable national heritage. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501316291/preah-norodom-sihanouk-angkor-museum-to-hold-an-exhibition-of-ceramics-and-various-artefacts/

He also offers a US$20,000 reward for shooting down drones allegedly coming from Vietnam. Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday said he won’t pardon two of his most prominent opponents – opposition party leader Kem Sokha and Cambodian-American lawyer Theary Seng – who were imprisoned over the last year, saying the decision was necessary in light of recent foreign intervention in Cambodia. “You are shaking hands while you are stepping on my feet,” Hun Sen said during a public appearance in Phnom Penh, using “you” to refer to foreign powers. “I don’t pardon them because I don’t trust you,” he said. “You intend to destroy me.” Hun Sen in recent months has frequently invoked the specter of national security threats at public appearances ahead of July 23 elections, which he has framed as a referendum on who can best maintain Cambodia’s sovereignty. “From now on, those who seek foreign intervention will stay in prison,” he said. “We don’t release you. Don’t include them in prisoners who will be pardoned or have a reduced prison term. We are stopping foreign intervention in Cambodia.” In May, Hun Sen said that Western diplomats have insulted him in the past by visiting with Kem Sokha while he was under house arrest. He said he doesn’t “trust foreigners who insult me, insult my sovereignty, insult myself when they worked with me and at the same time worked with others.” Theary Seng walks to court to face treason trial in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2020. Theary Seng was sentenced to six years in prison in June 2022 on treason charges, prompting condemnation from rights groups and the U.S. government. Credit: Heng Mengheang/Reuters ‘Let her die. So be it.’ Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 on treason charges and was finally sentenced in March to 27 years in prison. Before his sentencing, ambassadors from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States often met with him at his Phnom Penh home. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman went to see him during a June 2021 trip that also included a meeting with Hun Sen. An angry prime minister later said that she secretly went to Kem Sokha’s home without informing the foreign minister. Over the last year, several top U.S. officials have also called for the immediate and unconditional release of Theary Seng, who was sentenced to six years in prison in June 2022 on treason charges. The sentence prompted condemnation from rights groups and the U.S. government. During a visit to Phnom Penh last August, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Hun Sen to free her and other activists held on politically motivated charges. The treason charges against Theary Seng and 50 other activists stemmed from abortive efforts in 2019 to bring about the return to Cambodia of opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who has been in exile in France since 2015. Theary Seng often used costumes to make a political statement. During one court session, she dressed as “Lady Justice,” complete with blindfold, scale and sword. Before her trial, she underscored her readiness to go to jail by cutting her hair during a video interview with Radio Free Asia. After her sentencing, she was transferred to Preah Vihear Prison in the country’s far north. Hun Sen on Wednesday said that even though she has dual citizenship, her case applies only to Cambodia law. “The bald Apsara is being jailed in Preah Vihear,” he said, referring to a female celestial being often depicted in Cambodian culture. “She wants to hold a hunger strike? Let her die. So be it.” Kem Sokha speaks as U.S Ambassador to Cambodia Patrick Murphy watches in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2019. Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 on treason charges and sentenced in March to 27 years in prison in a verdict widely condemned as politically motivated. Credit: Samrang Pring/Reuters ‘If we don’t shoot, they will look down on us’ Hun Sen also spoke again about drones that allegedly have been flying across the border from Vietnam in the country’s northeast. Earlier this week, the prime minister ordered 500 troops and 200 anti-aircraft weapons systems to four provinces to hunt down the drones. He said the aircraft are believed to be operated by “ethnic insurgents” in Vietnam, but Vietnamese authorities have denied that the drones were theirs. On Wednesday, Hun Sen offered a US$20,000 reward to each military unit that shoots one down. “Starting this evening, we need to shoot it,” he said. “We can afford to shoot between two million to four million bullets. We haven’t shot it for a while, this is a chance to test it. We won’t be poor by shooting it. If we don’t shoot they will look down on us.” He added that at least five drones crossed into Cambodia illegally on Tuesday night. ADHOC spokesperson Soeung Senkarona told RFA that staff members for the rights group stationed in the four provinces haven’t been able to find any information about the alleged drone presence. “There is no irregularity reported,” he told RFA. Translated by Yun Samean. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/amnesty-foreign-meddling-06282023170314.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.