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The Takav Gate, one of the five gates of Angkor Thom, located to the west of Bayon Temple, will attract more tourists to visit and take pictures and become the new tourist destination, after the renovation project is completed. According to the APSARA National Authority, Angkor Thom’s Takav Gate had been in a state of disrepair due to age, climate, war, lack of care, while the four elephant sculptures at the corners had been severely damaged by trees and roots growing into the structure. A large part of the gate, especially the top of the gate, which had four Brahma faces, as well as the adjoining structures of the stone gates, had slipped out of its original position, with some of the stones falling down, requiring temporary support. and having used the cable for more than 10 years. There is still a high risk due to the decay of the tree, the loose cable, and the roots of the trees. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501164714/takav-gate-to-become-new-tourist-destination-after-restoration/

A teenage girl became the latest victim of Phnom Penh’s infamous ‘suicide bridge’ yesterday. The incident took place at 12 noon on October 6, 2022 at the New Chroy Changva Bridge in Sangkat Chroy Changva, Khan Chroy Changva. The victim was named Cheng Srey Net, 15 years old. The unfortunate girl left behind a teddy bear as a poignant symbol of her despair read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501164579/phnom-penhs-suicide-bridge-claims-another-victim/

Chen Zhi was part of an investment group that bought into the company for more than $1.4 billion, sources told RFA. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Cuban counterpart, Manuel Marrero Cruz, agreed this week after meeting in Phnom Penh to forge closer ties between their two countries, signing pledges to cooperate on areas related to culture and sports. Two years ago, a key member of Hun Sen’s inner circle was forging his own links to the island nation through a secretive deal to purchase a stake in the Cuban state tobacco company, according to two sources familiar with the matter and corporate records. Chen Zhi, who was born in China but granted citizenship in Cambodia in 2014, is the founder of Prince Group of companies, one of the largest and most influential conglomerates in the Kingdom. It has interest in real estate, banking, finance, tourism and food and beverage companies among other businesses. Chen has been equally adept at navigating Cambodia’s political world, spending three years as an unpaid adviser to Interior Minister Sar Kheng, according to a 2017 announcement in the royal gazette. In October 2020, Hun Sen appointed Chen to be his own counselor with a rank equal to minister. The next year, in March, the Prince Group announced a $3 million donation to Cambodia to help it fight the pandemic. The same month that Chen ascended to become Hun Sen’s adviser, Imperial Brands, a U.K.-based tobacco company that includes the cigarette brand Winston, sold its 50 percent stake in Habanos S.A., a Havana-based company that distributes brands like Montecristo and Cohiba cigars, for €1.225 billion ($1.44 billion) to a secretive consortium of investors . Cuba’s state-owned tobacco company Cubatabaco owns the other half of Habanos. While the buyers had sought to remain anonymous, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told RFA that Chen was one of the investors who purchased a piece of Habanos. “Chen Zhi bought the company over a year and a half ago, but that was kept secret,” a regional tobacco industry professional told RFA, asking for anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the press. Another individual with knowledge of Chen’s business dealings at the time of the deal told RFA that he was involved in the takeover. RFA’s source also named Hong Kong-listed casino operator Suncity Group Holdings as among the buyers of Habanos. Suncity’s billionaire CEO, Alvin Chau, was arrested in Macau last November following an investigation into illegal online gambling operations and money laundering. Chau pleaded not guilty to all charges as his trial commenced last month. “It’s owned by Chen Zhi and Suncity,” the second source told RFA, requesting anonymity for fear of repercussions. Suncity’s links to the deal were previously reported in May 2020 by Bloomberg, which noted that the group’s chief financial officer, Chiu King-yan, was listed as a director of the Hong Kong-registered Allied Cigar Corp. Allied was in turn the sole shareholder of a Spanish firm called Allied Cigar Corporation SL, which was set to take control of Imperial Brands’ half of Habanos, the joint venture with the Cuban government. Suncity denied to Bloomberg it had anything to do with the deal. In November 2020, control of the Allied Cigar Corporation SL shifted to Asia Uni Corp., Spanish corporate records show. Asia Uni Corp.’s latest annual report shows its shares are held by a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. The BVI’s stringent corporate secrecy laws make it hard to know the precise makeup of Asia Uni Corp.’s ownership. But a list of the company’s directors on the same annual return shows a connection to Chen. Among the company’s five directors is Qiu Wei Ren, a Cambodian citizen and director of companies owned by Chen in Hong Kong and Cambodia. Like Chen, Qiu was born in China but has become a naturalized Cambodian. The pair were both awarded medals by the Cambodian king in 2020 alongside a roster of other Prince Group executives, according to the royal gazette, which publishes government decisions in Cambodia. Hun Sen and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz inspect an honor guard during a meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. Credit: AFP/Cambodia's government cabinet/Kok Ky Holiday in Havana Chen can be seen at the banquet Hun Sen threw this week in Phnom Penh welcoming Cruz to Cambodia in a photograph posted on the longtime Cambodian strongman’s Facebook page. Chen was also by Hun Sen’s side when, after he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the prime minister flew to Cuba on a Boeing business jet owned by controversial Chinese-businessman-turned-Cambodian-diplomat Wang Yaohui, according to an affidavit submitted to a Singapore court by one of Wang’s most trusted lieutenants. Wang has been the subject of recent investigative reports by RFA exploring his murky past in China and Africa and his rebirth in Cambodia, where he has sought legitimacy through political ties and secretive investments in a British soccer club. Photographs that were also posted to Hun Sen’s Facebook page show Chen among the entourage that met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and National Assembly President Esteban Lazo Hernández. A press release on the Cuban National Assembly’s website also notes that Chen was present in his capacity as an adviser to Hun Sen. Prince Group’s chief communications officer, Gabriel Tan, asked RFA to direct any questions to the company’s PR agency Hill and Knowlton, which had not responded at the time of publication. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/cigars-10072022161145.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Move comes after Son Chhay discussed ‘irregularities’ in the July commune elections. A Cambodian court on Friday ordered Son Chhay, vice president of the main opposition Candlelight Party, to pay more than U.S.$700,000 in damages for defamation, his lawyer told Radio Free Asia. Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party, or the CPP, and the National Election Committee, a supposedly impartial election monitor, brought two lawsuits against Son Chhay after he talked with a news outlet about election irregularities two days after the country’s commune elections on June 5. The Candlelight Party took about 19 percent of the country’s 11,622 local council seats in that vote, whereas the CPP captured about 80 percent. Son Chay said the results “do not reflect the will of the people, who were intimidated. Their votes were bought and stolen," Australia’s ABC News reported. And independent election monitors and NGOS reported irregularities. Those comments earned him defamation charges. In addition to having to pay 3 billion riels (about $726,000) to the ruling party, Son Chay was also slapped with fines totalling 17 million riels (about $4,100) that must be paid to the CPP, the election committee and the court, his lawyer Choung Chou Ngy told RFA’s Khmer Service. He criticized the decision, saying his client only expressed his political views and did not defame anyone. “What Son Chhay said was to advocate for election reform but the court convicted him and ordered him to pay 3 billion riels to the CPP. It is very unjust,” he said, adding that he intends to consult with his client about the appeal process. Son Chhay denied he was guilty of defamation and vowed to continue to criticize the election process until it is reformed. “What I have done was not to anger anyone or for anyone’s benefit,” he told RFA. “I talked about free and fair elections. [But] people don’t have freedom. People only express their views and are being arrested for defamation,” he said. RFA was not able to reach election spokesman Hang Puthea for comment, but the organization issued a statement saying that justice was served. “Through the verdict today, the NEC has been proven innocent, restoring its reputation and dignity as a national institution,” it said. The court shouldn’t have tried Son Chhay because he has the right to freedom of expression, Yi Soksan, a senior official with the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, told RFA. “It is sad when a political party files a complaint with the NEC to resolve election issues, and not only do they fail to resolve the issue, the institution that’s supposed to be a referee instead files a complaint against the political party,” he said. Friday’s verdict came amid discussions between Candlelight and the Khmer Will Party party over a potential merger ahead of the 2023 general election, scheduled for July. The Khmer Will Party’s president, Kong Monika, said a merger is what the people want, and would set an example for other political parties to prioritize national interest over personal ones. “The Khmer Will Party is the same as the Candlelight Party. We want supporters of democracy to stay united for a positive change,” he told RFA. The Candlelight Party is eager to join hands with Khmer Will, Thach Setha, the party’s vice president, told RFA. Ruling party spokesman Sok Ey San downplayed the significance of the two parties merging. He said that the opposition has still not recovered from 2017, when the Supreme Court dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party, or CNRP, which at that time had been the main opposition party. “The CPP is not afraid. The CNRP lost to the CPP. Now the CNRP has split up to at least seven parties, and only two of those will merge so the CPP is not worried,” he said. The Khmer Will Party did not win any seats in the communal election, garnering only 7,556 votes nationwide. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/son_chhay-10072022180625.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

After making inaccurate predictions repeatedly, League for Democratic Party (LDP) president Khem Veasna and his cronies are trying very hard to convince people to accept his final prediction that the earth will be flooded within the next 10 days and the end of the world will occur. Veasna claimed on his Facebook page yesterday that he is the (God of Creation) Brahma so he knows about how the earth is moving, adding that this is his final prophesy. Some of his followers also posted propaganda about their belief that he is Brahma and the final prediction is accurate One of them, Komsot Ker, warned unbelievers not to insult them. He said that if they do so they will perish in the flood since they insulted Brahma, and the deluge will come within the next ten days. Another follower Chak Riya said that all sinful people who do not believe in Veasna will suffer a horrible death from a flood, adding that if they wish to repent and live, they should believe and travel to Siem Reap province where the doomsday believers are gathered. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501164018/veasna-and-cronies-ramp-up-doomsday-prediction/

Aside from damage to infrastructures and crops, the floods in Banteay Meanchey have claimed the lives 14 people. This is according to Chhun Buntha, Chairman of the Inter-sectoral Office and Secretary of the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Disaster Management Committee, in a report on October 5. Buntha confirmed that 9,218 houses that were flooded which affected the lives of 40,637 people, equivalent to 547 families. Nearly 30,000 hectares of fields were flooded. The floods also affected 59 schools, affecting 16,033 students and teachers. Schools in the province have been forced to close due to the floods and for the safety of students and teachers. Aside from the schools, three health centres in the province have been affected, a precarious situation as the country has registered a rise in dengue cases. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501163959/death-toll-of-flood-victims-in-banteay-meanchey-at-14/

A young woman drowned yesterday whilst searching for a mobile phone near the Cambodian-Thai border The tragedy took place in Kbal Spean 1 village, Poipet commune, Poipet city. Sources say that a group of 4 young woman went on a boat in attempt to find a mobile phone, which had sunk in a local river. However, the boat suddenly sank and in the ensuing chaos, one of the young women sadly drowned. The deceased was named as 18-year-old Srey Theng read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501163014/tragedy-as-young-woman-drowns-in-mobile-phone-hunt/

Under the cover of heavy rain last night, 10 rescued scam workers fled an immigration center in Phnom Penh, as a resident of another of the capital’s facilities spoke of bug bites and paying “tips” to police and said: “One nightmare ended, another began.” Amid police raids that have removed thousands of people from scam compounds across the country, Phnom Penh’s Prek Pnov Covid-19 quarantine center has been turned into an immigration facility holding foreigners, including Chinese nationals as they await deportation. On Wednesday around 8 or 9 p.m., 10 people kicked through the warehouse-like facility’s wall and fled in the rain, said immigration department spokesperson Keo Vanthan. “This is a quarantine center and treatment hospital, and we’re using it to detain people so it is not solid,” he said. “We’ve welded steel, but they kicked that steel bar and the steel bar loosened, and they escaped during the heavy rain.” Five of the 10 escapees had so far been recaptured, Vanthan said Several official and makeshift immigration facilities in the country were brimming with foreign nationals awaiting deportation, he said. read more https://vodenglish.news/rescued-scam-workers-break-out-of-immigration-center-amid-nightmare/

An additional 21 Malaysians rescued from human traffickers in Cambodia and Laos have returned home as the government intensifies efforts to locate scam victims reported missing abroad SEPANG, Malaysia -- An additional 21 Malaysians rescued from human traffickers in Cambodia and Laos returned home on Thursday, as the government intensified efforts to locate scam victims reported missing abroad. Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who met some of the returning victims at Kuala Lumpur's airport, said the government has now managed to rescue 273 people out of 401 reported missing in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Most have returned except for 60 still in immigration detention centers in those countries who are waiting to be processed, he said at a news conference. Saifuddin, who heads a new government group tackling the issue, said officials have stepped up measures to locate the remaining 128 people. He said most of the victims are in their 20s and urged Malaysians to check carefully before taking any jobs outside the country. read more https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/21-malaysian-scam-victims-return-cambodia-laos-91105324

The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia has issued a statement, showing its concern over the ballistic missile test-launch conducted by North Korea. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia expresses its concern over the ballistic missile test-launch conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Oct. 4, 2022, which is another violation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions and may escalate tensions and threaten regional peace and stability,” read the statement made public yesterday evening. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501162880/cambodia-expresses-concern-over-north-koreas-ballistic-missile-test-launch/

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s wife Bun Rany chose a spot near the Bassac river surrounded by large trees to house her husband after he dies. Wat Monisovann, in Phnom Penh’s Chbar Ampov district, also contains stupas of the late tycoon Suy Sophan and a row of tombs labeled “excellency” or “golden four-star general.” But the stupa that has been built for Hun Sen towers over the rest: On a plot around 35 by 25 meters, the stupa’s golden structure is ornate and imposing. Hun Sen disclosed in a speech over the weekend that his wife had built the tomb for him in secret, and he found out about it upon the death of his older brother Hun Neng in May. But he will opt out, and wants to be laid to rest at his home, he said while describing imagined fights he might have as a ghost. “According to beliefs, I absolutely wouldn’t dare. When our power and soul arrive there, they will be stepped on by the neck [by other souls] there. When your baramey is not so powerful, you should not play with them. … I do not play with them,” Hun Sen said in the speech in Siem Reap, using a word for a sacred power. read more https://vodenglish.news/hun-sen-declines-ornate-stupa-wants-to-stay-at-home-after-death/

Cambodia recorded nearly 8,000 dengue fever cases in the first nine months of this year – a threefold jump compared to the same period last year. The Ministry of Health’s National Dengue Control Program (NDCP) director Leang Rithea said yesterday that the mosquito-borne disease killed 14 people, mostly children aged between two months and two years old during the January-September period this year. He added that an increase in precipitation in the early rainy season was blamed for the rise in dengue fever cases and while people are worried about Covid-19 disease they have become negligent regarding dengue fever. “It rained more this year, and there are several factors contributing to the surge in dengue fever cases including climate change, heat, humidity, and rainfall,” Rithea said. “All in all, the more it rains, the more mosquitoes there are.” Despite the growing number of cases, the NDCP has brought the situation under control after working with relevant stakeholders and local authorities, he added. Rithea said that dengue fever case rose because many people did not clean their houses regularly which allowed mosquitos to breed. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501162593/increase-in-dengue-fever-cases-recorded/

The administration of Kampong Thom province has announced the postponement of the provincial water festival in 2022 due to high water levels The provincial administration said: “Due to the weather conditions and the fact that the water level of Stung Sen is constantly rising, it is not possible for boats to cross under the bridge, so the Water Festival that is scheduled to be held on October 9-10, 2022 is postponed.’ read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501162417/provincial-water-festival-postponed-due-to-too-much-water/

The National Committee for Disaster Management has confirmed that 22 provinces have been affected by floods, six of which were badly affected. More than 70,000 families had to bear with the flood while about 1,700 families were evacuated. National Committee for Disaster Management spokesman Soth Kim Kolmony said yesterday the worst flooding was in Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Battambang and Pursat provinces. “Some 74,302 families were affected and 1,682 families were evacuated to safety,” he said. He added that the floods inundated about 124,550 hectares of rice fields and more than 11,848 hectares of various crops. He said 23,060 hectares of paddy fields were destroyed by the inundation. Poipet Governor Keat Hul said more than 200 houses in Poipet and Kbal Koh villages, O’Chrov commune, Poipet City, were flooded, affecting 121 families. He added that about 100 families were evacuated. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501161823/six-provinces-badly-hit-by-floods/

An exhibition on “The journey of King Sisowath in France: a mutual revelation” at Preah Srey Icanavarman Museum of Economy and Money (SOSORO) will be open for public viewing until April 4 next year. The visit of King Sisowath to France is a significant event in the history of Cambodia and Cambodian French relations. The exhibition opened yesterday. Blaise Kilian, codirector of the SOSORO Museum, said yesterday that “King Sisowath was the first Cambodian sovereign to travel to Europe and the main consequence of his journey was the emergence of the Kingdom and of Khmer culture on the international stage, particularly in the Western world”. King Sisowath journeyed to France in 1906 at the invitation of the French government after he was crowned King. Kilian said the information presented in the exhibition came essentially from French national archives and various articles published in 1906 by French newspapers and European newspapers. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501161933/exhibition-showcases-king-sisowaths-historic-france-visit/

Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam have “highly negative” exposures to physical climate risks while the exposure of the Philippines is “very highly negative,” Moody’s Investors Service says. In a report released in Singapore Monday, the US credit rating agency also said that physical climate risks were “moderately negative” in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Assessments of the two other ASEAN economies – Brunei and Myanmar – were not available. Despite big exposures to physical climate risks across Southeast Asia, Moody’s said exposures to carbon transition risks were “neutral-to-low” in the near term in most of the eight ASEAN economies. “We expect slow policy implementation of decarbonisation, delaying transition costs for this high-growth region to the future,” it said. The report said ASEAN economies were “making some headway” in enacting climate policies and taking action. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501162200/moodys-says-cambodia-among-four-asean-economies-with-highly-negative-exposures-to-physical-climate-risks/

Cambodia does not support Russia’s referendum in the four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine annexed by Russia. Prime Minister Hun Sen said Cambodia opposes the creation of a new state, a separatist state and the use of force against other countries. “Cambodia opposes secession. We oppose the establishment of a dictatorship, the separatism and the use of force or threats of force,” he said on Saturday while visiting the 3,000 families who have relocated to Run Ta Ek village from Angkor Park in Siem Reap province. Mr Hun Sen said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sought his advice on the Russian referendum and “we reaffirm our stance that we do not support it and that we oppose the establishment of a dictatorship, the separatism and the use of force or threats of force”. “The resolution drafted by the United States and Albania condemning Russia’s proclaiming the annexation of parts of Ukraine has been rejected by the UN Security Council. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501161094/cambodia-against-russias-move-to-annex-ukrainian-regions/

Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that families who refuse to accept government compensation to leave the Angkor area and try to bargain for higher compensation will face eviction. During a speech on Monday at a graduation ceremony for nearly 4,000 students from Vanda University in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen warned that anyone in Siem Reap’s Angkor Archaeological Park who wishes to bargain for a higher price or larger plot of land will be removed without any compensation whenever the government issues a deadline. “I would like to clarify that at this time the government is taking very good care and begging people to leave … but when the time comes, not even a single cent will be given and [residents will be] sent out from that area. Be informed.” Hun Sen’s speech came after he met nearly 3,000 families who had volunteered to move out from the Angkor park to the resettlement site at Banteay Srei district’s Run Ta Ek commune. read more https://vodenglish.news/hun-sen-threatens-eviction-without-compensation-for-angkor-residents-who-negotiate/

The government has set October 15 to commemorate the life and passing of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, the father of Cambodia’s independence. Prime Minister Hun Sen urged the people to mark October 15, the day the monarch died, to honour King Father Sihanouk and his lifelong devotion to the Kingdom and the people. “We are going to hold a sacred celebration on October 15 as this year marked both the 100th birthday of His Majesty as well as the 10th anniversary of his passing,” he said during a public event on Saturday in Siem Reap province. Im Borin, the National and International Festival Organising Committee deputy secretary-general said “according to Cambodia’s royal tradition, a day to commemorate a late king usually falls on his birthday or the day on which he passed away”. “While His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk was born on October 31, he passed away on October 15,” he said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501161225/govt-declares-october-15-as-late-king-fathers-day/

An island adjacent to the famous Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay) in Kep province has been earmarked for major development. The Investment Committee of Cambodia of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) on September 30 decided to issue an investment project registration certificate to the Duke Try Pheap Company for the Koh Tbal Development Project to develop into a natural tourist area. According to the press release from the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), the CDC has decided to authorize “TRY PHEAP KOH TUNSAY RESORTS CO., LTD” by Tycoon Try Pheap on the Koh Tbal Development Project. The project company has invested about 17 million US dollars and can create 105 jobs. Mr. Kheng Yuan, Governor of Kep City, said that the work was carried out by the company in collaboration with the CDC to study some of the impacts on Tbal Island, and that the Kep Provincial Administration would coordinate to address the impact on the island. Koh Tbal is a island with an area of about 10 hectares, about 6 km from Kep and a boat trip of about 35-45 minutes. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501160919/another-cambodian-island-to-be-developed/

The Phnom Phenh-Sihanoukville Expressway opened to the public on October 1 and will be free to use until the end of the month, so people can experience the convenience of travelling between the two cities quickly. The expressway also facilitates the movement of people and goods, which will reduce transportation costs and save time. Travelling from Phnom Phen to Sihanoukville currently takes about five to six hours on National Road 4, but the new expressway will slash travel time to approximately two hours. Ministry of Public Works and Transport spokesman Heang Sotheayuth said yesterday that people are enjoying the drive along the smooth expressway, which is a dual carriageway road, with two lanes heading to the seaside city and the other two in the direction on the capital. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501161223/pp-sville-expressway-offers-speedy-smooth-travel/

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's famed Angkor Archaeological Park attracted 134,152 foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2022, an increase of 2,075 percent compared to the same period last year, said a press statement on Sunday. The ancient park earned 5.36 million U.S. dollars in revenue from ticket sales during the January-September period this year, also up 2,012 percent year-on-year, said the state-owned Angkor Enterprise's statement. Located in northwest Siem Reap province, the 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian country. "This heritage site is key to attracting tourists, creating jobs and generating incomes for our people in the tourism sector," Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Saturday during a visit to the families, who volunteered to leave their illegal structures in the Angkor park to be relocated to a new place. According to Angkor Enterprise, the entrance fee for a one-day visit to the park is 37 dollars, a three-day visit costs 62 dollars, and a week-long visit costs 72 dollars. In a bid to encourage more foreign visitors to the park, the government announced last month that foreigners who have been living in the kingdom for more than two years could apply for one free admission a year to the Angkor and the Koh Ker Temple. During the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era, the Angkor received up to 2.2 million international visitors in 2019, generating 99 million dollars in revenue from ticket sales, the Angkor Enterprise said. https://english.news.cn/20221002/b6a9a3356c664b5fa5cff5e4ebd4f8d4/c.html

Scam syndicates working on scamming millions of dollars from unsuspecting clientele from Asia, predominantly China, Taipei, Korea, Hong Kong and ASEAN nations have changed their modus operandi after crackdowns by Chinese and related police authorities. Informed sources told Khmer Times that now scam operators have increased their recruitment fee up to $4,000 per head for an educated individual, preferably from Malaysia, Singapore or Hong Kong as they could possible speak several languages and were proficient in English. “The English proficiency made them ideal candidates to recruit and put them to labour to scam unsuspecting, gullible or greedy westerners who wanted to triple or quadruple their money with ease through various activities. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501160380/scam-syndicates-change-modus-operandi-now-target-westerners-focusing-less-on-asians/

The discovery of their bodies brings to 11 the total number of those who died in the incident. Cambodian authorities said the bodies of the final eight missing Chinese migrants from a small fishing vessel that sank last week off the Cambodian coast washed up on a Vietnamese island, bringing the total number of dead from the accident to 11. Officials in Preah Sihanouk province initially posted photos of the eight on Facebook after they were found on Phu Quoc, which is off the coast of Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. The photos were later removed from the social media platform. The wooden boat, which was carrying 33 Chinese migrants, encountered problems on Sept. 22 near the Cambodian coastal city Sihanoukville, a popular resort town known for its casinos, and capsized. The Chinese aboard had been promised jobs as fishermen. Twenty-two passengers were rescued by Cambodian authorities and by a fishing boat in Vietnamese waters. Three of the migrants were found dead in the initial aftermath of the accident, while eight remained missing until Thursday. Sihanoukville is a hotbed for human trafficking, with victims from across the region being tricked into working in the casinos or as online scammers, and sometimes being held against their will by employers. According to an earlier report by AFP, the surviving passengers said they had been promised 10,000 to 20,000 yuan (U.S. $1,405-$2,809) to work in Cambodia for 10-20 days. Speaking at the 6th National Inter-Faith Forum Against Human Trafficking on Thursday, Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday blamed illegal gambling operations in Cambodia as contributing to rampant human trafficking and pledged tough action in response. “It is a complicated issue and it doesn’t only happen in Cambodia,” he told attendees at the conference, organized under the theme “Do Not Use Cambodia as a Destination of Trafficking in Persons.” “If we are not prudent, Cambodia will become a safe haven for criminals to commit crime in our country,” Hun Sen said. “They are using Cambodia as a place to produce drugs and then distribute them to Vietnam, Thailand and other countries.” Ny Sokha, president of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, an NGO known as ADHOC, said he welcomed the prime minister’s commitment to fighting human trafficking, but questioned the government’s ability to follow through. He noted that Hun Sen has made other pledges, such as ending illegal logging in the country, that have not come to fruition. “Human trafficking is not committed by ordinary poor people, and the justice system in Cambodia must prevent impunity because with impunity and corruption, human trafficking can’t be prevented,” Ny Sokha said. Interior Minister Sar Kheng told attendees at the conference that the country was working to prevent trafficking, rescue victims and apprehend ringleaders. “Criminals are committing crimes silently online via cyber-technology and are using other tricks to exploit victims to work overtime [or] to detain, torture and kidnap them,” he said. “Some criminals are armed, and if they are not deterred, they will become a threat to national security in the future.” As of late August, Cambodian authorities received almost 400 complaints about human trafficking, and authorities had rescued about 400 victims, about 55 of whom had been trafficked, according to Cambodia’s Interior Ministry. The victims were from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, the Philippines, the United States, Turkey and South Korea. At least 43 suspects have been brought to justice, and their operations have been shut down, according to the ministry. Translated by Samean Yun for RFA Khmer. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Over the past week, top government officials have spoken in various forums of the human trafficking of foreign workers to Cambodian scam compounds. Though reluctant to call the operations “scams,” largely preferring the term “illegal gambling,” some have given estimates of tens of thousands of foreign workers — one estimate going as high as 100,000 — in Cambodia for the work. September 23 Interior Ministry secretary of state Sok Phal and Preah Sihanouk governor Kuoch Chamroeun stand outside scam compound Jincai 5 to speak to reporters about a police raid. Sok Phal: “Through the media, we would like to appeal across the country, firstly, they have to be self-aware to stop this gambling. … We know that they have stopped and a huge number of people have left after they became self-aware. Please stop so that it is not difficult for the victims and authorities, so it is easy. Voluntarily, by themselves, pack up and leave and end the gambling.” “In our estimate, there have been between 80,000 to 100,000 people who have come to serve this work, and if we bring them to keep them we have no space to keep them.” read more https://vodenglish.news/officials-speak-out-on-compounds-as-many-as-100000-foreign-nationals-came-to-cambodia/