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In the first half of this year, Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities have rescued 250 people who were lured to Cambodian casinos by human traffickers. In a joint operation, authorities are continuing to bring home Vietnamese nationals. Chinese crime syndicates are believed to be behind the human trafficking operations in Cambodia that have targeted individuals from South East Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam. Colonel Khong Ngoc Oanh, the head of Human Trafficking Prevention of the Ministry of Public Safety, stated thousands of people have been lured by traffickers who promised them “easy jobs with high wages,” when in fact, they were taken to production facilities and casinos and held as prisoners. Once the victims are under the casino owner’s roof, the workers are exploited. They can only return home if they pay the captors a ransom of up to $30,000, according to authorities. Vietnamese media reported Monday that four families in Hai Phong City had to pay thousands of dollars in ransom to buy back their children in April after they were tricked by a friend. A group of teenagers, aged 16 to 17, were trafficked to Cambodia by 45-year-old Nguyen Van Anh, who developed close relationships with the children and their families. read more https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/vietnamese-parents-forced-buy-back-201051949.html

The Ministry of Interior has urged relevant ministries, institutions, sub-national administrations and private sector to accept permanent residence cards held by foreign immigrants in Cambodia as a legal document for every day use. General Por Pheak, secretary general of Interior Ministry’s General Secretariat, said yesterday that as per the Immigration Law, promulgated on September 22, 1994, the Ministry has issued permanent residence cards to foreign immigrants for daily use, such as applying for administrative and public services, health, banking, purchasing movables, doing business, applying for employment etc. He added that in 2019, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) also issued instructions on the issuance of administrative letters and civil status documents to the Cambodian federation, children and foreign immigrants, which confirmed the value of using the permanent residence cards issued by the Ministry to foreign immigrants. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501140934/entities-urged-to-accept-residence-card-of-foreigners-as-legal-document/

The government has given out more than one million hectares of land to disabled and retired soldiers, families of deceased soldiers and other impoverished people over the last five years. Theng Chan Sangvar, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Land Management, said yesterday that about 400,000 families have benefitted from the government’s land concession scheme. “We also built houses for some of the very poor families. The government is doing this to improve the well-being of impoverished people and to soldiers and their families for their dedication. Our primary aim is to lower the poverty rate.”“Most of the land was given out to families who did not have a roof over their heads or could not make ends meet,” he said yesterday. In 2020, 4,209 families received 6,660 hectares of land, and 533 houses were constructed. “In 2021, we struggled to assemble teams to build houses because of Covid-19 and only 36 houses were built but 1,757 families received land,” he said. “In total, during the past five years, the government has given 481,157 families the 1,356,396 hectares of land. We are also constructing 7,805 homes, of which 7,382 have already been completed and given out,” he said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501141044/one-million-hectares-of-land-distributed-to-the-deserving/

The demand comes on the heels of last week’s visit from a U.N. monitor. Cambodian rights groups on Monday threw their support behind a recommendation of a U.N. monitor that the country do more to ensure the independence of its judiciary system. “The Cambodian government has stated its commitment to reform the judiciary and the law, but the actual reform remains to be seen,” Am Sam Ath, deputy director for the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, told RFA’s Khmer Service Monday. “There is no progress yet.” Vitit Muntarbhorn, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cambodia, released a list of 10 recommendations after wrapping up an 11-day fact-finding visit to the country on Friday. They included greater separation between law enforcement and the judiciary from the governing party “to ensure their independence and impartiality.” Cambodia’s leader, Hun Sen, in 2017 had the country’s Supreme Court dissolve the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), paving the way for his ruling Cambodian People’s Party to claim every seat in the country’s National Assembly in the 2018 general election. “This has led to systemic control by the powers-that-be, leading to political and other distortions undermining the call for a pluralistic democracy,” Muntarbhorn’s statement said. Law enforcement and the judiciary are not independent or impartial, and this has resulted in activists going into hiding or exile or winding up in prison, Soeung Senkaruna, spokesperson for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, told RFA. “I’m sure [the recommendations] will have influence on the international community. When they find such flaws and [the government] does not accept his recommendations and does not change anything, this will affect them,” he said. “We are concerned that there may be measures or pressure from the international community as they can refer to the report found by the special rapporteur. Therefore, we should not overlook this report,” Soeung Senkaruna said. Cambodia is no stranger to international pressure. The European Union in August 2020 suspended tariff-free access to its market under the Everything But Arms scheme for around one-fifth of Cambodia’s exports, citing rollbacks in Cambodia on democracy and human rights. National Assembly spokesman Leng Penglong said that the assembly would review the U.N. special rapporteur's recommendations once it officially received them. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/un_reaction-08292022175026.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Taipei, Aug. 29 (CNA) Three people who were found dead in an apartment in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sunday were all Taiwanese citizens, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed Monday. MOFA said its Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City is in contact with the Cambodian government to obtain more information about the death of the three Taiwanese men. According to the Chinese-language Cambodia China Times, the three bodies were found with bullet wounds on Sunday at an apartment in Phnom Penh, and police there recovered a Glock 19 pistol, 41 bullets, At a press conference on Monday, Chiou Sian-liang (周顯良), chief of a police precinct in Tainan, said the three men are believed to be Tainan citizens who had criminal records and had left for Cambodia in February, July, and August, respectively. Chiou said the precinct has contacted the families of the three men believed to have been killed and is awaiting guidance from MOFA on how to proceed with the matter. Meanwhile, MOFA said Monday that it will provide assistance to the families when the identity of the men have been confirmed. read more https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202208290009

PHNOM PENH: The organiser of Miss Grand Cambodia beauty pageant has been lambasted for allowing scantily clad models walk on stage and reveal too much of their bodies. They faced public criticisms and also an official rebuke from the authorities for allowing a model claiming to represent the Stung Treng province, on the catwalk showing off part of her breast and groin. Another two models displayed playing cards and dice when representing Poipet city in Banteay Meanchey and Bavet city in Svay Rieng provinces. They also had Angkor Wat as the backdrop. According to a report in Khmer Times, this drew the ire of many as it was deemed as inappropriate representations of the rich Cambodian culture. The Aug 24 event is now seeing calls for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the Ministry of Information to take action against the organisers. Stung Treng provincial authorities have also condemned the event and urged action to be taken against the event organisers for tarnishing their image. They said the models in the pageant used the name of Stung Treng province without getting permission from them. In a statement, the provincial administration said such inappropriate dress reflected badly on Cambodian culture, especially the dignity of women. read more https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2022/08/826535/cambodia-beauty-pageant-organiser-lambasted-allowing-scantily-clad

SIHANOUKVILLE: “This area’s been swallowed up by China. That, too,” a shopkeeper said while pointing toward Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville in late July. The Cambodian city, once a sleepy beach getaway, has transformed into a bustling hub for casinos and hotels in recent years as Prime Minister Hun Sen rolls out the red carpet for Chinese investment. But China’s growing clout there – in particular, Beijing’s decision to fund the expansion of the Ream base – has caused alarm both in the US and among the city’s locals. A Cambodian soldier stopped this reporter’s car as it approached the base. A palpable tension gripped Ream, unlike during previous trips there. “Few residents get close to the base now,” a local journalist said, describing an increase in traffic instead by Chinese individuals believed to be involved in construction at Ream. Large trucks loaded to the brim with dirt queued up near the base, though they could not be tied immediately to the expansion. Cambodia announced the Chinese-backed expansion of Ream in early June. A satellite photo from early July analysed by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies showed what appeared to be a new pier at the site. read more https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2022/08/28/cambodia-swallowed-by-china-as-ream-base-expands/

A habitual criminal in Hai Phong is now under investigation for allegedly tricking his son’s friends and trafficking them to Cambodia to work in a casino. According to police in the northern city, Nguyen Van Anh, 45, had been jailed four times for various crimes. During his last stint, he got in touch with two inmates nicknamed Vang and Cau, and met them on his release in 2020. By then they were working for a gang that smuggled people aged 18-40 to Cambodia for working, and offered intermediaries commissions. Anh decided to join them, targeted a group of his son’s friends and approached four boys aged 16-17, all Hai Phong residents. He developed close relationships with the boys and even offered to be their “adoptive father.” They had dropped out of school and wanted to find jobs to support their families, and Anh capitalized on this to persuade them to go to Cambodia for work. The police said that in late March he told the four that a friend of his, based in Cambodia, was recruiting young workers and promised them salaries of VND18-20 million ($770-855) a month. He then contacted Vang and Cau and arranged for them to smuggle the boys into Cambodia. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501140027/vietnamese-man-sells-sons-friends-to-cambodia/

Police are investigating after 3 foreigners were apparently shot dead at an exclusive Phnom Penh condo. The incident happened at 2:00 AM on August 28, 2022 at the Gold Class Condo, Building 35, Room 606, 6th Floor, Village 6, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang I, Khan Boeung Keng Kang, Phnom Penh. Police have named the 3 dead men as: XIAO LING, Male, about 30 years old, Chinese. AH WEI, Male, about 30 years old, Chinese. AH HONG, Male, about 30 years old, Chinese. The bodies of the three victims did not have passports. Police state that the men were found by Taiwanese citizen HSU YU LIN, a friend of the deceased. At the scene, police discovered a ‘candy coloured’ Glock pistol as well as 41 tablets and 43.67 grams of Ketamine. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501140745/3-foreigners-shot-dead-at-phnom-penh-condo/

In a tragic turn of events, a 72-year-old priest cum mortician died in an explosion while he was lighting up the pyre of a 20-year-old accident victim at a pagoda in Roveang village in Kampong Cham province on Saturday evening. Chhoeung Prey district police deputy Chief Liet Col Seng Lino said that the mortician was identified as Hoeun Soeun. Lt Col Lino said that the priest had been burning corpses for more than 40 years, and the incident happened while he set the corpse of the youth on fire with wood and 30 litres of gasoline. “When he lighted up the corpse the big steel door of the crematorium exploded and hit on his forehead causing him to die on the spot due to serious injuries,” he added. This is the first such accident happened at a funeral site. The metal door of the crematorium in Kampong Cham was blown off its hinges and fell on the priest. Supplied However, the youth was cremated by other morticians, and the priest’s mortal remains were sent to his family for burial. As per the beliefs of the villagers, the reason for the death of the youth is considered ‘unnnatural’ and needs to be cremated. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501140350/priest-dies-in-explosion-while-cremating-accident-victim/

PHNOM PENH: The Cambodian government is ready to discuss with Thailand on overlapping claims on an area that holds huge oil and gas deposits in the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia's Ministry of Mines and Energy director-general for petroleum Cheap Sour said the country was ready to negotiate with the Thai side on the 26,000 sq km Overlapping Claim Area (OCA), which has been a point of contention between them since the early 1970s. Estimated to hold up to 500 million barrels of oil and gas deposits under the seafloor, the countries hope to jointly develop the area and capitalise on its resources. His remarks come after it was reported that Thailand's Energy Regulatory Commission secretary-general Khomgrich Tantravanich suggested policymakers of both countries be vocal and establish a clear direction for joint development of the OCA. A memorandum of understanding to jointly explore the OCA was signed in 2001 but it was later shelved by the Thai government in 2009. Since then, calls to rekindle negotiations on oil and gas development in the region have been made several times. According to the Bangkok Post, Khomgrich said Thailand needed to secure more gas supplies for electricity generation in the country. read more https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2022/08/826292/cambodia-thailand-discuss-claims-over-area-huge-oil-and-gas-deposits

A dramatic fire at a car dealer in Phnom Penh destroyed at least 14 vehicles early this morning. The fire erupted at 1:50 am on August 27, 2022 on Street 273, Sangkat Boeung Kak I, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh. Colonel Prohm Yorn, director of the Phnom Penh Municipal Police Fire Prevention and Rescue Office, said that, upon receiving information from residents, he ordered the fire trucks of the Phnom Penh Municipal Police at all targets to intervene. Colonel Prohm Yorn also said that in this operation, special forces faced problems because the the electricity has not been turned off, so it was difficult for fire trucks to put out the flames. The fire spread rapidly to neighbouring car dealerships. Colonel Prohm Yorn also confirmed that during this operation, the police used more than 20 fire trucks. The fire was completely extinguished at 2:35 pm on the same day. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501139801/fire-destroys-phnom-penh-car-showroom/

A foreign man was beaten to death by a mob wielding sticks outside a Bavet casino yesterday morning The incident happened at 3:15 AM on August 26, 2022 in front of Casino 67 in Bavet Kandal Village, Bavet Sangkat, Bavet City. According to the police, the dead man was named Duong Minteang, a 34-year-old Vietnamese man who worked as a chef. Security images show the brutal attack: The murderers have been identified as also being Vietnamese, but fled immediately after the incident According to witnesses, before the incident, the victim went to a pawn shop to get money to gamble in the casino. Sources said that later, a group of about 4 to 5 suspects walked in to talk to the victims. Then, they group suddenly attacked the victim, fatally injuring him and then fleeing. After the incident, the people reported to the local police to intervene read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501139833/foreigner-beaten-to-death-outside-bavet-casino/

The Ministry of Tourism says that, although tourism in Cambodia is starting to recover after the COVID pandemic, almost 50% of businesses in Cambodia’s main tourism hub of Siem Reap are still closed. Data from the Ministry of Tourism confirms that as of July 31, 2022, of a total of 739 hotels and accommodation services in Cambodia, of which 520 are open, 190 have been suspended and 29 have been closed. Of the current total of 2,529 restaurants, more than 2,000 are open and 363 locations continue to be suspended and closed. Top Sopheak, Undersecretary of State and spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism, says that during the pandemic, Siem Reap was the worst affected province, with about 90 percent of businesses in the province suspended and closed. Other tourist destinations were less affected. He pointed out that even after the gradual increase in domestic and international tourists, 46% of tourism businesses in Siem Reap, including hotels, guesthouses, restaurants are still closed. More than half of the businesses are not yet operational due to the small number of tourists who have just started to visit, which has left some business owners reluctant to open. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501139756/as-cambodia-slowly-recovers-from-the-pandemic-46-of-of-siem-reap-tourism-businesses-still-closed/

With rainfall in Cambodia not letting up, it seems that the border provinces are bearing the brunt of the damage with villages in the area reporting major floods. Continuous rainfall from 20 to 25 August caused flooding along the Cambodia-Thailand border area in Trapeang Prasat district, Oddar Meanchey. The floods have reportedly caused damages to the rural and strategic border roads. More than 100 metres of rural roads were blocked off by rushing waters and temporarily halted travel in the area. Authorities had a wooden bridge built to temporarily facilitate traffic. The section blocked is located in Tuol Prosor village, Bak Anlong commune, Trapeang Prasat district, Oddar Meanchey. Haing Meng, Governor of Trapeang Prasat district, said that the effects of the low-pressure area caused scattered rain and the floodwaters from the Dangrek mountain range and plateau flowed into the district. He urged residents and the authorities to be careful and remain vigilant, The district governor called on rescue forces and other officials to prepare for possible rescue and evacuation missions. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501139424/strategic-border-roads-inundated-in-oddar-meanchey-floods-six-year-old-killed/

A Vietnamese family took out loans against their family home to help their son escape enslavement in Cambodia. They scrambled to organize a cross-border rescue from a scam syndicate accused of torture and trafficking, asking VOD for assistance. Nguyen Van Lam*, an informal worker who sells Vietnamese spring rolls online, sweated bullets. His brother Nguyen Van Bao* had just told him he needs $6,000 to escape a scam syndicate in Sihanoukville. “He just texted me this afternoon that they are demanding ransom, so if we don’t gather enough money soon and send it to him, they are going to sell him to Thailand,” Lam said. Bao’s communication with his family had been on and off for about five months after leaving to Cambodia with the promise of lucrative work. But with his text message in late July, Bao revealed his desperate situation to his family — and suddenly his brother, Lam, was scrambling to organize a cross-border rescue attempt. The moment was a flash point in 23-year-old Bao’s story after he became caught up in a vicious circle: human-trafficking victims under the thumb of Chinese-run criminal operations feasting on scam victims across the globe. Bao was a trafficking victim forced to work as a fraudster in “pig-butchering” scams, gradually “fattening up” people they met online to entice them to invest in fake platforms and cheat them out of growing sums of money, according to the family. read more https://vodenglish.news/behind-a-slave-rescue-from-a-cambodian-scam-operation/

The national military police are investigating a deputy bureau chief for alleged involvement in illegal timber trafficking. Eng Hy, spokesman for the national military police, said on Friday the force was looking into Chap Saran, deputy director of the cryptography department, after a leaked audio recording was circulated online purportedly of military police commander Sao Sokha berating his officials over Saran’s alleged crime. The Prey Lang Community Network has previously accused Saran of being involved in companies’ logging core areas of the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. In the four-minute audio clip, Sokha says commanders must be responsible for their officers’ actions. “When Chap Saran went to do his illegal business, did you report it to the commander of the military police or not? I’ve never received this report, and you all allow this. How are you goddamn managing them? How are you their goddamn boss? If you can’t do it, write a letter of resignation from the military police. You can’t allow this to happen like this. You need to write it now, I’ll sign it now and kick you out of the military police. We can’t allow evil people to stay in the military police.” read more https://vodenglish.news/military-police-official-to-be-investigated-for-illegal-logging/

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will issue the first-ever sovereign bond worth 300 million U.S. dollars in September, according to a news release from the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Thursday. Par value of a bond is 1 million riels (about 245 U.S. dollars), the news release said, adding that bond maturities are one year, three years and five years. Investors will enjoy a 50-percent deduction of withholding tax on the interest earned from possessing and trading sovereign bonds, and tax exemption on capital gains from purchasing and trading the sovereign bonds for three years, it said. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth said sovereign bonds will allow the government to raise funds for socioeconomic development projects. He said the bonds will serve as a new financial instrument for institutional investors such as banks, insurance companies, the National Social Security Fund and pension fund, among others. "The government bonds are expected to be popular for trading on the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) and will provide benchmark data for corporate securities trading and financial analysis as implemented in countries with an advanced securities sector," he said. Launching trading in 2012, the CSX is a joint venture between the Cambodian government holding 55 percent of the stakes and the Korean Exchange owning the remaining 45 percent. https://english.news.cn/20220825/2d4d53b2df4c4544a4d28e1e67abf8d5/c.html

Vitit Muntarbhorn released 10 recommendations after a recent tour of the country. Cambodia’s government should remove restrictions on political participation and introduce other democratic reforms to address “severe human rights challenges,” a U.N. rights monitor said Friday, following his first official visit to the country. Vitit Muntarbhorn, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cambodia, credited Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government for having ratified several human rights treaties in a statement at the end of his 11-day trip, but slammed what he said were moves by Phnom Penh to create a political atmosphere of de facto one-party rule in the Southeast Asian nation. “Cambodia is faced with a pervasive paradox. Since 2017, when the main opposition party was disbanded unjustly by judicial order, the country has effectively been under single-party rule, with all seats of the National Assembly in the hands of that monopoly,” Muntarbhorn said, referring to the Supreme Court’s decision in that year to dissolve the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). Muntarbhorn visited with key government officials and met striking workers, residents displaced by development, and opposition party members who face legal trouble or have been harassed by supporters of the ruling party, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). He also discussed human trafficking with local leaders in Sihanoukville, a coastal city that has become a gambling haven backed by Chinese investors. “I am pleased to have met with and learned from all those who generously shared their time, thoughts and experiences with me with characteristic Cambodian warmth. This is a country with a bright future, but it faces a number of severe human rights challenges in the lead up to next year’s general election,” he said. Muntarbhorn called on the Cambodian government to adopt his plan “expeditiously and effectively.” It calls for opening up “civic and political space, by suspending and reforming draconian laws, ensuring election-related personnel are separated from political parties and ending prosecution of political opposition and human rights defenders,” a U.N. news release states. The rapporteur also recommended “releasing all those currently in prison and dropping charges against those who are seen as adversaries by the authorities and improving the quality of law enforcers by proper selection and incentivisation and distance from political authority.” Kata Orn, spokesman for the government-aligned Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), noted in an interview with RFA’s Khmer Service that the special rapporteur did not specifically condemn the Cambodian government. “He was concerned, but he didn’t accuse the government of violating human rights,” Kata Orn said. “The government welcomes any recommendations not from the special rapporteurs but from others to review those recommendations to see if they are politically motivated or untrue recommendations. We will accept constructive feedback to improve the government’s loopholes to make sure we are implementing the law and human rights better,’ he said. The special rapporteur’s recommendations on elections are welcomed, but are beyond the scope of the country’s official election monitoring body, Hang Puthea, a spokesman for the National Election Committee (NEC), told RFA. “We will consider any good recommendations. We are working to improve our shortcomings for the sake of the country and people,’ he said. After the dissolution of the CNRP in 2017, three members of the opposition quit their positions on the NEC, leaving the organization controlled by members of the ruling party, the Cambodian People’s Party. In a screengrab from a public Zoom video call on Aug. 1, 2022, Migrant Care activist Anis Hidayah [right] shows images of injured and shackled workers who were among Indonesian employees allegedly abused and held against their will after being trafficked to Cambodia to work as cyber scammers. Credit: BenarNews The special rapporteur’s visit also focused on human trafficking, which Muntarbhorn said had “mutated” in the era of cybercrimes. “It's a different sort of human trafficking and human forced labor too sometimes, some of us say slavery even,” he said. “This situation is pervasive and it's both local and cross frontier and is rendered more complicated by cyberspace, which is borderless.” Muntarbhorn said Cambodia has become a destination country for human trafficking, and should cooperate with its neighbors to address the problem. “So on that basis, prevention is better than cure, meaning that we need cooperation between this country and all the various countries, big and small, in the Asian region,” he said. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/special_rapporteur-08262022184444.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Thai authorities are sending more than 100 migrant workers back to Cambodia on a daily basis. These people are either homeless, drug dependent, jobless, or working illegally in Thailand and will be housed in welfare facilities near the border. Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation spokesman Touch Channy said yesterday the jobless, homeless and drug addicts were rounded up in sweeps by the Thai authorities while the illegal workers were caught in crackdowns. “At the beginning of this year the number of Cambodians sent back was about 40 a day but the number has reached 100 daily now,” he said. The migrants are escorted across border checkpoints by Thai officials and handed to Cambodian authorities. According to Channy, the migrants would be taken to social welfare centres where officials will assess their health and inquire about their background and the circumstances behind their return. He said some of the migrants return with only the clothes they were wearing. “Many of them will arrive back empty-handed and destitute. They will have no money. “It is little wonder why the drug addicts are sent back,” he added. He said migrants who test positive for drugs will be sent to rehabilitation facilities, and if they recover from their addiction, they will return to the community. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501138958/almost-100-migrants-sent-back-daily-from-thailand/

A Filipino national living in Cambodia was handed an initial 10-year sentence for ‘intentional aggravation’ which lead to the violent death of his sister and brother in law in September 2021. Yi Sok Vouch, Judge of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and Sam Rithy Veasna, Representative of the Prosecution, announced the handing down of the sentence yesterday. The man – named as Yabes Fermin JR Suyat, 51 – was sentenced to 10 years for intentional aggravation. The crime took place on September 10, 2021 after a dispute between the perpetrator and the victims – his sister and brother-in-law – in an apartment shared by the victim and the assailant in Boeung Trabek, Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh. The victims were staying at the apartment to provide care to the assailant. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501138833/filipino-national-charged-for-death-of-relatives/

Two U.S. men and one Indonesian woman who were rescued in Sihanoukville and brought into custody last week have been sent to Phnom Penh for further inquiries, police said. Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities last week said the three foreigners had sought help from a hotline team led by Interior Minister Sar Kheng, and were rescued from a Buon commune online business where they alleged they had been detained. However, provincial spokesperson Kheang Phearum said at the time there was no sign of detention or torture as officials found no lock on the door and no guard at the front of the building. The three individuals were being questioned by police in the province late last week. Chuon Narin, chief of Preah Sihanouk provincial police, said on Thursday that the foreign nationals had now been moved to the capital and had been there for three to four days. “The authorities have sent them to the central security department in Phnom Penh,” Narin said, referring to a unit headed by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son-in-law Dy Vichea. National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun said the force was continuing to work on the case in Phnom Penh. However, it was still too soon to disclose any findings, he said. read more https://vodenglish.news/trio-rescued-in-sihanoukville-now-in-phnom-penh-for-further-inquiries/

Lim Bunna, a controversial okhna who was once called out by the prime minister for smuggling wood to Vietnam, has been made an adviser to Hun Sen. In 2016, Hun Sen ordered a crackdown against Bunna and another timber tycoon, saying authorities should use firearms and helicopters to end the smuggling activity, government spokesperson Phay Siphan told the Phnom Penh Post at the time. “These two people feel like they are untouchable,” Siphan further told the Cambodia Daily, adding that the Interior Ministry had found evidence implicating them. However, the prime minister backtracked just days later, saying the tycoons’ alleged logging of Ratanakiri’s protected Virachey National Park was “legal.” Now, Bunna has been elevated to be an official adviser to Hun Sen, according to a ruling-party decision signed by the prime minister on August 18. The decision was made by the CPP’s permanent committee and Bunna would advise Hun Sen in his role as the president of the party, the decision says. Environmentalist Heng Sros said on Thursday that he had investigated Bunna’s timber trafficking and alleged the tycoon’s logging activities spanned the provinces of Kampong Thom, Kratie, Preah Vihear, Pursat and Stung Treng, as well as Mondulkiri’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. read more https://vodenglish.news/timber-tycoon-once-target-of-crackdown-made-hun-sen-adviser/

A family is in mourning today after a 10 year boy drowned after he was caught in rough seas by a popular Sihanoukville tourist beach. The boy was in a group of 3 lads who went swimming and then got caught in strong waves at Ochheuteal beach, Sihanoukville on the evening of August 24, 2022. Authorities say that the police and rescue team, including the cue team of Tycoon Tea Vichet, released a high-speed ambulance to intervene to help find the body. In the meanwhile, A mother was left mourning for her daughter after her daughter became another victim to a growing number of children and youth dead by drowning. The victim was identified as a Su Seng Hourly, a 12-year-old female and fifth grade student. Her drowning reportedly took place at Pheap Nhem, Sangkat Prey Veng, Khan Dangkor, Phnom Penh. The victim’s mother told local news that her daughter had left home to go to school as usual, on the day of the incident. Later in the day, her daughter’s classmate told her that her daughter had drowned and disappeared. Seng Hourly’s friends said that after they left school, she, along with her friends, went to swim at a pond. The victim and some of her friends drowned but the others were saved, except her. Another friend searched for the victim but was unable to find her. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501138741/family-mourns-as-10-year-old-boy-drowns-at-sihanoukville-beach/ https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501138126/pre-teen-girl-another-victim-to-drowning/

In 2014, two Nigerian cloth vendors, Emmanuel Thankgod and Michael Sunshine were arrested for their involvement in drug trafficking from Brazil to Cambodia. An Appeal Court in Phnom Penh in Cambodia has upheld the life sentence given by the municipal court to two Nigerian men, a Filipina and Cambodian woman, in connection with smuggling of more than 2.5 kilogrammes of cocaine. In 2014, two Nigerian cloth vendors, Emmanuel Thankgod and Michael Sunshine were arrested for their involvement in drug trafficking from Brazil to Cambodia. Others arrested are 49-year-old former nurse from Philippines, Macoy Mavill Villamor and Cambodian Meng Sinuon, a former waitress working with a French-owned-restaurant living in Chamkar Mon district’s Phsar Doeum Thkov commune. “After having a clear consideration in this case, the Judges’ Council of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court has found that the sentences given by the Phnom Penh Appeal Court is appropriate and fit for their offence,” the Appeal Court Judge, Ky Rithy ruled. According to Cambodian media, the four convicts have the rights to appeal against the judgement to the Supreme Court within a month. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501138627/cambodian-court-upholds-life-sentence-for-two-nigerians-over-drugs-smuggling/