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When Geraldine Cox gave up her life in Australia to care for hundreds of children in Cambodia, she was living “a hedonistic, materialistic life in Sydney”. “I didn’t save the kids, they saved me, my life is so full of joy and love every day,” Ms Cox said. “I had catered for dinner parties, expensive jewellery, first-class flights. “I never gave to the Red Cross or Salvation Army, everything was about me. “It wasn’t until I saw the plight of children – it was like a bullet to the head.” Now aged 77, Ms Cox – known as ‘big mum’ – is about to hand over the reins of her orphanage and welfare empire in Cambodia. She first visited Cambodia in the 1970s at the very beginning of the Vietnam War and was overwhelmed by the number of disadvantaged children. Soon after she found out she could not conceive children, she returned to Cambodia to help as a volunteer in a children’s orphanage in the mid-1990s. The centre, run by the royal family, was plunged into uncertainty after 1997. Ms Cox found herself looking after the orphanage alone and on the wrong side of a highly volatile political war. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501152814/geraldine-cox-reflects-on-life-saving-hundreds-of-children-and-handing-over-reins-of-cambodian-orphanage/

The Doomsday gathering organisers yesterday appealed to the more than 1,000 people still remaining on the farm near Kulen Mountain to leave or risk starvation. This is because a blockade in place to prevent others from entering the farm makes it impossible for anyone to leave and return with food supplies. The blockade only allows people to leave for their homes but prevents anyone from going back in. In a video posted on Facebook yesterday, LDP vice-permanent president Ny Chanpinith, who is the owner of the 37-hectare farm, urged all those still gathered there to disperse because there is not enough food to support such a large crowd. “Those who choose to depart should do so right away, and those who wait outside the farmland gate for a family member should be allowed to come inside to speak with them and take them home,” he said. “We do not have enough food to support them or for surviving anymore. The food in stock is running out, therefore please leave or you will all starve here,” he added. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501153713/reality-check-doomsday-organisers-say-food-supplies-are-running-out/

Supporters of democracy advocate Theary Seng continue to push for her release. Supporters of jailed Cambodian American and human rights advocate Theary Seng called on Cambodia’s government to grant her release, days after a New York-based rights group called her June 14 trial “a travesty of justice.” Theary Seng was sentenced to six years in prison along with 50 other activists for their association with the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, once the main opposition in the country before the Supreme Court dissolved it in 2017. The Clooney Foundation for Justice, which was founded by actor George Clooney and his wife and human rights attorney Amal Clooney, gave the trial a grade of F because it ignored Cambodia’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which it signed in 1980 and ratified in 1992. The foundation urged the appellate court to overturn Theary Seng’s conviction and order her release. “This case was all but predetermined,” said Andrew Khoo, co-chair of the Malaysian Bar Council’s Constitutional Law Committee, who reviewed the case for the foundation. “Theary Seng was convicted not because of what she did, but because she supported democratic change in Cambodia. Her continued incarceration constitutes arbitrary detention under the ICCPR, which prohibits imprisoning someone for exercising their right to freedom of expression.” Theary Seng, who is known for donning elaborate costumes in her public protests, appeared in front of the courthouse on the day the trial ended dressed as the Statue of Liberty, awaiting the verdict. After the court found her and the others guilty, she was quickly taken into custody and sent to prison. Other activists are also pushing for her release. Sat Pha, who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Theary Seng at protests before she fled to Thailand for fear of political persecution, told RFA’s Khmer Service Sunday that she and other exiles planned to wear t-shirts demanding her fellow activist be freed this weekend in Bangkok on the occasion of Pchum Ben, the Cambodian festival for remembering ancestors. “Even though I am in another country right now. I strongly demand that the government release Theary Seng from prison without condition,” Sat Pha said. Others inside Cambodia marched and sent petitions to foreign embassies from democratic countries, said Prum Chantha, a protester from the Friday Women Group, which held weekly protests at the court during the trial in support of their husbands, who were eventually convicted alongside Theary Seng. “I appeal to the government to release Theary Seng and our husbands because they haven’t committed any wrongdoing. [They should] and drop all the charges,” Prum Chantha said. Sokun Tola, a member of the Khmer Thavarak youth organization, told RFA that she believes Theary Seng is a good role model for the younger generation thanks to her advocacy work to end injustice and bring about freedom for the Cambodian people. “I think the government should consider releasing Seng Theary [and the rest] during the Pchum Ben festival so that they can join the festival,” Sokun Tola said. Theary Seng has been treated according to the law, government spokesperson Phai Siphan told RFA Monday. “The government authorities have no jurisdiction over the court nor can we interfere or order the court to end this case. We have no authority over the court,” he said. The government frequently makes that excuse, however, Am Sam Ath of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights told RFA. “They always say that the arrest and imprisonment of political activists is done according to the law,” he said. “But, human rights experts, the U.N. Council for Human Rights and democratic countries see that the arrests and imprisonments of former political activists and Seng Theary are politically motivated, rather than a proper application of the law.” Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/theary_seng-09192022181806.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Following Prime Minister Hun Sen’s order to crackdown on illegal gambling on Saturday, a number of raids were launched in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville over the weekend as part of a co-ordinated strategy to supress illegal gambling. In Sihanoukville, over 400 foreigners were detained in a massive crackdown on illegal online gambling on Saturday. Authorities raided Boeng Chheng International Entertainment Co., Ltd., located in Sangkat 3, Sihanoukville, Sihanoukville Province, It is reported that evidence was found of illegal online gambling and that more than 400 foreigners were detained in the raid. In Tonle Bassac district, Kieng Leak, Governor of Chamkar Mon District led a force to crack down on a gambling place on Saturday afternoon. A number of suspects were arrested, as well as gambling equipment being seized by authorities In Boeung Keng Kang District, authorities detained 11 people and confiscated illegal gambling paraphernalia pictures https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501153484/in-pictures-anti-illegal-gambling-raids-in-phnom-penh-and-sihanoukville-see-500-detained/

A new study says that there are more than 33,000 debt-driven land sales in Cambodia each year. An “alarmingly high” number of Cambodians have had to sell their homes to repay credit card and small loan debt, a study of Cambodia’s microfinance sector has revealed. The study, commissioned by the German government’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), surveyed households, held group discussions with villagers, and interviewed local authorities in 24 Cambodian villages. It found that many of the indebted households had taken out small loans with an 18 percent interest rate, and about half had trouble repaying. Of the households that reported difficulties, 13 percent reported selling their homes over the past five years. When extrapolated for the entire country's population of borrowers, “[this] would mean 33,480 debt-driven land sales per year, or roughly one sale every 16 minutes,” the study said. Some borrowers tried to lower their debt burden by eating less, and others took their children out of school so they could work to help repay the family debt, the report found. Borrowers in some rare instances suffered from food insecurity or were forced to work in inhumane conditions, or put their children to work to such an extent that it constituted human rights abuses, it said. The study shows the challenges faced by Cambodians who borrow money, Eang Vuthy, executive director at the Phnom Penh-based Equitable Cambodia NGO, told RFA’s Khmer Service. “When [the microfinance institution] holds land and house titles, they charge an interest rate that doesn’t reflect the ability of each family to make income each month,” he said. “They consider the interest rate based on the value of the land.” He urged the government and microfinance firms to forgive the debts of poor people who have no hope of ever making enough money to pay it off. “This is a financial crisis. We have to have a national policy to allow time for people to pay off their debts rather than forcing them to pay or confiscate their land,” he said. RFA was unable to reach National Bank of Cambodia Director Chea Serey for comment. In Channy, president of the local Acleda bank, told RFA that 18 percent interest rates are relatively low compared to the rates credit companies in other countries charge. Acleda provides loans based on its evaluation of a prospective borrower’s eligibility, but sometimes, people lie in their loan application forms while others misuse the loans, he said. “There shouldn’t be any customers losing their land because they are taking loans, unless they misuse the loans,” In Channy said. Kaing Tongngy of the Cambodia Microfinance Association, said Cambodians sell their homes to raise capital for their businesses or because they want to relocate, not because they cannot pay their loans. However, Kaing Tongngy said that some loan officers are unscrupulous and that his institution will provide more training to loan officers. Debtors should discuss their circumstances with their lenders if they cannot pay their loans, he said. “Microfinance companies consider people as clients. People have the right to ask and bargain,” said Kaing Tongngy. “We urge people to talk about finding solutions to reduce tension” Forced to sell Sources in the country told RFA that they had no way to repay their debts other than to sell their homes. Vann Voeun of Kampong Speu province said that he and his brother sold their homes to repay debt they owed in 2019. He said that their creditors would not allow them to make late payments, and threatened to confiscate their properties, so he sold their land and cows to pay the interest on time. “The most delay they could give us was only one week, otherwise they threatened to foreclose on the properties. We were afraid so we borrowed more money from neighbors even though they charged more interest,” he said. He said that he didn’t misuse the loan but his business failed. He said that the loan led to his brother’s divorce. “A micro financer threatened me. I hurried to sell my land. The land should have sold for U.S. $20,000 but I sold for only $10,000,” Vann Voeun said. In Banteay Meanchey province, Prin Chhoy sold two lots of her land to pay off her debt. She no longer has her house, but instead lives in a small shelter on her farm. She said her child dropped out of school because the debt became too much. During RFA Khmer Service’s call-in show on Friday, Sok Meng from Takeo province said that he took out a loan for $20,000 to start a business, but he is unable to generate enough money to repay the bank. “I bought supplies for my business but I’m not making any profit,” he said. “My business doesn’t work. I can't make any income due to inflation. It is hard to live, I am making $20 dollars [each day], it is hard to pay the loan. I spend more than I can make in income. I will sell my business and sell my land. Things are so hard.” Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/micro_finance-09162022195856.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

About 57 food and souvenir stalls directly next to Angkor Wat temple were told by officials to take down their booths and depart by Friday, but have not moved out even as the deadline passed. Chan Kanha, 34, is among the Angkor vendors who were told to remove her souvenir shop from Angkor Park by Friday. The sellers’ booths are part of a larger campaign against people living or doing business in the Unesco-designated world heritage site known as Angkor Archaeological Park. These activities, according to officials, may be against the law close to the temples and jeopardize the park’s Unesco designation. However, Kanha said there should have been an agreement on compensation and relocation before ordering them to stop their businesses. The sellers want compensation and a new place where they can continue their trade, she said. read more https://vodenglish.news/deadline-passes-but-angkor-vendors-are-not-moving-out/

A casino in Cambodia has handed over 11 Vietnamese citizens to local authorities after 56 of their brethren escaped the facility on Saturday. The foreign ministry said Vietnam was currently cooperating with Cambodian authorities to bring the Vietnamese citizens back home as soon as possible, and to check if there were any any other Vietnamese national left at the facility. Nguyen Thanh Ngoc, Chairman of the Tay Ninh People's Committee, had said Saturday that 56 Vietnamese people working in a casino in Bavet Town, Svay Rieng Province, had fled towards the main road leading to the Moc Bai border gate, citing working conditions. Cambodian police have held this group back for an investigation, Ngoc said. A minute-long video recorded by local people shows the group fleeing from the casino when it was raining heavily. The video shows many people in black uniforms chasing after them. When some of the people fleeing fell, the people in black uniforms captured them, beating them as they did so. read more https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/cambodian-facility-hands-over-11-more-vietnamese-after-workers-escape-4512774.html

Authorities plan to upgrade three Cambodian-Thai border checkpoints into international border checkpoints, according to Ministry of Interior. The new border checkpoints to be upgraded are An Ses border checkpoint (Preah Vihear), Thmar Da border checkpoint (Pursat), and Chob Koki border (Oddar Meanchey). While talking at the 7th Cambodia-Thailand Border Governors Meeting on Friday evening, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng said that the two countries are also cooperating to open Stung Bot-Ban Nong Ean (Sa Kaeo province) International border checkpoint located in Banteay Meanchey as soon as possible. “Both sides also agreed to examine the possibility of upgrading the Chhak Roka border checkpoint (Battambang province)-Ban Mak Muong (Trat province) to an international border checkpoint,” he said. The relevant authorities of both countries also agreed to conduct detailed measurements in Prey Chan village, Banteay Meanchey province and Non Mak Muon village in Sa Kaeo province to establish a new border checkpoint. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501153045/ministry-of-interior-plans-three-more-international-border-checkpoints-with-thailand/

Ambitious plans to build a major airport in remote Mondulkiri province appear to have come to a stop after it was reported that the Chinese firm behind the project has run out of funds Mr. Sin Chanserivutha, Undersecretary of State and Spokesman for the Secretariat of State for Civil Aviation, confirmed that so far the Mondulkiri Airport Development Project is still idle. He stated that “As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, which has affected many companies, the Chinese company has suffered huge losses, and he has stated that he can no longer afford to continue investing,”. According to Mr. Sin, the Secretariat of State for Civil Aviation has proposed 3 scenarios to the to the Ministry of Economy and Finance to resurrect the project – namely: 1.Examine the possibility of taking the state budget to use on this construction process 2.Examine the feasibility of using concessional loan funds from the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank 3. Find another private partner to study construction feasibility. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501152983/mondulkiri-airport-project-stalled-after-chinese-investor-runs-out-of-funds/

The sheer number of people traveling from Vietnam to Cambodia’s Sihanoukville and sold into modern slavery is a major challenge to rescue efforts. Since the beginning of this year the Vietnamese consulate in Sihanoukville has collaborated with Cambodian authorities to carry out 50-60 searches and rescued over 600 people from forced labor. Since last year over 800 Vietnamese have been rescued from Preah Sihanouk Province alone. But consul general Vu Ngoc Ly says the actual number of Vietnamese victims of illegal labor gangs in Cambodia is much bigger, and rescue efforts face several challenges. The biggest is the sheer number of people coming from Vietnam to Cambodia, resulting in large numbers of victims, and every day the consulate receives dozens of requests for rescue, he says. “Recently calls have been coming day and night and constantly. We don’t dare turn off our phones.” In April the consulate received calls for help from some Vietnamese who said they were being held as forced laborers, he says. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501151619/vietnams-envoy-in-cambodia-says-calls-for-help-come-day-and-night-from-people-sold-into-slavery/

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday that renewable energy from hydropower, solar energy and biomass energy has accounted for 40 percent of the kingdom’s total energy. In a pre-recorded video statement delivered to the opening ceremony of the 40th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting, which was held in person and virtually in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said Cambodia has actively integrated renewable energy sources into the energy mix. “In 2021, energy from renewable energy sources, including hydropower, solar energy and biomass energy, increased to 40 percent of Cambodia’s total energy,” he said. “Also, in terms of the power capacity of Cambodia’s energy sources, the share of renewable energy sources is around 55 percent of the total installed power capacity.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501151604/renewable-energy-accounts-for-40-pct-of-cambodias-total-energy/

Prime Minister Hun Sen has reaffirmed Cambodia’s readiness to host the secretariat of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that came into force early this year. The premier made the remark at the opening ceremony of the 54th Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings in Siem Reap yesterday. In order to maximize the benefits of the RCEP agreement, member countries should make the effort in implementing their commitments and continue the negotiations for opening up the markets further by attracting other big economies to participate in this agreement, he said. The RCEP should also have a secretariat that can play a key role in coordinating, promoting, and monitoring the implementation of this agreement, said the Prime Minister. “Cambodia continues to be interested in hosting this secretariat,” Hun Sen said. The Cambodian Prime Minister first made the willingness of the country to host the secretariat at the 55th Asean Ministers’ Meeting held in August in Phnom Penh. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501150954/pm-reaffirms-rcep-secretariat-proposal/

Facebook posts by senior CNRP leaders and secret phone taps formed the basis for investigations into the fifth mass trial against the political opposition, where the court is debating activities linked to Mu Sochua’s unsuccessful return in 2021. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court started a new trial on Thursday, this time into the events leading up to Sochua’s attempt to return from overseas to attend an early 2021 mass trial where she was a defendant. The latest trial involves 37 people — senior party leaders, former lawmakers, activists and supporters — but the court announced that two other individuals were part of the case and would be tried separately. The other two are former CNRP activists Ir Channa, in detention on separate charges, and Sao Osaphea. Only three defendants were present in court: Khan Bunpheng, Voeung Samnang and Kong Mas, who are already imprisoned or being detained by the court. read more https://vodenglish.news/fifth-mass-trial-starts-cnrp-activist-asked-about-alleged-mobilizations/

A proposed elevated system has been scrapped in favour an underground metro. The government of Cambodia has indicated that it favours the construction of an underground metro in Phnom Penh to improve public transport within the capital and the surrounding Kandal province, instead of an elevated system similar to Bangkok. Speaking to local media during a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a flyover in the city, Cambodia’s prime minister, Mr Hun Sen, said that an underground metro, which would cost $1.8bn, was the preferred option. “It is too complicated to build a SkyTrain [elevated] because it will affect people’s house rooftops,” he said. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has completed a feasibility study for an elevated network, which found that construction would cost around $US 2bn, while Chinese companies were asked to complete studies for a metro system or monorail network. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501151255/cambodia-shows-interest-in-phnom-penh-metro/

A public-relations officer has asked VOD to remove the Zhengheng Group from an article on scam operations and offered money to do so, saying the company is helping authorities crack down on illegal businesses in its Koh Kong compound. After VOD declined, the officer added in an email: “We will use legal weapons to attack the media that deliberately and maliciously smear and attack Zhengheng Group. Whether it’s in the US or Asia.” Thong Hongheng, introducing himself as an assistant at the PBS PR agency, initially emailed VOD on September 7 asking VOD to “slightly modify” a news report on a scam compound at Koh Kong’s Union Development Group project “by removing the names of key personnel and the information of group member companies.” “Cambodia’s Dara Sakor Long Bay Development Zone also shoulders the mission of the ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative, so the Chinese and Cambodian governments also attach great importance to it. The developer is also very willing to cooperate with the local government and the police, and will not cover up those illegal companies,” Hongheng said. read more https://vodenglish.news/pr-rep-offers-money-to-remove-company-from-udg-scam-article/

A Vietnamese man jumped from the second story of a Bavet city building on Tuesday, dying while trying to escape the compound, but it was not “detention,” police said. Bavet city police chief Em Sovannarith said a man was found dead lying face down on a concrete road. “The investigation has finished because we have CCTV footage showing he escaped from a company,” Sovannarith said, naming the company as “Paris Bopear.” “People at the scene saw him struggling to breathe, but by the time our officers arrived, he was dead. There was no beating, he jumped from the building and hit his head on concrete,” Sovannarith said. Bavet has been the site of human trafficking rescues of foreign workers forced to work scams after being lured to the country. A Vietnamese man previously died falling from the eighth floor of a casino. Another Vietnamese man was found dead by hanging in a case ruled as a suicide. The latest case was not suspicious, Sovannarith said. “This is not the murder or detention.” Bavet commune chief Sanh Sakhon said he had heard of another falling death in the same village recently, but did not know details. read more https://vodenglish.news/bavet-escape-attempt-leads-to-falling-death/

A large public survey of rural Cambodian households commissioned by the German government to investigate microloans found over-indebtedness, pressure to sell land and aggressive door-to-door marketing, and calls for phasing out public funds from the sector. The report, “‘Micro’ Finance in Cambodia,” highlights the ballooning of Cambodia’s MFIs over the past decade that saw a steep rise in loan sizes among households and competitiveness among lenders. It says the lending is no longer “micro” or targeted at poverty relief, and German taxpayer funds would be better spent on other aid initiatives. It also calls for canceling loans to the country’s poorest households who receive ID Poor subsidies, as the government has deemed they do not have enough income for subsistence so lenders should not have assessed that they could repay a loan. The survey was initiated by the German parliament based on rising criticism about the Cambodian MFI industry, including from local rights group Licadho and German NGO Fian. read more https://vodenglish.news/report-calls-on-germany-to-end-support-for-cambodian-microfinance/

Cambodia exported 389,000 tonnes of milled rice in the first eight months of 2022, netting more than 242.80 million USD, according to the Cambodia Rice Federation. The total rice export increased over 13% compared to the same period last year. Of the Cambodian milled rice exported, 65.8% were fragrant rice of various types while white rice accounted for almost 30%, parboiled rice and organic rice for over 2% each. China remains Cambodia's biggest importer with 44%. It was followed by France with 15%, Malaysia with 6%, the Netherlands with 4%, Italy, Gabon, and Brunei with 3% each, and the rest 22% covered by 48 other countries./. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/cambodias-rice-exports-up-over-13-in-eight-months/237285.vnp

While they are waiting for Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities to rescue their trafficked children, many parents in Vietnam are sitting on hot coals. Some have even mortgaged their house to raise enough money to pay "ransoms," fearing their child might even be killed otherwise. Every night for the past three months Tran Thi Nhung and her husband, Phan Van Hanh, of Hoa My Dong Commune in Tay Hoa District in the south-central province of Phu Yen have been waiting for their son to call. Tran Thi Nhung waits anxiously for her son to return home from Cambodia. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Tam Since early June their oldest son, Phan Van Duc, 26, has been allowed to call them off and on to report on his situation and plead for help. The last time he called he told them he had been severely beaten, could not breathe, vomited the meager porridge he had eaten, and was forced to work until 3 am every day. read more https://e.vnexpress.net/news/trend/for-vietnamese-trafficked-to-cambodia-rescue-cant-come-fast-enough-4510695.html

King Norodom Sihamoni has extended his warmest congratulations and best wishes to Charles III upon his formal proclamation as the King of the United Kingdom by the Accession Council on September 10. A press release signed by King Sihamoni on Monday stated: “I would like to extend to Your Majesty my warmest congratulations and best wishes for Your Majesty’s future well-being as well as for the great prosperity of your country and happiness of all your loyal subjects. “I am confident that the existing excellent bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two Kingdoms and peoples will continue to prosper under Your Majesty’s reign. “Her Majesty my August Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk joins me in conveying our warm good wishes and congratulations to Her Majesty Queen Consort Camilla,” the press release said. According to The British Royal Family, King Charles III, formerly The Prince of Wales, was born in 1948 and became heir apparent on the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501150098/king-sihamoni-sends-congratulatory-message-to-britains-charles-iii/

Appeals court upholds five-year sentences for 13 opposition activists. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has stated that he will continue to lead the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), and thus remain in power, even after he one day retires from the government. Having ruled the Southeast Asian country since 1985, Hun Sen has teased the idea of stepping down several times in recent years amid speculation that he is grooming his son Hun Manet to take over. The CPP recently passed amendments to the Cambodian constitution that analysts have said make it easier for a transition of power from father to son to occur. But even if that happens, Hun Sen would still be CPP president and would have final say on major decisions, he said. “I would have the right to review prime ministerial and minister activities, so if you don’t perform well, the party president will fire you,” Hun Sen said during a public gathering Tuesday in the northwestern province of Siem Reap. “Some people might criticize me for being a remote control giving orders from behind [the scenes]. In Cambodia, voters vote for the party and then the party appoints the prime minister,” he said. Hun Sen’s comments indicate that he would still babysit Hun Manet should the son step into his father’s shoes, and suggest that the son does not carry enough political clout himself to compete with opposition, even within his own party, exiled political analyst Kim Sok told RFA’s Khmer Service “It is clear that Hun Manet can only have power by doing what his father wants, because Hun Manet cannot be prime minister without CPP support,” Kim Sok said. “He gets the power that his father robs for him,” he said, explaining that Hun Sen has been trying to put pressure on his own party. In late August, Hun Sen also told Hun Manet that even he could be fired as prime minister if he refuses to meet his father’s expectations. But for now, Hun Sen will remain prime minister for the foreseeable future, as the CPP elected him in late December to serve another 10 years. Members of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) react inside a police vehicle on their way to the appeals court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 10, 2018. Credit: Reuters Appeal denied The latest remarks from the strongman ruler came as a court in Phnom Penh upheld convictions against 13 activists who were sentenced to five years for their involvement in the failed 2019 plot by self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy to return to Cambodia. Ouk Chanthy, the wife Yim Sareth, one of the 13 activists, told RFA that she was saddened with the verdict delivered Tuesday and that her husband and the others are innocent. She said the verdict is unjust and proves that the court is not independent. “The courts listen to politicians. If they don’t allow the court to release the activists then they won’t release them,” she said. “Our family members would have been released two years ago if the court were independent because they are innocent,” she said. “I will continue to fight for justice for the activists.” Based on the evidence, the court’s ruling is inappropriate, the activists’ lawyer Sam Sokong told RFA. He said he would take the case to Cambodia’s Supreme Court, and urged the Ministry of Interior’s Prison Department ot transfer the activists to Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh, because it is closer to their family members than where they are currently held, far away in Tboung Khmum Province in the southeast. “As a lawyer, I am disappointed because the ruling doesn’t give justice to my clients,” he said. “This is a political case. My clients continue to maintain their innocence,” said Sam Sokong. The decision of the court was not surprising to Soeung Sengkaruna, spokesperson for The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc), a local rights group, who told RFA that it was a politically motivated case. “If Cambodia wants to avoid being criticized and condemned by the international community, [the government] should not persecute opposition activists by using the judicial system,” Soeung Sengkaruna said. “We need to end it and restore the democratic process and respect of human rights,” he said. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/hun_sen-09132022153247.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 handed out gifts and promised metal sheeting as building materials to families who have agreed to vacate their homes that fall within Siem Reap’s Angkor park, saying the relocation site in Run Ta Ek commune will be turned into a modern satellite city. Apsara Authority, which oversees the archaeological park, Siem Reap officials and relevant ministries have been demolishing small illegal constructions within the park and pulling down peoples’ homes they say are illegal. Hundreds of residents have agreed to move to a relocation site 20 kilometers away. Hun Sen met with families who are willing to move to land owned by the Apsara Authority that currently also houses the Run Ta Ek Eco Village. Residents are expected to be given plots near the eco village. read more https://vodenglish.news/hun-sen-promises-modern-satellite-city-at-angkor-evictions-relocation-site/

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has announced the temporary suspension of public and private educational institutions at all levels in Phnom Penh from November 10-12, 2022 to reduce traffic congestion for the people and facilitate the movement of numerous VVIP convoys for the 40-41 ASEAN Summit and related summits to be held on November 10-13, 2022. This is according to the announcement of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on September 12, 2022. The ASEAN Summit is the highest policy-making body in ASEAN comprising the Heads of State or Government of ASEAN Member States. In addition, it serves as a prominent regional (Asia) and international (worldwide) conference, with world leaders attending its related summits and meetings to discuss various problems and global issues, strengthening co-operation, and making decisions. The summit has been praised by world leaders for its success and ability to produce results on a global level. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501149843/public-and-private-educational-institutions-in-phnom-penh-to-be-shuttered-from-november-10-12-2022/

Around 4,000 hectares of state forests have been transferred to collective ownership by indigenous groups in Ratanakiri, according to government decrees. The process of issuing communal titles for indigenous groups has been a slow process, established in 2009 and requiring three steps: official recognition of an indigenous community, registration of the community as a legal entity, and issuance of a title. But as of 2019, just 150 of an estimated 455 communities had been recognized, 139 registered, and 24 received land titles, according to a civil society forum at the time. A set of government decrees released on Friday allocated 1,217 hectares of state forest to Kreung collective ownership in O’Chum district’s La’ak commune; 1,986 hectares of forest and a further 62 hectares of a biodiversity corridor to a Brao community in Taveng district’s Taveng Loeu commune; and and 762 hectares to another Brao community in a different village in the same commune. read more https://vodenglish.news/brao-kreung-communities-receive-4000-hectares-in-ratanakiri/

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Monday ordered the Phnom Penh Municipality to prepare free buses to transport people to their hometowns for the Pchum Ben festival, or the Ancestor's Day, which will be observed on Sept. 24, 25, and 26. "The move is to facilitate people's travel to their hometowns and to prevent private bus companies and taxi drivers from raising fees during the holiday period," he said in a voice message. In response to the prime minister's order, Phnom Penh Municipal governor Khuong Sreng said the city hall would use 175 city buses to ferry people from the capital to provinces and vice versa for free-of-charge on Sept. 23-27. Dozens of the city buses, which will be in service for passengers during the upcoming festival, were donated by the Chinese government in July 2017. In the message, Hun Sen also called on people to continue complying with health safety protocols during the holiday, although the Southeast Asian nation has recorded a single-digit of COVID-19 cases in recent days. Cambodia reported a daily record of nine new local COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the national case tally to 137,719, with 134,590 recoveries and 3,056 deaths, the health ministry said, adding that no new deaths have been registered since April. read more http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2022-09/12/content_78416325.htm