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Cambodia has agreed to resume international adoptions between Italy after the two countries temporarily suspended the process due to legal and technical issues. The agreement came after Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation Vong Sauth met with Vincenzo Starita, Vice-President of Italy’s Commission for Intercountry Adoptions, at the ministry on Wednesday. After the law was drafted, the government announced the resumption of the adoption process, but it was interrupted due to the spread of COVID-19 in Cambodia, as well as in Italy and other countries, Sauth said. “Italy has provided training on adoption procedures, legal training to protect victims and other relevant rights to ensure that adoption is in line with international law to avoid trafficking,” he said. In addition to training and coaching, the Italian side also has its own agency to conduct adoptions and to cooperate with the relevant ministries and institutions to re-commence the adoption procedure, the minister added. Sauth also urged relevant institutions and officials to continue to share and exchange ideas with each other. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501284813/cambodia-agrees-to-resume-child-adoptions-with-italy/

Dissidents typically try to paint Hun Sen as unpatriotic, expert says Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced that he – and not Cambodia’s king – would preside over Friday’s opening ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games, provoking criticism from exiled dissidents who say he is disrespecting the monarchy. Cambodia is hosting the Southeast Asian region's premier sporting event for the first time. The May 5-17 games will include 11 nations in the region competing in 36 events, and the country has built a new Chinese-funded 60,000 seat stadium for the occasion. In host countries, including monarchies, the sitting head of state is usually given the honor of declaring the start of the games at the opening ceremony. Though King Norodom Sihamoni is the official head of state in Cambodia, he rarely exercises his limited powers granted by the constitution and tries to avoid getting involved in politics. Hun Sen, 70, has ruled Cambodia since 1985, and is believed to be manipulating the government and the country’s laws in an attempt to pass his role as leader to his son Hun Manet before retiring. The country is scheduled to hold national elections in July that the ruling Cambodian People’s Party is widely expected to win. At the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sihanoukville container terminal on Monday, Hun Sen mocked his detractors. "You should know well, if you do not know well, don’t act like you are so wise and do not be arrogant and incite conflict between the king and the prime minister,” he said. “The king does not take the role of prime minister, and the prime minister does not take on the role of the king, just as [the king] carried the torch before the SEA Games while the prime minister walked along with him,” he said. Visitors take photos in front of the logo of the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games - the first time the regional multi-sport tournament will be hosted in Cambodia, in front of the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 2, 2023. Credit: Reuters Finland-based political analyst Kim Sok told Radio Free Asia that Hun Sen’s slight was destroying the achievements of the king, the former king and the ancestors of the Khmer people. “This is not only a violation of the role of the king, but a betrayal of the throne and the king, not only in front of the Cambodian people, but in front of international guests around the world," he said. Driving a wedge Hun Sen’s critics are trying to discredit him by trying to show that there’s a split between the prime minister and monarchy, said David Hutt, a journalist and researcher for the Central European Institute of Asian Studies. “It’s a way for anti-CPP critics to try to paint Hun Sen as unpatriotic, given that he taints most opponents as traitors,” said Hutt. “They probably also reckon it might turn some ordinary Cambodians against the ruling party. But the monarchy has been a political football for some time.” Tensions between Hun Sen and the royal house arise because of the monarchy’s protections, he said. “After all, the monarchy is the only institution left in Cambodia that [Hun Sen’s] ruling party cannot completely dominate,” said Hutt. “Maybe Hun Sen has long thought it may become a rival institution, although that’s less so with King Norodom Sihamoni compared to his father.” Hutt said that Hun Sen sees himself as a monarch, as he is preparing a dynastic succession of the prime ministership to his son. But Kim Sok denied that he and other critics only want to drive a wedge between the king and the prime minister, and compared the treatment of the monarchy with other neighboring monarchies. "In Thailand, when there are big sports events, both national and international, before the athletes enter the arena, they prepare the king's portrait for the athletes to respect him before entering the arena,” Kim Sok said. “But in the Kingdom of Cambodia, we have not seen such preparations yet.” Cambodian Buddhist monk and activist Ven. Bor Bet [right], who fled to Switzerland, says Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen does not respect King Sihamoni. Credit: Bor Bet Hun Sen tends to get angry whenever his critics call him out on his disrespect, Bangkok-based social development researcher Seng Sary said. "The prime minister seems to feel uncomfortable when he is compared to the king, who is protected by the constitution,” said Seng Sary. “The monarchy is a supreme institution that cannot be violated, but the prime minister is only the chairman of the executive branch." Buddhist honors Meanwhile, a Thailand-based international Buddhist organization has granted Hun Sen the honorary title “Patron of the World,” and made his son Hun Manet an honorary “senior advisor,” confusing some members of the organization. The Venerable Buth Buntenh, who lives in exile in Massachusetts, said the Cambodian leader does not deserve the title and he does not understand why the organization gave it to him. “Hun Sen has committed the highest immoral things in Cambodian society,” the monk said, adding that under Hun Sen’s rule, monks have lived in repressive conditions that rival the time when the country was ruled by Pol Pot’s regime, during which the Khmer Rouge defrocked and killed them. “But now, under the rule of Hun Sen, monks are defrocked and put in jail. Or monks are shot dead by unidentified gunmen.” said Buth Buntenh.” So, the Khmer Rouge regime and Hun Sen are the same in terms of persecution of the Buddhists.” Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/king-05042023122856.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Cambodia Angkor Air announced the launch of a new direct flight connecting Siem Reap and Vientiane, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Laos. The flight is expected to boost the tourism potential of both countries, the airline said in a release. The flight using an Airbus-A321 aircraft is operated once per week, Monday, and is expected to increase the number of flights. Flight K6 908 will depart from Siem Reap International Airport at 6 am and land at Vientiane’s Watey International Airport at 7:05 am. The return flight K6 909 is at 7:50 am, and its arrival time at Siem Reap is 9 am. Cambodia Angkor Air said that the new flight is committed to providing excellent services to tourists to destinations in the shortest possible time. “Travelling to these two rich historic sites is an adventurous tourist’s dream come true about the culture, wonders and natural treasures there. Thus, the new flight will attract many tourists and other travellers, which may contribute to the tourism and economic development of the two countries,” the airline said in a release. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501283283/siem-reap-vientiane-direct-flights-to-revive-tourism/

Preah Vihear provincial authorities discovered remnants of an ancient sandstone temple at Kulen Tboung commune in Kulen district yesterday. Called Neang Ngor, the abandoned temple is located three kilometres away from Ba Taing temple in Kulen Tboung village. Nov Chankong, director of Preah Vihear provincial Department of Culture and Fine arts, said yesterday that they found the abandoned temple. “Experts concerned are preparing to study about the architectural style and age of the temple. Now it is difficult to guess how old it is, or when it was built, or for what purpose it was built,” Chankong said. “The people of Kulen Tboung village are familiar with the temple, but they didn’t pay attention to it until Preah Vihear authorities found it,” said Um Bo, a temple guard in Srayong commune. He added that Srayong is 20 kilometres away from Kulen Tboung commune where the new temple has been found. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501284085/remnants-of-temple-made-of-sandstone-found-in-preah-vihear/

Multi-sport event begins on Friday with parade through 60,000-seat Morodok Techo National Stadium, which China built for US$160 million With the Asian Games later this year and the Paris Olympics in 2024, athletes are looking beyond making a mark regionally Cambodia will welcome thousands of athletes from across the region when the Southeast Asian Games begin on Friday with an opening ceremony at a new stadium built and paid for by China. The capital Phnom Penh will stage the 32nd edition of the biennial SEA Games, the first time Cambodia plays host. More than 11,000 athletes, coaches and delegates from 10 other countries will descend on the country for the Games, which run until May 17. Regional glory is up for grabs but competitors will also have one eye on the Asian Games in China later this year and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Southeast Asia’s finest will take part in a host of competitions including athletics, swimming, badminton and football, as well as more obscure sports such as Kun Bokator, an ancient Cambodian martial art. read more https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3219232/cambodia-poised-host-southeast-asian-games-competitors-keeping-one-eye-hangzhou-event-later-year

Thank you. We'll go to CW ASAP to get the answer from the officers.

Thank you to be honest and clever.

Please study this photo. We see a first and short visa extension then another for one year. From when should we count to determine the day to make the first 90-day reporting. February 1 or February 23 ? First is the "under consideration stamp". Then, we have the final stamp. THANK YOU

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — Five years ago, Chinese investors began turning Sihanoukville, a sleepy coastal city with pristine beaches, into a gambling mecca rivaling Macao and Las Vegas, but that ended with a ban on online gambling and the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200,000 Chinese workers had to return home. Casinos closed and partially built skyscrapers, resorts and condominium projects were left abandoned. One pro-government media outlet described the remaining skyline as “a stark reminder of botched investments, mostly by Chinese nationals.” Housing has slumped by as much as 90% in recent years according to the Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance. Chantha Lach, like many small private investors, told VOA he was hoping for better times and foreign investment. “Many Cambodians want the Chinese investor to return because the property prices are dreadful, and we want the Chinese businesspeople to return to help the market to recover,” he said. In response, Cambodia is drawing up an action plan to clean up more than 1,100 incomplete buildings in Sihanoukville. Suggestions include tripling the local population to 1 million with visa-friendly regimes for foreigners and tax breaks for Cambodia’s expanding middle class. Authorities are also considering a 2026 deadline for developers, ordering them to either tear down or complete buildings still under construction. “One of the biggest challenges is to ensure that these half-completed projects, which are dotted around Sihanoukville city, are ready for construction,” said David Totten, managing director of the investment company Emerging Markets Consulting in Phnom Penh. “So there needs to be a process of validating that. In some cases that might involve removing the existing construction, starting over from scratch,” he said. Totten also said about 50% of the incomplete buildings left suspended or abandoned have created legal issues regarding ownership and responsibilities. “A large proportion of those, ownership may be in doubt, legal entities that are the beneficial owners of those projects may no longer exist or be relatively inactive,” he said. “There will be a lot of challenges therefore in claiming those properties from previous owners.” Investors are trickling back A substantial Chinese-funded upgrade of the controversial Ream Naval base, about 30 kilometers east of Sihanoukville, is also under way. The United States is concerned the base could extend China’s military presence in Southeast Asia, where Beijing is increasingly assertive over its contested claims to the South China Sea. Washington said Ream will be China’s second foreign naval base, after Djibouti. However, Beijing and Phnom Penh have dismissed those concerns, saying it is not a Chinese base. Cambodia said the base’s facilities will be open for many nations. Not far from Ream, construction of a new tourist development, known as the Bay of Lights, is being built on 934 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea by Canopy Sands Development, led by Chinese businessman Chen Zhi. The project is expected to be completed by 2028. However, Harrison White, editor of the Cambodia Investment Review news outlet, said much more is planned for the area and further construction could last until 2040. “The project’s going to be bringing a very large amount of investment, approximately $16 billion, could even be more,” he said. “As the project goes along, we’re expecting [the] population to grow to 160,000, as well as 330,000 jobs, as well as many more, maybe even 3 million more tourists that are going to visit the region,” he added. Cambodia wants economic growth to return to pre-pandemic levels, buoyed by Chinese investors and tourists, which, according to the Tourism Ministry topped 2.36 million visitors in 2019 and generated about $1.8 billion in revenue. The ministry also said Chinese investment in tourism-related sectors accounted for more than 50% of total foreign direct investment and there has been speculation that Chinese people will be allowed to emigrate and work there. Some projects, like the Chinese-funded $2.5 billion expressway linking Phnom Penh with Sihanoukville, have been finished. Another expressway will be built by China Road and Bridge Construction from the capital to the Vietnamese border. There are multi-billion-dollar plans to link the Thai and Vietnamese borders and the south coast through a network of high-speed railways. Most will be built by Chinese investors and fit neatly within Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is reemerging in a post-pandemic world. “Cambodia is very much in need of appealing to foreign buyers. The country itself, whilst [having a population of] only 17 million, is sitting in a region of billions, with China, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and many more, are looking to enter the market,” White said. “So, these sorts of projects are critical for Cambodia to ensure itself open to foreigners, and also to develop its economy,” he added. The cost of these investments is raising eyebrows. On Friday, the minister of public works and transport, Sun Chanthol, said 150 infrastructure projects worth about $30 billion had been prioritized for 2022-2030. A tall order given Cambodia’s GDP was just $27 billion in 2019. Sreynat Sarum contributed to this report. https://www.voanews.com/a/rebuilding-cambodia-s-gambling-mecca/7073219.html

Three opposition figures send hand-written apologies and pre-recorded videos to Hun Sen in recent days. A string of recent defections and public apologies by opposition party officials and critics of Prime Minister Hun Sen has given the longtime leader a boost less than three months before July’s parliamentary elections. The high-profile defections to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party are just the latest – at least nine opposition party officials have switched their allegiance to the CPP since November 2022 as the party works to co-opt and silence opposition figures. On Sunday, the president of the little-known Khmer Win Party was appointed to be the secretary of state of the Council of Ministers. Suong Sophorn has been a fierce critic of Hun Sen and once served as the youth movement leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, the country’s main opposition party before it was banned in 2017. “I, Suong Sophorn, have made a clear decision to join my political life with the CPP,” he said in a pre-recorded video addressing both Hun Sen and the prime minister’s son and presumed successor, Hun Manet. “I love my nation and love my people dearly. However, being in the opposition, I appear to think that I have contributed so little to the nation and our homeland, so I have made a clear decision to join the government so that I may use my abilities to serve our people directly.” Cambodian army chief Hun Manet, center, a son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, attends a ceremony of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces at the Defense Ministry in Phnom Penh, on April 20, 2023. Credit: Heng Sinith/AP ‘I was too young’ The video was posted on Hun Sen’s Telegram channel. On Monday, the prime minister posted on the same channel a handwritten apology letter and a pre-recorded video from the deputy chief of the opposition Candlelight Party’s organization in Takeo province. Ir Channa, a Norwegian citizen and a former outspoken border critic, was arrested last year after he returned from exile to support the Candlelight Party in last year’s local commune elections. Speaking from jail, he apologized for information he shared on Facebook in 2020 regarding the possible return to Cambodia of a top opposition leader. “I admit all these mistakes and leniently beg you to accept my apologies,” he said. “I pledge to always comply with the national laws and the constitution of Cambodia.” He was released later on Monday, and Hun Sen posted another video clip in the evening of Ir Channa thanking him. Ir Channa did not mention whether he would defect to the CPP in exchange for his release. Another critic, Kean Ponlork, also issued a hand-written apology letter and a pre-recorded video on Monday in which he asked to join the CPP. The former CNRP official was in charge of the party’s training department and has also served as the secretary-general of the Federation of Cambodian Intellectuals and Students. “I, Kean Ponlork, would like to apologize to Samdech Hun Sen for having joined hands with the opposition and civil society, and for providing interviews to Radio Free Asia, Voice of Democracy and The Cambodia Daily to attack your leadership that causes confusion on your legitimate government,” he said. “I was too young to be able to fully understand the depth of Cambodian politics.” Hun Sen responded on Telegram: “I warmly welcome Mr. Kean Ponlork. Since he is residing in Takeo province, the Takeo provincial CPP committee is requested to make proper arrangements for Mr. Kean Ponlork in accordance with the party procedures.” ‘Positions, benefits and titles’ Last month, former CNRP youth leader Yim Sinorn was appointed secretary of state for the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training. Just weeks before that, he was in jail. Yim Sinorn was arrested in March after posting a comment on Facebook that seemed to highlight the political powerlessness of King Norodom Sihamoni. Another opposition activist, Hun Kosal, was also arrested at the same time for similar remarks. They were both released after posting their own online apologies to Hun Sen. Afterward, Yim Sinorn met with the prime minister at his home in Kandal province, where he and his family posed for photos as Hun Sen sat at his desk. Hun Kosal also recently received a government appointment – undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Land Management and Urban Planning. Um Sam An, a former CNRP member of parliament, said he’s not worried about the possibility of more opposition defections in the coming months. The politicians who share a genuine belief in the future of the nation won’t take Hun Sen’s bait, he said. “Both positions, benefits and titles will not be essential for us. What we really want is for a positive change in Cambodia, a true respect of human rights and democracy,” he said. The recent defections will help clean the “rubbish” politicians away from the true democrats, said Seng Sary, a political commentator who lives in Australia. “I accept the fact that some defectors are successful in their political life after defections,” he said. “However, 95 to 99 percent among those defectors have lost their political lives and their reputations in Cambodian politics.” CNRP Vice President Eng Chhai Eang, who lives in the United States, told Radio Free Asia last week that Hun Sen has, in the past, made serious overtures to him about joining the CPP and the government. But last week, the prime minister grew angry after Eng Chhai Eang made critical comments online following the news of the defections of Yim Sinorn and Hun Kosal. “He posted a comment to mock me,” Eng Chhai Eang said. “He said, ‘If you want to get the government positions, first you must join the opposition party. If you want, I will pardon you and appoint you to a position in the government.’” Translated by Keo Sovannarith. Edited by Matt Reed. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/opposition-defections-telegram-05012023162643.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 24 signed a sub-decree opening a Cambodian embassy in Brazil. According to the sub-decree, said the embassy has a residence in the capital Brasilia and will be headed by a chief of mission with the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. The makeup of other diplomats employed at the embassy, its technical officers and other staff will be determined according to the actual work requirements and the funding system for diplomats. read more https://phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodia-opens-embassy-brazil

Prime Minister Hun Sen confirmed in a message on the occasion of the 137th anniversary of International Labor Day on May 1, that currently there are about 1.3 million Cambodian workers abroad, while the employment rate in the country remained at 99.3 percent. The premier said that the Royal Government has been paying close attention to the development of high-income labor market, continue to strengthen the effectiveness of the labor market coordination mechanism by expanding the scope of employment services and labor market information of the National Employment Agency of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training. “The current employment rate in Cambodia is 99.3 percent,” he said.Mr Hun Sen continued that along with domestic job opportunities, the Royal Government strives to provide options for people who wish to work abroad by strengthening cooperation with partner countries to provide employment opportunities abroad for workers. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501282502/cambodia-has-1-3-million-migrant-workers-abroad-while-domestic-employment-rate-is-over-99-percent/

Europa 2, a cruise ship sailing under the flag of Malta, paid a day-long visit to Cambodia on April 25. The cruise ship with 343 tourists of 15 different nationalities on board and 367 crewmembers of 24 nationalities, coming from Vietnam, docked at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port at 6:00 am and left for Thailand at around 10:00 pm. According to Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, most of the tourists are German (293), and Swiss (18). The Europa 2 cruise ship is 225.38 meters long, 29.90 meters wide and 6.30 meters deep. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501280407/europa-2-cruise-ship-with-over-300-multinational-tourists-visit-cambodia/

Candlelight Party is having a hard time finding candidates because they fear being assaulted. Several opposition Cambodian political parties have not registered to participate in July’s general election and will wait until the last minute to take action because intimidation, threats and attacks have made it dangerous to do so, domestic civil society groups said. Seven parties, including Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party, or CCP, already have registered and submitted their candidate lists for the July 23 election to elect members to the National Assembly, which is currently dominated by the CCP. Political parties can submit candidate lists to the National Election Committee from April 24 to May 8. The main opposition Candlelight Party is having difficulty recruiting candidates because of intimidation and physical assaults against its activists. Some supporters are afraid of publicly campaigning for candidates. "Activists, especially those in Phnom Penh, were physically attacked,” said Candlelight Party spokesman Kim Sour Phirith. “They are being threatened emotionally. It is not good for our country that one party is discriminating against its opponent.” He said the party is reviewing candidates and will try to register them with the NEC before the May 8 deadline. Other parties also are experiencing difficulties recruiting and registering candidates due to political discrimination, said Sam Kuntheamy, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for free and fair Elections in Cambodia, an organization that monitors elections. Attacks on activists have tarnished Cambodia’s election environment, he said. “I don’t want to see any violence against political activists because at this stage, the parties are preparing to participate in the election,” said Sam Kuntheamy. “Political violence should be avoided.” Recent attacks Over the weekend, four assailants on motorbikes assaulted a Candlelight Party activist as he was traveling to the capital of Phnom Penh, striking him several times with a metal baton. Another party activist said her car was intentionally rammed by an unknown assailant. Six other opposition party members have reported attacks in the past months. Hang Puthea, spokesman for the NEC, which oversees voting in the country, told Radio Free Asia that the body is reviewing the applications submitted by the seven political parties and will notify them of their status after May 8. The NEC has created an app for all parties to register their candidates to avoid duplication and to prevent fraud, he said. So far, more than 40 political parties have been officially recognized by the country’s Ministry of Interior, which regulates the formation of parties. Translated by Samean Yun for RFA Khmer. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/delayed-registration-04262023162845.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Thursday cancelled a law he created just two months ago to protect critically endangered Mekong dolphins as the mammals continue to die from illegal fishing activities. The population of Irrawaddy dolphins in the river Mekong has dwindled from 200, when the first census was taken in 1997, to just 89 in 2020 largely due to illegal fishing and habitat loss. Hun Sen issued a new decree in February creating protection zones in a 120-kilometre (75-mile) stretch of the Mekong, in which fishing is banned, following the death of three dolphins in a week. Conservationists have also stepped up efforts to protect the mammals -- small, shy creatures with domed foreheads and short beaks that once swam through much of the river, all the way to the delta in Vietnam. But two dolphins have since died, including a four-day-old calf found dead last week entangled in fishing nets. Hun Sen said Thursday he had decided to cancel the new decree because "dolphins keep dying and thousands of fishing families were affected". "We want to protect dolphins that are at risk of becoming extinct, but dolphins keep dying," he said at an event in Phnom Penh. read more https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cambodian-leader-u-turns-rare-050337788.html

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Late in the summer of 1994, as the hot season was finally breaking in Cambodia, three scraggly men in flip-flops showed up at the Phnom Penh Post’s compound looking for American journalist Nate Thayer. The trio, members of Vietnam’s oppressed Montagnard hill tribes, had initially snuck across the border looking for fellow freedom fighters in the decades-long battle against the communist government. But those hopes had given way to weeks of living on the city’s streets and sleeping in pagodas. Their hair was long and stomachs empty. They were paranoid that they would be discovered by Vietnamese agents in Cambodia and returned home to face prison or worse. Now they wanted to secure asylum in America, where hundreds of their people had found safety and a new start. The United Nations refugee agency wouldn’t help them. So a Montagnard contact in America said they should find Thayer. They arrived at the Phnom Penh Post’s office — also the home of the newspaper’s owners and Thayer — and nervously asked for the journalist. Thayer, with a college swimmer’s build and a bald head, walked outside and saluted the men. He welcomed them inside like old friends. For the next few months, the three Montagnards lived with Thayer, his girlfriend, and the Post’s owners, Michael Hayes and Kathleen O'Keefe. They largely kept to themselves, wary of bothering their hosts and limited in their ability to communicate across languages. But it was the nicest place they had ever lived, and they could eat and sleep soundly. Months went by with no progress on securing refugee status. Eventually, Thayer and O’Keefe tearfully told their new friends that they couldn’t help, and the trio covertly made their way back across the border into Vietnam. Even before the U.N. brokered a peace deal in 1991 that restored Cambodia’s monarchy and paved the way for internationally-observed elections in 1993, Thayer had established himself as a journalistic force. He had spent much of the late 1980s on Cambodia’s border with Thailand, where the civil war was raging between the Vietnamese-backed government in Phnom Penh, remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge, and royalist forces loyal to Norodom Sihanouk. Thayer developed close relationships with hardened guerillas during treks through the jungle and with U.N. officials during extended stays at the refugee camps housing tens of thousands famished and shell-shocked Cambodians. Andy Pendleton, a career humanitarian officer who oversaw Thai refugee camps in the 1980s, remembers Thayer showing up on his 125 cc motorbike in areas where U.N. officials would go out in Land Rovers. “He would come in and his little motorcycle would break down on the way, and he’d run and jump in a ditch when the artillery started,” Pendeleton recalled. During one trip across the border, Thayer was in a truck that drove over an anti-tank mine, and Pendleton was called to respond. “I went over and he was limping across the border with bandages on his feet. He was the only surviving person in that truck when it got hit. So pretty brassy.” By the time Cambodia opened up to the foreign press in the early ‘90s, Thayer had a running start. “The vast majority of the journalists on the ground there, they were good and professional, but they didn't know the territory, they didn’t know the layers, and they didn't know the players like Nate did,” Pendleton said. “And when Nate put the screws on something, he had a good chance of making it happen, because he was the number one journalist in Southeast Asia. He was the man to listen to.” While Thayer would become most famous for being the last foreign journalist to interview Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, just months before his death in 1998, perhaps his most impactful story came years earlier. In the summer of 1992, two years before the Montagnard trio showed up at Thayer’s doorstep, the United Nations became aware of nearly 400 members of the Degar hill tribes hiding deep in Cambodia’s northern jungles. It was a politically volatile discovery, coming as the international community was attempting to steer Cambodia from Vietnamese occupation and civil war to a sovereign multi-party democracy. An UNTAC military official told Thayer at the time: "We have enough problems in Cambodia dealing with the four factions, and now this army we never even heard of turns up.” read (a lot) more https://www.voacambodia.com/a/7068904.html

The Governor of Banteay Meanchey, Oum Rath has assigned the Cambodia-Thailand Border card making team to only charge 20,000 riels for making a border pass, in order to make the process of crossing the border legally easier for citizens who wishes to find work or return back to Thailand to work. The authorities at the Lem International border checkpoint in Kamrieng district, Battambang province, were very displeased that people were required to pay 1300-2000 baht to cross the border back into Thailand, after they returned home for the traditional Khmer New Year. Nokorwatnews https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501279133/banteay-meanchey-governor-assigns-working-group-to-make-cambodian-thai-border-card-for-only-20000-riels/

Bok l’hong, Green Papaya Salad, of Cambodia has earned a place in the Best Salads in the World by the TasteAtlas, an encyclopedia of flavours, a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants. Bok l’hong ranked 28th with a score of 4.2 among the 50 best salads in the world, according to the same source. Bok l’hong, meaning pounded papaya in Khmer, is a Cambodian take on the green papaya salad that is widely consumed throughout Southeast Asia, said the TasteAtlas. According to the TasteAtlas, unlike the Thai version that uses thin strips of papaya and typically requires the fruit to be pounded with other ingredients, the traditional Cambodian version, similar to the Laotian and the Vietnamese versions, uses shredded papaya instead, and it does not involve fruit pounding. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501279651/bok-lhong-of-cambodia-a-best-salad-in-the-world/

Two more opposition party activists were assaulted over the weekend as they traveled in Phnom Penh – the latest in a series of similar attacks in recent months that members of the Candlelight Party insist are all politically motivated. Thun Chantha, who has worked for the main opposition party for several years, was attacked during the day on Sunday by four assailants who surrounded him on their motorbikes, struck him several times with a metal baton and left him with bruises all over his body. “They followed me along the road and crashed into my motorbike,” he said. “Then they pounced on me.” Another Candlelight Party activist, Thy Sokha, said her car was intentionally rammed into on Saturday night by an unknown assailant who drove a black 470-series Lexus. Thy Sokha is widely known as “Peypeyly” on social media. She and her husband weren’t seriously injured, but the front right part of her car was completely damaged. The assailant wore a bodyguard uniform and ran toward a waiting car, she said. “If I was not lucky enough, I would not have a chance to do this livestream about this incident so that our people may know the truth. I am really horrified by this threat against my life,” she said just after the incident. ‘Every repressive tool’ The Candlelight Party is expected to be the top competitor to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party in the July parliamentary elections. The CPP is stepping up its pressure on political opposition members in advance of the election, just as Prime Minister Hun Sen warned would happen during a speech in Kampong Cham province earlier this year, Human Rights Watch noted. “You have two options, first we could use the court,” Hun Sen said on Jan. 9. “Secondly, we can go to hit you at your home because you don’t listen. Which option do you prefer? The second? Don’t be rude.” Candlelight Party activist Thy Sokha, known as “Peypeyly” on social media, talks on a Facebook livestream on Saturday after her car was intentionally rammed by an unknown assailant. Credit: RFA screenshot from Facebook There have been seven reported acts of violence that have targeted six opposition party members in recent months – not including the two attacks over the weekend, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Monday. Attacks on four of the six activists had multiple similarities, the New York-based organization said. “All four attacks were carried out by two men in dark clothes with dark motorcycle helmets riding a single motorbike, with the driver remaining on the bike while the passenger assaulted the victim,” the organization said. “In three attacks, the assailants used an extendable metal baton as a weapon. In two attacks, the victims could hear the attackers confirming the victims’ identity moments before they were assaulted. No money or valuables were stolen.” All of the activists interviewed by Human Rights Watch said they believe they were targeted because of their work with the Candlelight Party, the organization said. Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, said Hun Sen is using “every repressive tool at his disposal” to rid the country of political opposition, including prison sentences on politically motivated charges. “Foreign governments should send a clear public message that dismantling opposition parties and disqualifying, assaulting, and arresting their members before election day means that there won’t be any real election at all,” he said in the statement. ‘Failure’ to bring justice Katta Orn of the government-backed Human Rights Committee said the Human Rights Watch statement was politically targeted at the government. “It is customary for Human Rights Watch to state something baseless, without proper observations, data or information,” he told Radio Free Asia. “They disseminate the issues to the international community with an aim to put pressure on the royal government.” Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan, CPP spokesman Sok Ey San and National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun couldn’t be reached for comment on Monday. Soeung Senkarona, spokesperson for the Cambodian rights group ADHOC, voiced concerns over the Cambodian government’s repeated failure to bring any perpetrators to justice in the attacks. “I am concerned that such failure by the Cambodian government to comply with its international obligations may bring further pressure from the international community,” he said. Translated by Keo Sovannarith. Edited by Matt Reed. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/weekend-opposition-attacks-04242023164641.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Yim Sinorn was jailed a month ago for comments posted on Facebook that were critical of Cambodia’s king. A former opposition party youth leader who was recently jailed after he posted comments on Facebook about the government and Cambodia’s king announced on Friday that he was joining the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. Yim Sinorn met with Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday at his home in Kandal province, where he and his family posed for photos as the longtime leader sat at his desk. The defection of a prominent and outspoken opposition activist comes as the CPP continues to work to silence, intimidate and co-opt opposition figures ahead of the July general elections. Yim Sinorn has been a close ally of Kem Sokha, the leader of the now-banned Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) who was sentenced to 27 years for treason last month in a decision widely condemned as politically motivated. On Friday, Yim Sinorn blamed officials from the opposition Candlelight Party for ignoring him while he was in detention last month and for accusing him of being a double agent. “Samdech Hun Sen, I want to see Cambodia to have a strong democratic system based on Cambodia’s standard and to comply with the Constitution,” he wrote on his wife’s Facebook page, using an honorific title. “It is my duty to be committed to protect peace and prevent any attempts to destroy the country. I have little education and experience but I want to serve the country and her people,” Yim Sinorn wrote. “If Samdech gives me a chance I would like to join the CPP to be able to serve the people and the country.” Messages from the coffee shop Yim Sinorn was once the head of the CNRP’s youth movement in South Korea, where nearly 50,000 Cambodians work, mostly as factory workers. In 2019, he helped organize a demonstration of workers against the Hun Sen government in Gwangju. Later that year, he and nine colleagues were charged in Phnom Penh Municipal Court with conspiracy and inciting serious social unrest in Cambodia and elsewhere. In September 2021, he wrote a letter to Hun Sen saying the charges against him were unfair and that he never supported leading opposition figure Sam Rainsy. Hun Sen was apparently satisfied with the letter and the court dropped all charges against him and the other nine defendants. Yim Sinorn returned to Cambodia in January 2022. In March, he was arrested after posting a comment on Facebook that seemed to highlight the political powerlessness of King Norodom Sihamoni, who is required by Cambodia’s 1993 Constitution to reign as a national figurehead. “According to the people at the coffee shop, today we clearly know who is truly the king,” Yim Sinorn wrote. He was released a week later after he posted a video and a statement from prison apologizing for the message. “I take this occasion to ask for forgiveness from the king and apologize to Samdech Hun Sen publicly with honesty,” he said at the time. ‘A core person to Kem Sokha’ In February, Radio Free Asia reported that environmental workers and opposition party members are being offered jobs in the government by the CPP as a way of weakening any competition ahead of the July general election. Political analyst Seng Sary said Yim Sinorn’s switch to the CPP makes it even more likely that opposition party activists will continue to defect to the CPP in the coming months. “Yim Sinorn was a core person to Kem Sokha,” he said. “I think there might be more people defecting [to the CPP]. This defection is like a pandemic.” Yim Sinorn said on Facebook that he asked Hun Sen to release his colleague Hun Kosal, who was also arrested last month after posting similar comments about the king. Hun Kosal hasn’t apologized to Hun Sen and is still in jail. Yim Sinorn’s wife, Sophat Makara, posted photos of Friday’s meeting with Hun Sen on her Facebook page, calling the prime minister “my Samdech father.” “My husband and family will try our best to work hard and won’t disappoint my father,” she wrote. “I can survive because of my father and mother.” CPP spokesman Chhim Phalvorun said Yim Sinorn has his political rights and can choose any party that he likes. He said the CPP will look into his request and his qualifications. Hun Sen made no comment on his Telegram account about the latest news, but he did repost an article from the pro-government news site, Freshnews, about his meeting with Yim Sonorn. Translated by Yun Samean. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/opposition-defector-04212023161700.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has issued the second weather long term forecast for Cambodia in 2023 – and it says hot weather will continue till August with the rainy season having less rain than 2022. The Ministry advises Cambodians that there may be more dry season, so people should use water sparingly and be very careful when it rains and the wind blows. The forecast results show that: 1. Global Phenomena Based on the Global Alert on Pacific Ocean Temperature Indicators show that in 2023, from May to August, Cambodia will be affected by the El Nino heat phenomena, which is a transitional phenomenon between El Nino and La Nina. From September to November, the El Nino phenomenon may increase by 70% to 80% and the Neutral phenomenon by 20% to 30%. 2. Rainy season 2023 A- Early rainy season: The rainy season of 2023 will arrive in the second week of May later than 2022, with light to moderate rainfall and scattered rainfall. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501277806/ministry-issues-long-term-2023-weather-forecast-for-cambodia-less-rain-more-high-temperatures/

Former Cambodian wildlife official makes his first court appearance since his November arrest in New York. The former head of Cambodia’s Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity should not be held responsible for illegally smuggling research monkeys because he was acting on orders of his government and not in a personal capacity, his lawyers have argued in a U.S. government case against him. Moreover, the U.S. case against Masphal Kry is tantamount to an attack on the Cambodian government, his defense lawyers argued, calling the indictment “a full-on assault on a foreign ministry.” U.S. Justice Department officials said Kry and seven other individuals were running a smuggling operation involving hundreds of long-tail macaques - a primate key for medical studies - poached from the wild in Cambodia and shipped illegally to the U.S. Kry, who has been under house arrest since he was apprehended at New York’s JFK airport in November 2022, made his first court appearance at an evidentiary hearing in Miami on Friday. Officials in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida have accused Kry of taking monkeys from the national parks and other locations in Cambodia and then falsifying permits, making it seem as though the animals had been raised in a breeding facility - the only legal place where the research primates can be sourced from. The prosecutors accused him of being part of a conspiracy in which monkeys were sold with inaccurate export permits to the U.S. The prosecutors accused Kry and his associates of trying to make it seem as though the monkeys had been bred in captivity, when in fact the monkeys had been caught in the wild. Prosecutors said that Kry and his associates concocted a scheme to sell the monkeys. He and his associates have each been charged with seven counts of smuggling and one count of conspiracy. Masphal Kry, the former head of Cambodia’s Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity. Credit: Masphal Kry Facebook On Friday, a judge, Lisette Reid, considered whether some of the evidence gathered by federal investigators could be admitted at trial. The lawyers argued about the circumstances of Kry’s arrest at Kennedy International Airport in New York in November, and whether information that he provided to an investigator on that day can be admitted. At the airport, Kry was read his Miranda rights (his right to have a lawyer present and to remain silent). But his lawyers said that he does not speak or understand English well enough to have comprehended the full meaning of his rights. If he was not aware of his rights, then the information he shared cannot be admitted. The prosecutors said that he was told of his rights, and that he was given a translation of his rights in the Khmer language. Therefore, they said, the evidence can be admitted. Kry, sitting next to an interpreter, listened intently to their arguments. He wore a dark suit and white socks, with an electronic ankle bracelet - a GPS tracking device - bulging under one of his socks. Outside the courthouse, animal rights activists, holding signs (“End Monkey Smuggling”) and wearing cardboard monkey faces, stood in a line. “Hunters in Cambodia are taking mothers away from their babies,” said Amanda Brody, a senior campaigner for an organization, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), referring to the captured animals. “We’re standing here in solidarity with the monkeys.” Protecting public spaces? Ahead of Friday’s hearing, Kry’s lawyers sought to have the indictment dismissed, arguing that he was following the Cambodian government’s request to obtain monkeys from “public spaces,” places where monkeys are a nuisance for local residents. In fact, Cambodian officials viewed the capture of the monkeys as a service to the people who live in these areas. Local authorities had wanted the monkeys removed, the lawyers claimed. Kry was fulfilling his duties as a wildlife official and U.S. prosecutors are attempting “to criminalize public acts by a foreign government employee that occurred entirely within that foreign country.” “These public acts are legal under Cambodian law,” said the defense lawyers. Experts say the argument has little credibility as the issue is not whether poaching monkeys is legal under Cambodian domestic law, but that Kry and his conspirators faked import documents to pretend that the provenance of the macaques was legitimate. This would be illegal under U.S. law and under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which Cambodia has signed. The defense's argument "epitomizes the Cambodian government's way of thinking — it’s not illegal if the government says it’s not," said Ed Newcomer, a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife investigator. "[But] Cambodia is a signatory to CITES and, as such, has to follow CITES rules if they want to export their wildlife." Long-tailed macaques, highly intelligent creatures prized in research for their biological similarity to humans, are protected under international trade law, and their handlers need a permit to ship them to the U.S. They were added to the endangered species list in 2022 amid increased poaching as demand for the primates surged in the midst of the COVID pandemic. The biggest market is the U.S. From 2000 to 2018, the U.S. imported between 41.7% and 70.1% of the total annual trade, according to a forthcoming article in the International Federation of Tropical Medicine journal. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/us-cambodia-monkey-smuggling-04212023182723.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Information minister criticized for a recent sexist Facebook post. Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday publicly lashed out at Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith and other top government officials for not being responsive to his online messages – and also called out Kanharith for a sexist online comment that recently caused an uproar. “I want to talk about the ministers’ Telegram group,” the prime minister said at a Phnom Penh hospital, referring to an instant messaging app. “When I sent my messages in the group, it took them seven days to get it. And they just responded ‘thank you.’ “These kinds of people, why do they need a phone? Some of the ministers are lazy.” Hun Sen said the 71-year-old Kanharith was the worst, sometimes taking 15 days to answer a message. “He is the minister of information but he doesn’t read the news,” the prime minister said. “I don’t know what to say. He posts on Facebook constantly but doesn’t look at WhatsApp and Telegram.” Kanharith, a former newspaper editor and legislator who has served in top roles at the ministry for nearly 30 years, was heavily criticized on his Facebook page this week after he posted a photo showing a man spraying a water toy gun at a woman’s breast while she drove a motorbike during Khmer New Year. His comment next to the photo said: “What a really nice shot!” The post received over 15,000 reactions, 1,300 shares and 870 comments. ‘Not just this photo’ Kanharith’s posting negatively affects the dignity of women, said Mean Lisa, a member of the Mother Nature NGO. “It’s not just this single photo,” she said. “In the past, this information minister has posted photos implying sexual harassment on women. He shouldn’t make fun out of that. It creates a bad example.” Information Ministry spokesman Meas Sophoan couldn’t be reached for comment. Radio Free Asia sent several messages to Kanharith but didn’t receive a response. Khmer Student Intelligent League Association president Keut Saray urged Hun Sen to re-educate his ministers by prohibiting Kanharith from posting any more inappropriate photos. “He is a public figure who is the servant of the people and an example for his subordinates. He should act as a good role model for Cambodians in general, especially journalists,” he said. ‘People are disappointed’ Additionally, the prime minister should also be blamed when his ministers don’t respond in a timely fashion to his messages, Keut Saray said. It looks like Hun Sen doesn’t effectively manage his ministers but instead runs the government like a family, he said. Hun Sen on Thursday also called out Soy Sokha, the secretary general at the Office of the Council of Ministers, for being slow to reply. He also said that Minister of Planning Chhay Thorn and government adviser Ek Sam Ol were quick to respond to his messages but didn’t seem to closely read the content of the messages. If ministers can’t respond to Hun Sen on time, how can they be trusted to respond to the needs of the people? asked Vorn Pov, president of the Independent Democracy of Information Economic Association. The prime minister should look into reshuffling inactive ministers after the upcoming July parliamentary election, if the CPP wins, he said. “People are tired of lagging services. People are disappointed in relying on ministers,” he said. Translated by Samean Yun and Keo Sovannarith. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/ministers-messages-04202023151752.html

Phnom Penh — Cambodian leader Hun Sen's eldest son was officially promoted to the rank of four-star general Thursday, in another sign of plans for him to succeed his father. Hun Sen has publicly backed Hun Manet to lead the kingdom in the future. Hun Manet, who is commander of the army, received the four-star rank at a ceremony attended by more than 1,000 senior military officials. Defense minister Tea Banh, who presided over the ceremony, said Hun Manet's promotion reflected his efforts "to serve the nation, military and Cambodian people." Hun Manet — who was educated in Britain and the United States — has been officially backed by the ruling party as a future prime minister and has been active on social media in recent months to increase his public profile. The 45-year-old has also had more diplomatic meetings with senior political figures than before, according to the Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index. In 2022 he met 10 world leaders, deputy leaders and foreign ministers, compared with only two in 2019, the institute said. He will run for a parliamentary seat when Cambodia goes to the polls in July this year, according to a party document seen by AFP. Hun Sen, who has ruled the country for 38 years, has repeatedly hinted at stepping down but has said he will run for office again in the coming election. The prime minister, who has wound back democratic freedoms and used the courts to stifle opposition, frequently characterizes his children's achievements as the product of education and training and rejects claims of nepotism. At the last general election in 2018, Hun Sen's party won every seat in parliament after the Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) a year before. https://www.voanews.com/a/cambodia-pm-hun-sen-s-son-becomes-four-star-general/7058435.html

Report from provincial police calls shooting an ‘accidental discharge.’ Witnesses said a top local police officer shot a man during a raid on an illegal cock fight, but police later said that the gunshot came from an accidental discharge – which angered the victim’s family. Witnesses said Seang Bunnal, the deputy police chief in Prey Veng province’s Ban Phnom district, led a group of officers in the raid over the Khmer New Years holiday weekend. Seang Bunnal fired his pistol, hitting San Vicheca, a 36-year-old farmer, witnesses said. San Vicheca had been watching the cockfighting and was sitting on a motorbike when he was struck, his brother said. The brother, San Tola, told Radio Free Asia that San Vicheca was being treated at a hospital in Vietnam. Doctors have been unable to remove the bullet and he may be permanently paralyzed, San Tola said. San Vicheca lies on the ground after being shot during a cockfight raid in Prey Veng Province, Ban Phnom District, on April 15, 2023. (Citizen Journalist photo) After the shooting, a group of people and journalists stopped Seang Bunnal. He was detained and later released, witnesses said Prey Veng Provincial Deputy Police Chief Prak Chanthet wrote a report this week to National Police Commissioner Neth Savoeun that called the shooting an accident. Seang Bunnal is still being investigated and the case hasn’t been sent to court officials yet, Prak Chanthet said. San Vicheca’s family continues to insist that the shooting wasn’t an accident. They also say that he didn't fight with police during the raid. Seang Bunnal refused to talk to RFA when reached for comment, citing the ongoing investigation. Police should only use lethal weapons when they’re fired upon, Adhoc spokesman Soeung Sen Karuna told RFA. But if the other party doesn’t have a weapon, it’s illegal to shoot at them, he said. “There should be a good reason,” he said. “Police can’t just use lethal weapons. The victim was shot from behind which meant the victim was afraid.” Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/cockfighting-raid-shooting-04202023172025.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.