geovalin

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.

The charges are similar to those facing other Candlelight Party officials who switched from a smaller party. A provincial court ordered the arrest of two senior Candlelight Party officials on fraud charges, the latest such charges – which critics called politically motivated – that stem from political party registration documents filed last year. Seng Visal, the Candlelight Party’s finance officer in Prey Veng province, and Bin Chhong, a commune council member in Prey Veng, were arrested and charged with submitting fraudulent documents to the Ministry of Interior for last year’s local commune election candidate lists. The two officials were members of the National Heart Party at the time. They have since switched their allegiance to the Candlelight Party – the main opposition party and the biggest threat to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. The CPP filed the complaint against the two officials as a way of intimidating opposition party activists ahead of the July parliamentary elections, said Dim Yun, the executive director for the Candlelight Party in Prey Veng. “I am very disappointed with the arrest. This is very inappropriate. During the election, the government should allow more political parties and not arrest any party’s activists,” he said. “This is not about criminal offenses, it is a politically motivated case to intimidate opposition party officials in Prey Veng.” Four other Candlelight Party officials have been arrested on similar charges in recent weeks. In previous similar cases, the Ministry of Interior has said that the National Heart Party collected several hundred forged thumbprints on documents it filed when it registered ahead of the 2022 commune elections. Seng Visal and Bin Chhong ahead of their arrest on fraud charges at Prey Veng Provincial Court. (Image grab from a Citizen journalist video) Aimed at intimidation But any problems that the ministry had with last year’s candidate lists should have already been resolved, said Am Sam Ath of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, or Licadho. “These arrests will lead to criticism saying the arrests were aimed at intimidating the opposition party officials who will compete in the election,” he said. Seng Visal and Bin Chhong were questioned at Prey Veng provincial court for four hours before their arrest, their lawyer Sam Sokong told Radio Free Asia. They are being held without bail even though their alleged crime is minor and they have full-time jobs, he said. “According to the law, they have permanent jobs – particularly Bin Chhong, who is a commune councilor – so they should be safe to be released on bail,” he said. Outside the courthouse, about 50 supporters gathered to show solidarity with the officials before they went inside the court for questioning. After the questioning, Presiding Judge Hem Krishna ordered the arrests and that Seng Visal and Bin Chhong be detained while they await trial. Later, Prey Veng Provincial Prison Department officials refused to allow a defense lawyer and party officials to see them. Court spokesman Ath Sokhon refused to comment when contacted by RFA. Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-veng-candlelight-arrests-04192023170153.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

PHNOM PENH, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia reported 1.26 million air travelers during the first quarter of 2023, up 549 percent from only 195,000 passengers over the same period last year, said the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation's report released on Wednesday. The report said international and domestic airlines had operated 12,091 flights to the kingdom's three international airports during the January-March period this year, up 199 percent from 4,043 flights over the same period last year. The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation's Undersecretary of State and Spokesman Sinn Chanserey Vutha said the Southeast Asian country is projected to attract some 4.6 million air passengers this year, an expected sharp increase from 2.38 million last year. "For 2023, we predict that the number of air passengers will be doubled thanks to China's reopening," he told Xinhua. He said China's optimization of its anti-COVID-19 strategy and resumption of its outbound group tours earlier this year have injected fresh impetus into the development of the aviation industry. According to the spokesman, the aviation sector generated 1.7 million direct and indirect jobs, and contributed nearly 17 percent to the country's total gross domestic product. http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2023-04/19/content_85239675.htm

Cambodia will be the first host country in SEA Games history to cover all expenses from meals and transport to accommodation for participating nations in the event next month. In an announcement on Tuesday to the sports delegations attending the Games, the Cambodia Olympic Committee said that following the direction of Prime Minister Hun Sen, the hosts would cover all meals, accommodation and transport for the participants, as long as the schedule of the delegations remains the same as previously registered. This is unprecedented in the history of the SEA Games. Initially, Cambodia planned to collect $50 per person per day, like in the previous editions of the Games. Cambodia's decision will help 11 sports delegations attending SEA Games 32 save a huge amount of money. For example, the Vietnamese sports delegation with 1,003 people will save over $50,000 per day. read more https://e.vnexpress.net/news/sports/sea-games-32-cambodia-to-cover-all-expenses-for-participating-nations-4595492.html

Two Irrawaddy dolphin calves have been recorded since early this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) said in a news release on Tuesday. The first calf recorded this year was on March 1. The second dolphin calf was spotted on April 15. Both calves were spotted at the Kampi dolphin pool in northeastern Kratie province. Seng Teak, World Wildlife Fund Cambodia country director, said yesterday that the birth of the new Irrawaddy dolphins shows that the “great task of the conservation team” is showing progress. “I hope this year there will be more dolphins giving birth,” he said. He added the conservation team has not yet had to evict any fisherman from the conservation area this year. Teak said that management of the dolphin sanctuary is strictly enforced in accordance with the government’s sub-decree through a policy of education, outreach and patrol. “We are seeing now that this strict area management strategy helps dolphins reproduce since we are protecting their breeding grounds,” he said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501275974/two-dolphin-calves-observed-in-the-mekong/

The Ministry of Environment (MoE), the Embassy of Japan, GIZ implemented 3RproMar Project and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised the 3rd National Forum on “Combatting Plastic Pollution in Cambodia” earlier this month. This forum brought together more than 250 people from the government, development partners and NGOs, the private sector, academia, and the arts. The main purposes were to share Cambodia’s efforts to combat plastic pollution, to feature creative awareness-raising initiatives, and to introduce innovative circular businesses for tackling plastic pollution. Cambodia’s recent rapid economic and population growth has drastically increased plastic waste, with many negative impacts on Cambodia’s environment and public health. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501274385/combatting-plastic-pollution-in-cambodia/

PHNOM PENH, April 15 (Bernama-Xinhua): Hundreds of thousands of Cambodian migrant workers left the capital Phnom Penh since last week for their home provinces to celebrate the traditional New Year holiday, which started from Friday and ends on Monday. Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng said that on the advice of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Phnom Penh City Hall has arranged 345 city buses to ferry people from the capital to provinces and vice versa for free-of-charge from April 13-17, reported Xinhua. "The move is to prevent private bus companies and taxi drivers from raising fees and to reduce travel costs for people who visit their hometowns during the New Year holiday period," he said during a visit to a city bus station. The city bus fleet includes 98 Yutong "smart" buses donated by the Chinese government in July 2017. read more https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2023/04/16/cambodians-flock-to-hometowns-to-celebrate-traditional-new-year-holiday-weekend

Elaborate event criticized as costly use of national budget. Prime Minister Hun Sen and his youngest son kicked off a lavish Khmer New Year celebration at the Angkor temples complex on Friday as several thousand volunteers set a world record for the largest display of origami hearts. The arrangement of more than 3.9 million origami hearts at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Siem Reap province was organized by Hun Many, the chairman of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia and a parliamentary candidate in the upcoming July general election. “Cambodia has between 16 and 17 million people. We can make about 4 million hearts, so if China and India can make more hearts then the committee must consider,” the prime minister said, referring to the Guinness World Records officials who determine whether a record has been set. “They must think about the percent of the country’s population.” The Angkor Sangkran 2023 celebration near Angkor Wat temple – Cambodia’s top tourist attraction – has been decorated with lights, souvenir shops, food stalls, concerts and floating boats. Volunteers from the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, which is made up of supporters of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, did much of the work for the event. But the festival hasn’t done anything to promote the country’s culture, political analyst Kim Sok told Radio Free Asia. Money was spent out of the national budget and civil servants were put to work just to make people happy ahead of the election, he said. “Hun Sen doesn’t think about the country and its people. He organized the event for his face and for his family,” he said. Hun Many is currently a lawmaker from Kampong Speu province. Hun Sen’s eldest son, Hun Manet, has also been named a parliamentary candidate. He is currently the deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and is expected to eventually succeed his father as prime minister. Left: A scene from the Angkor Sangkran festivities. Right: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife, Bun Rany, look at part of the world’s largest display of origami hearts at the Angkor Sankram festival on April 14, 2023. Nearly 4 million folded hearts were created at the Angkor Wat temple ahead of the new year. Credit: Hun Sen Facebook page Another Guinness record attempt A member of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, Kean Savong, told RFA that another world record will be attempted at the festival on Saturday, when thousands of people will gather to do the Madison line dance. “People are volunteers so we don’t spend much money,” he said. A villager from Siem Reap province, Siem Vann, said Angkor Sangkran will make people happy for a short time but won’t really do anything to help the country when so many people are facing financial difficulties, are indebted to banks or are considering moving abroad to find work. He urged the government to think about increasing local markets for farmers and resolving political conflict. “The government should use the budget to appropriately help the poor and restore democracy so that people will have freedom,” he said. Siem Reap authorities wouldn’t elaborate on how much the event will cost, but the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia said private donations from rich businessmen known by the honorific “Okhna” will cover most of the expenses. Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Matt Reed. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/hun-sen-khmer-new-year-04142023163431.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

As Cambodian families usher in Khmer New Year with their loved ones, those of hundreds of migrant workers do not even know if they will ever be able to see them again. The National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT) has asked Cambodian embassies to help trace more than 600 migrant workers whose families claim have gone missing abroad. Chou Bun Eng, a secretary of state of the Ministry of Interior and vice-chairwoman of the NCCT, said yesterday that “We are looking for cooperation with countries where Cambodians go to work, to help provide information on these migrants whose families are unable to contact.” “I think it will be a difficult task because some of the workers may have gone to work illegally and used different names or do not have documents of identification with them,” she said. Bun Eng said that some of the “missing” migrants could also be working on ships and their families are unable to contact them because they are out at sea for long periods of time and have no means of communication. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/1272463/missing-cambodians-families-of-over-600-migrant-workers-unable-to-contact-them/

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Cambodia to be among the best-performing economies in East Asia and the Pacific this year alongside the Philippines and Vietnam. In its annual World Economic Outlook released in Washington Tuesday, the IMF said the Philippine economy was forecast to expand 6.0 percent – the fastest pace among the 15 members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. Cambodia ranked equal second with Vietnam, with both economies projected to grow 5.8 percent. Other projections were 5.2 percent for China, 5.0 percent for Indonesia, 4.5 percent for Malaysia, 4.0 percent for Laos, 3.4 percent for Thailand, 3.3 percent for Brunei, 2.6 percent for Myanmar, 1.6 percent for Australia, 1.5 percent for both South Korea and Singapore, 1.3 percent for Japan and 1.1 percent for New Zealand. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501272841/cambodia-among-three-most-robust-rcep-economies-this-year-says-imf/

The move is the latest in controversy with Thailand over name of the martial art. At Prime Minister Hun Sen’s behest, Cambodia has granted a Brazilian kickboxer and his wife citizenship for promoting Kun Khmer, the national sport, in the latest development in a controversy with Thailand, which calls the sport Muay Thai. Hun Sen also gave a U.S.$20,000 sponsorship to Thiago Teixeira, 34, who with his wife Roma Maria Rozanska-Steffen, an American citizen, became naturalized Cambodian citizens by King Norodom Sihamoni through a royal decree dated April 11, the Phnom Penh Post reported. The announcement came after the World Muay Thai Organization, or WMO, stripped Teixeira of a middleweight title that he won at the Apex Fight Series on April 1 in Germany, during which he waved Cambodia’s flag. Teixeira had said he wanted to represent Kun Khmer instead of being a Muay Thai fighter, despite training in the Thai sport for years. The two martial art forms — the most popular sports in their respective countries — are nearly identical and involve punching, kneeing and kicking opponents. But Cambodians argue that the sport originated from their culture, while Thais say it belongs to them. Cambodia has removed Muay Thai from a list of sports included in this year’s Southeast Asia Games, replacing it with Kun Khmer, amid a larger push for the national sport to gain international recognition. The biennial sports event will be held in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on May 5-17. Political ploy? Critics said the prime minister was using the issue to try to increase his popularity among Cambodian voters ahead of July’s general election. Legal expert Vorn Chan Lout said Cambodia should be extra cautious before granting citizenship to foreigners because the law requires them to live in the country for three years and understand its culture to be eligible. “Politicians are smart to take advantage of events, but the most important thing is the government needs to have a long-term vision in order to pay gratitude to all athletes,” he said. Cambodia’s Citizenship Law allows foreigners to acquire citizenship through marriage and naturalization, though they must stay in the Southeast Asian nation for three years. Am Sam Ath of Licadho said Hun Sen’s government should support Cambodia’s home-grown martial arts athletes rather than foreign ones. “I urge the government to pay attention to Kun Khmer and to encourage athletes with sufficient training so they are able to fight,” he said. Cambodian kickboxers have complained that they are underpaid in the sport. Veteran Kun Khmer fighter Vong Noy said he stopped fighting because his earnings from the sport were not enough to support his family or pay medical bills for injuries he sustained during fights. “I stopped fighting now because I have been fighting for many years,” he wrote on Facebook. “I got famous, but I am facing financial issues, and I’m afraid that I will become disabled and not make enough money to raise my children.” RFA could not reach Teixeira for comment, but he told local media during a press conference in Phnom Penh after signing a contract with the World Champion Kun Khmer Club, that he already considered Cambodia his home and he would help promote Kun Khmer to the rest of the world. Translated by Samean Yun for RFA Khmer. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/brazilian-kickboxer-04122023165736.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Despite concerns over the ability of Cambodia to reintroduce tigers which have gone extinct, the Ministry of Environment says Cambodia now is ready and will soon import the first group of the big cats from India. However, a conservation NGO working on the project said the Indian government certainly will not provide tigers until they are assured that there will be a safe environment for them in Cambodia. The last tiger to be spotted in Cambodia was photographed by a camera trap in 2007 in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province. Wildlife experts declared the animal extinct in the country in 2016. Speaking during a press conference to launch the Zero Snare Campaign Phase II in Pursat province on Friday, Ministry of Environment Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra said Cambodia would “soon” be importing tigers from India to reintroduce in Cambodia’s protected area. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501270535/tiger-concerns-cambodia-doing-its-best-to-make-a-home-for-indian-big-cats/

An average Cambodian can now live six years longer, said the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO). A joint press statement by the Ministry of Health and WHO on Friday said Cambodia’s life expectancy has increased to 76. Cambodia has made significant progress in its health sector and this has contributed to the well-being of the people. “Life expectancy has constantly been on a rise in Cambodia, and in 2021 and 2022, Cambodia’s life expectancy was 76 years old,” the statement said. In 2020, the life expectancy of a Cambodian was 70.42 years. In March, the government held talks with WHO, focused on strengthening the health system toward Universal Health Coverage and expanding social protection, both of which are vital to achieving the targets set in Cambodia’s Sustainable Development Goals. Health Minister Mam Bun Heng said Cambodia will continue to boost its primary healthcare with the collaboration of WHO to secure a healthy and safe future for all Cambodians. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501270542/life-expectancy-increases-to-76/

A British man was found face down in a sewer in a residential area not usually frequented by tourists in Kampot around 90 miles from the capital of Phnom Penh, Cambodia The 30-year-old man, who is thought to be from Bristol, was found by shocked locals in Kampot province, around 90 miles from the capital Phnom Penh on Thursday afternoon. He was wearing a pair of black trainers and black shorts but did not have anything on his upper body. Locals tried to rouse him but he reportedly had no signs of life. Pictures show residents had pulled him up onto the grass next to the drainage ditch and turned him onto his back. He was surrounded by thick grass several metres from the nearest road. Police arrived shortly after he was found at around 4pm local time. They pronounced him dead at the scene and his body was taken away for a police post-mortem examination. Shocked resident Bong Chea, one of the neighbours who gathered round his body said: “The man was dead when we found him. Somebody moved him to check if he was alive and try and wake him up. He was already dead. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501270042/british-national-30-found-dead-lying-face-down-in-a-sewer-in-cambodia-shrouded-in-mystery/

Opposition activists gathered to demand release of arrested party officials. About 100 activists with the main opposition Candlelight Party started a protest on Friday in Phnom Penh – their first demonstration in several years – but police quickly confronted and dispersed them, claiming they were causing a traffic jam. The activists gathered in front of the party’s headquarters to demand the release of recently arrested party officials. The city had refused to give them permission to protest at Freedom Park, the location of previous rallies against Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government, the party’s Youth Movement President Thorn Chantha said. Party organizers have faced threats and harassment as they prepare for July’s parliamentary elections. Party Vice President Thach Setha, for example, was arrested in January on charges of writing false checks. Her lawyers filed another request for bail earlier this week. “We also would like the political space to be opened ahead of the election to show the international and national community is acceptable,” said Thorn Chantha. “There should be fair competition. While other parties have the right to do everything, the Candlelight Party is being restricted.” Separately, Thorn Chantha said he was assaulted on Thursday by two unknown people after he ordered coffee. He said he was struck with a baton on his shoulder. The assailants then followed him as he was fleeing in his car and smashed his driver’s window with a rock, he said. “This violence is to intimidate opposition party activists who dare to conduct political activities ahead of the election,” Thorn Chantha said. ‘People understand their rights’ Police from the city’s Sen Sok district pushed the protesters away from the party’s headquarters, and activists eventually agreed to move off the street and into the party's headquarters, said Rong Chhun, a labor leader who recently became the party’s vice president. “We were protesting on the pavement, but the traffic was flowing. The accusation is unjustified,” he said. “This shows that they restrict freedom of speech and assembly.” There was no violence between police and protesters, he said. District officials invited him to a meeting on Monday to discuss the demonstration, which he told Radio Free Asia he would attend. But he urged NGOs and diplomats to monitor what takes place. “This was yet another image of repression to scare the youths and to scare people into not expressing themselves,” he said. “But people understand their rights and the law now. The more they scare us, the more people will join us.” Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/candlelight-party-protest-04072023163504.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Nineteen Japanese men detained in Cambodia in January on suspicion of taking part in organized phone and online scams will be deported to their homeland, a Cambodian immigration police officer said Friday. Arrangements for their return are being made by the Japanese Embassy in Cambodia, but so far no date has been set, Immigration Police spokesperson Gen. Keo Vanthan told The Associated Press. Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported Friday that Tokyo police have obtained arrest warrants for the 19 Japanese on suspicion of running phone scams from Cambodia targeting people in Japan. NHK said Cambodian authorities who searched the men’s hotel rooms “discovered a list of Japanese citizens believed to be targets in a fraud scheme.” The 19 were taken into custody in the southern city of Sihanoukville on Jan. 24 and sent to the capital, Phnom Penh, where they were held after investigation by the interior ministry. read more https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/cambodia-deport-19-japanese-cybercrime-scam-suspects-98427132

PHNOM PENH — After working for two years as a shoe trimmer at Pontus Footwear factory in Takeo province, Kem Saory could not endure the working conditions any longer. He decided to create a union with nine colleagues in order to demand improvements in accordance with their labor rights. Kem Saory, 37, knew he was risking his $200-per-month job from the factory, which he needed to support his wife, eight-year-old son and baby girl, but hoped that the Taiwanese-owned supplier of international shoe brands such as Puma and Timberland would respond positively. He announced in a letter on Dec. 1, 2022, to management at the factory, located around 70 kilometers south of the capital Phnom Penh, that he was the head of a new, independent union. About three weeks later he and three other unionists were being let go by the company, which said in a letter dated Jan. 24, 2023, and seen by VOA Khmer, only that their fixed-duration contracts expired and were not being renewed. “It is certain that the factory doesn’t want our independent union to exist in the factory. That’s why they rejected it and fired us,” Kem Saory told VOA Khmer, adding that the six other unionists feared they would be the next to be let go. A spate of firings of unionists A labor rights group said Pontus was one of three garment factories in recent months that have forced out a total of 20 workers for attempting to unionize. The others were T-Win Co. Ltd. in Takeo province, which reportedly supplies international brands Skechers, Nike and 5.11 Inc., and Caswell Apparel Co., Ltd. in Phnom Penh. Another ongoing dispute concerns three workers who were fired in 2022 after attempting to form a union at Cinlon International factory in Kampong Speu province. The Chinese-owned factory produces bags for the California-based brand Clevermade. The Ministry of Labor instructed the company in July 2022 to reinstate the workers, but labor activists said that the factory failed to do so. “Freedom of creating local unions has been a challenge for workers lately,” Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW), said in a statement on 15 Feb. “[The workers] formed a union within the company for the rights and freedoms of workers as stated in Cambodian law,” he said, adding that union founders are protected by law, “[h]owever, the companies do not care about the law.” The recently dismissed unionists jointly submitted letters of complaint on March 6 to the Ministry of Labor requesting intervention in order to force factory owners to rehire them and to respect the law. Labor Ministry spokesman Heng Sour told VOA Khmer that the ministry was assessing the complaints and urged this reporter to be skeptical of the complaints of individual labor activists as they are “not the authority.” Kaing Monika, deputy secretary-general of Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, referred questions about the disputes to the ministry, adding,“Any action on non-compliance [with labor laws], if any, would be dealt with by the ministry.” FILE - Employees work at a factory supplier of the H&M brand in Kandal province, Cambodia, December 12, 2018. read more https://www.voacambodia.com/a/firings-of-unionists-at-garment-factories-raise-concern-over-cambodia-s-labor-rights-/7037641.html