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Almost 39,000 packs of contraband foreign cigarettes of various brands have been seized from a canal-side on the Cambodian border in Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo. Sa Kaeo excise chief Sudjai Khonthat said they had received information that a shipment of cigarettes would be smuggled from Cambodia using a natural border crossing. Excise officials were joined by soldiers and police in patrolling the area where the contraband was expected to arrive. They were found in 49 sacks discovered by excise officials, border patrol police and soldiers from the Burapha task force alongside a canal behind Phan Suek border village on Wednesday. There was nobody nearby to lay claim to the 38,950 packs of cigarettes, which were in parcels with the names of the intended receivers. There were 3,500 packets of IZA cigarettes, 18,630 packets of Gold Seal, 3,000 packets of Lapin, 1,000 packets of Fine, 11,320 packets of Luxury, 500 packets of Cowboy and 1,000 packets of Ara. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501121204/thailand-seizes-contraband-cigarettes-believed-to-be-from-cambodia-in-sa-kaeo/

Following a sharp criticism from the US, the Ministry of Interior and the National Police will launch an anti-human trafficking operation to tighten the noose around illegal foreigners staying in the country. The US State Department, in a report released on human trafficking on July 19, listed Cambodia as third-tier country for human trafficking, meaning that Cambodia has no will to fight against human trafficking. Sar Kheng, Interior Minister and chairman of the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking, announced the government decision during the closing ceremony of a police leadership course at the Police Academy of Cambodia on Tuesday. He said all foreigners, except diplomats, will be screened to find out if they have entered Cambodia legally or illegally and to identify whether they are victims of human trafficking. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501120814/authorities-to-round-up-deport-illegals-in-country/

US Secretary of State HE Antony Blinken will attend the upcoming 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings to be hosted by Cambodia, said Luy David, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Besides HE Antony Blinken, Cambodia also looks forward to welcoming high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell Fontelles on his official trip and to attend the ASEAN related meetings in August as well, added David, also the Head of the Secretariat of the National Commission for Organizing the ASEAN Summits and Related Meetings in 2022. The US is a member of the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Besides, the US is among the 11 full dialogue partners of ASEAN. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501121183/antony-blinken-us-secretary-of-state-to-attend-meetings-in-phnom-penh/

On Sunday, 17 Indonesian big bikers entered the Kingdom through Poipet after riding through Malaysia and Thailand. The riders, members of the Indonesian Motor Association (IMI) arrived in Siem Reap and they were not just on a joy ride but also out on a mission to promote Indonesian made automotive products. On hand to welcome the riders in Poipet were Indonesian Ambassador Sudirman Haseng, staff members of the Indonesian Embassy and Cambodian officials led by Sok Chenda Sophea, the Minister attached to the Prime Minister and secretary-general of the Council for the Development of Cambodia. The group then took to the road for Siem Reap, the heart of the largest empire of its time – the Khmer Empire – 150km away. According to a press release by IMI, the road tour in Cambodia was part of the ongoing Second Wonderful Indonesia Motorbike Touring 2022 that will take the riders on a journey through Southeast Asian countries described as “touring diplomacy through automotive”. “The IMI tour is aimed at promoting tourism and the use of Indonesian SMEs automotive products to the world, including Cambodia.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501120928/on-a-journey-to-ties-that-bind/

Malaysia slams junta for making a mockery of regional bloc’s five-point consensus to restore democracy in Myanmar. ASEAN on Tuesday issued its harshest criticism of the Burmese junta yet, calling Myanmar’s execution of four political prisoners “highly reprehensible” and saying it displayed “a gross lack of will” to return the member-state to normalcy. Malaysia, an outspoken member of the Southeast Asian bloc, separately called their killings a “crime against humanity.” The top Malaysian diplomat said “no Myanmar military regime representative” should be allowed at any meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including the next ASEAN foreign ministers’ gathering, scheduled for Aug. 3. This was a rare rebuke of one of the members of the 55-year-old bloc, which operates mostly on consensus, as ASEAN and member-state governments joined a global chorus of condemnation over the executions of the four by the junta. Its forces have also killed more than 2,000 people since the generals seized power by toppling an elected government last year. The executions have caused ASEAN to distrust Myanmar, said Indonesia – next year’s chair of the 10-nation bloc – with Indonesian human rights representative Yuyun Wahyuningrum wondering whether the renegade member’s standing in the regional bloc was now shaky. Cambodia, the 2022 holder of the ASEAN chair, said it was “strongly disappointed” that the executions took place despite appeals from Cambodian leader Hun Sen. The first judicial executions in Myanmar since 1976 came despite a direct appeal on June 11 by Hun Sen to Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta leader. "While the complexity of the crisis is well recognized and the extreme bellicose mood can be felt from all corners of Myanmar, ASEAN as a whole has called for utmost restraint, patience and efforts to avoid escalating the situation," Cambodia said in a statement as ASEAN chair. "The implementation of the death sentences, just a week before the 55th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting is highly reprehensible as it created a setback to and present[s] a gross lack of will to support the efforts, particularly by the ASEAN Chair, in expediting progress on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), namely in building trust and confidence to engender a dialogue among all parties concerned, in order to end violence and alleviate the suffering of the innocent people." The statement reiterated ASEAN's commitment to the 5PC and urged the junta to "take concrete actions" to implement it. The junta has reneged on a five-point consensus it agreed to with ASEAN in April 2021 to put the country back on the path to democracy. The consensus called for an end to violence; constructive dialogue among all parties; the mediation of such talks by a special ASEAN envoy; the provision of ASEAN-coordinated humanitarian assistance and a visit to Myanmar by an ASEAN delegation to meet with all parties. The Burmese junta put to death veteran democracy activist Ko Jimmy (whose real name is Kyaw Min Yu), former National League for Democracy lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, as well as activists Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, likely on Saturday, but announced their executions at the gallows on Monday. A military court had convicted them over “terrorist” acts and they lost appeals against their death sentences. The junta had also rejected the possibility of a pardon for the condemned men. It seems that the Myanmar junta “is making a mockery of the five-point consensus,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said during a joint press conference with Noeleen Heyzer, United Nations special envoy on Myanmar, after they met in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. “I believe the foreign ministers when we meet in Phnom Penh on Aug.3 will look into this,” he told reporters. “Myanmar should not be invited to send political representation to all ministerial level meetings. This is to show that we are very serious on the issue of political representation. “ Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah (right) and the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, attend a press conference at Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur, July 26, 2022. Credit: Handout photo from Malaysia's Department of Information via AP Photo ‘A direct rebuke’ of ASEAN Indonesia, too, indicated that the Southeast Asian bloc could no longer carry on with business as usual. “With these executions, ASEAN is increasingly distrusting Myanmar. Does Myanmar have good intentions to implement the consensus?” Yuyun Wahyuningrum, representative of Indonesia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news service. “Will there be more serious implications in ASEAN for Myanmar or not?” During a press briefing in Washington on Monday, Ned Price, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, which had pressed ASEAN to take action the Burmese regime, characterized the executions as a “direct rebuke” of appeals made by regional bloc and others. Elsewhere, a Cambodian academic concurred with Washington’s views. “The execution of the four Burmese political prisoners reflects that the junta government does not respect ... and give value to Cambodia’s ASEAN chair, who has urged them not to execute political prisoners,” Van Bunna, a research fellow at the Cambodian Center for Cooperation and Peace, told Radio Free Asia (RFA), an online news service affiliated with BenarNews. “It also reflects that the junta government does not care about the ASEAN’s 5-point consensus. The execution sentence also proves that the junta government does not care what the international community says about them,” Van Bunna added. Meanwhile in Thailand, some 500 young Thai and Burmese protestors rallied outside the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok to vent their anger over the executions. They waved Myanmar flags and banners, and chanted slogans against Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. One of the protesters, Saw Kyaw Aie Paing, 19, had fled Myanmar with her mother after the coup in February 2021. She said she wanted the world community to stand with the people of Myanmar and give them humanitarian aid. She also urged the Thai government not to deal with the Burmese junta. In a statement about the executions, the Thai government, via its foreign ministry, said it was “profoundly concerned about such and other developments that could foreclose all efforts towards achieving peace.” “We regret so deeply the loss of four lives which aggravates the vexing problems of Myanmar. Use of force, cruelty and violence could never settle political differences,” Tanee Sangrat, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in the statement on Tuesday. “The use of force, cruelty and violence could never settle political differences. We call upon all parties to the conflict to seek, with all their might, a durable political resolution so no more lives would be wasted, and the people of Myanmar’s rights to live in peace are respected.” BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service. Updated to include additional quotes from Tuesday's ASEAN statement. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/rebuke-07262022150212.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The poster of Thai film Love Destiny showed the stars surrounded by lamduan flowers, which Cambodians said was a misappropriation of their national flower As mudslinging broke out on social media, the Thai production firm calmed matters by sharing a new poster with Hong Kong’s bauhinia A Thai production company was forced to redesign its film poster featuring Cambodia’s national flower after the promotional material drew flak from Cambodian netizens. Love Destiny, a Thai historical romance film, stars Ranee “Bella” Campen and Tanawat “Pope” Wattanapution. They were both featured surrounded by a backdrop of lamduan flowers, with a banner saying “lamduan flowers represent sustainable love”. But the poster, uploaded on Facebook by Thai company GDH 559 Co last week, soon sparked a social media war of words between Thai and Cambodian netizens, who accused the former of appropriating their national flower. read more https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3186613/thai-film-poster-featuring-cambodias-lamduan-flower

Three Cambodian students won gold awards in the grade 12 math competition at the Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiads (SASMO). A total of 33,679 candidates from 28 countries competed in the tough contest. Lim Chhingy, was the highest ranked among the three. “Of the grade 12 students, I was the top Cambodian, and placed 81st out of 94 students at the regional and global level,” said Chhingy. read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/trio-cambodia-earn-gold-medals-intl-math-olympiad

Global analytics and advice firm Gallup measured the emotional states of people in more than 100 countries through extensive surveys. In one survey conducted from 2021 to early 2022, the global analytic firm recorded “yes,” “no” and “don’t know or refused to answer” responses from respondents aged 15 and older. Gallup also found Cambodia to be the saddest country in Southeast Asia, with 42% of respondents saying they experienced sadness. The Philippines also ranks second in this category with 35% of respondents answering “yes,” while Vietnam comes in third with 27%. In the recent survey, respondents were asked about their emotions, including stress level, anger and sadness, the day before the survey was conducted. Of the Filipino respondents, 48% said they experienced stress, the highest percentage among Southeast Asian nations. Thailand follows with 44% and Cambodia with 40% of respondents who also answered “yes.” In the category of anger, Laos takes the No. 1 spot with 29% of respondents saying they had felt angry prior to the survey. The Philippines ranks second with 27%. Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar followed at 20%. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501120387/twist-of-irony-as-cambodia-is-found-to-be-the-saddest-in-southeast-asia-according-to-new-gallup-survey/

Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng, Minister of the Ministry of Interior, emphasizes that the Ministry of Interior will launch a large-scale operation to inspect the lives of all foreigners in Cambodia, except for diplomats. DPM Kheng’s announcement came after the United States listed Cambodia as a Tier 3 country in terms of human trafficking. While speaking at the closing ceremony at the Police Academy, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed his surprise at the listing given to Cambodia. He stated that Cambodia has been actively working to prevent human trafficking. “In order to eliminate suspicions and loopholes in human trafficking, the Ministry of Interior must launch a large-scale operation to inspect the lives of all foreigners, whether in hotels, construction sites and companies, except for diplomats,” the Interior Minister said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501120352/ministry-of-interior-to-launch-operation-to-inspect-the-residences-of-foreigners/

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has expressed its dismay over the execution of four opposition activists in Myanmar. “ASEAN is extremely troubled and deeply saddened by the execution of four opposition activists, including Phyo Zeyar Thaw, Kyaw Min Yu, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, despite the personal appeal by Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, in his capacity as the ASEAN Chair, as well as the appeals of other ASEAN Member States, for the sentences to be reconsidered. This is an issue that ASEAN takes seriously,” said the ASEAN Chairman’s Statement dated July 25. While the complexity of the crisis is well recognised and the extreme bellicose mood can be felt from all corners of Myanmar, the statement continued, ASEAN as a whole has called for utmost restraint, patience and efforts to avoid escalating the situation. The implementation of the death sentences, just a week before the 55th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting is highly reprehensible as it created a setback to and present a gross lack of will to support the efforts, particularly by the ASEAN Chair, in expediting progress on the implementation of the of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), namely in building trust and confidence to engender a dialogue among all parties concerned, in order to end violence and alleviate the suffering of the innocent people. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501119769/asean-chairman-issues-statement-on-execution-of-four-opposition-activists-in-myanmar/

The sentence is part of a larger ‘politically motivated’ crackdown on opposition, observers say. A provincial court in Cambodia sentenced an opposition candidate in the June 5 commune council elections to two years in prison on charges of faking the documents necessary to apply for his candidacy, RFA has learned. Ouk Savarin was running for a seat on the Ansa Chambok Commune Council in the western province of Pursat’s Krakor district as a member of the Candlelight Party, which has emerged as the main opposition to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. The Pursat Provincial Police arrested him on March 10 and he has been in prison since. The Pursat Provincial Court delivered the sentence last week. “This is a politically motivated case, because my father never had a problem in the village or the district,” Ouk Savarin’s son Ouk Sao Sopheara told RFA’s Khmer Service. “But ever since he joined the Candlelight Party, there has been a lot of oppression and persecution happening to my father, when he went out to recruit candidates.” Ouk Sao Sopheara said his father was put in an overcrowded detention cell and is not receiving enough food, raising concerns among his family members about his health. His relatives will meet with a lawyer on Tuesday to discuss an appeal. They said that the accusations against Ouk Savarin are baseless. Rights workers following this case and others like it told RFA that the authorities often employ vague evidence at trial and do not follow normal procedures. The cases are meant to prevent the defendants from exercising their political rights, Chak Chetra of the local office of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (Licadho) told RFA. “On behalf of civil society organizations, we see that accusations against activists, as well as those with tendencies contrary to the ruling party, as a violation of their political rights,” Chak Chetra said. “In general, activities of the political opposition seem to be restricted in the pre-election period, and we see that as more of a political issue than a legal one,” he said. Ouk Savarin is the third Candlelight Party commune council candidate from Pursat to have been arrested since March. Chhuon Chhoeung, a candidate for Sre Stok commune chief in Kandieng district, and Hem Chhil, a candidate for Kandieng’s Sya commune council, were also arrested. Hem Chhil was arrested for illegally pumping water from a pond. His 15-year-old son, Pum Daran, was also detained on charges of illegal fishing. He was released on May 4. Hem was released on bail by the Battambang Provincial Court of Appeals on July 21. Hem Chhil told RFA that he is happy to be out but said had done nothing wrong. “I understand that this is a political matter, because I am not at fault,” he said. “I pumped the water from the pond and others did the same, so why was it only me who was arrested and imprisoned? I still belong to the Candlelight Party, I still help the people and hope that one day we will win,” he said. In the June 5 election, the Candlelight Party won about 20 percent of the seats that were open on local commune councils. Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party won five times as many. Despite the landslide, opposition leaders have expressed optimism about the party’s chances in next year’s general elections, when Cambodians will choose members of the country’s National Assembly. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/ouk_savarin-07252022171022.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Cambodia’s gross domestic product (GDP) will expand to 6.3 per cent this year, higher than projections made by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank, according to forecasts by global rating agency S&P, which expects credit growth in Cambodia's private sector to continue averaging a brisk 20 per cent annually for the next 12-18 months. Economic recovery is under way in the country, S&P’s report Global Banking Outlook Midyear 2022 stated. The international institutions predicted GDP growth in the country to be around 4.5 per cent to six per cent, due to rising global prices of oil and other commodities. The ratio of private sector debt to GDP will exceed 160 per cent in the country. S&P believes the microfinance sector, which accounts for 13 per cent of system-wide loans, is elevated, reflecting inherently higher credit risks and more aggressive lending practices. “…Cambodia’s long-term growth story remains intact, given its competitive cost structure and young population, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world,” said S&P primary credit analyst Ivan Tan. read more https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textiles-policy-news/cambodia-s-2022-gdp-growth-will-expand-to-6-3-s-p-282095-newsdetails.htm

A ruling-party parliamentarian, a CPP senator’s family member and a business associate of the prime minister’s daughter are among the latest recipients of state-land transfers that have been distributing lakes, forests and wildlife sanctuaries to the country’s elite. The government granted thousands of hectares of social land concessions in Koh Kong, Mondulkiri and Kampong Thom provinces, in addition to grants of private land to officials and business owners. The latest batch of land grants — all signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen in March but published by the Council of Ministers this week — included two social land concessions controlled by the World Bank under its Lased land distribution program. A map of a concession granted within Kampong Thom province’s on March 15, 2022 as part of the World Bank’s LASED III program. (Danielle Keeton-Olsen/VOD) The first, signed on March 15, granted 793 hectares in Kampong Thom province under the Lased system. Based on protected area maps, a portion of the concession would overlap with Boeng Per Wildlife Sanctuary, but the sub decree did not mention whether it would involve declassifying a protected area. read more https://vodenglish.news/state-hands-land-to-lawmaker-senators-family/

Bad weather, floods and rising Covid-19 cases in the Kingdom have stymied the planned recovery of Cambodia’s tourism sector. The country recorded more than 210,000 tourist last weekend. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, presented the weekly tourism statistics for July 24-25 and stated that there were 213,590 tourists, consisting of 192,050 nationals and 21,540 foreigners. Major tourist destinations include: Preah Sihanouk with 33,174 people Kampot with 31,323 people; Siem Reap with 26,743 people; Battambang with 20,512 people; Phnom Penh with 18,098 people; Kandal with 16,245 people; Kep with 10,531 people; and Pursat with 8,492 people. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501119695/recovery-derailed-decrease-in-tourist-numbers-recorded-in-fourth-weekend-of-july/

The water levels of the Mekong and Tonle Sap has risen and is likely to continue to rise after more than a month of persistent rainfall, raising flood alerts in various parts of the country. Chan Yutha, Spokesman and Secretary of State of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, told local news last week that rainfall in the country is likely to decrease slightly in the next few days, but rainfall will continue in the upper Mekong Basin due to the low-pressure area. Hydrological stations at the Mekong and Tonle Sap reached a height of more than five metre above normal. Other tributaries of the river and lake have also seen a spike in their water levels, major increase include: Stung Treng reported an increase of 6.31 metres; Kratie with 14.54 metres and Kampong Cham with 8.44 metres. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501119146/tonle-sap-mekong-water-levels-continue-to-rise-amid-flood-warnings/

Army commander Hun Manet said the military will have low tolerance for repeat drug users, a rare acknowledgement of drug use in the armed forces. Hun Manet posted a video to this Facebook page on July 19 where he acknowledged that some soldiers in the Cambodian Army were addicted to drugs and that leadership had been lenient with personnel leading to repeated use of drugs. “Now for the army, I ask for very strict discipline. When there is a problem, we must cut out the problem immediately. … In some units, they are tolerating it too many times,” he said in the video. “When there are cases, they tolerate them, send them for rehabilitation and when they return, they are still using it,” Manet said. The admission is a rare insight into the internal issues of the Cambodian military, which is otherwise very opaque. A public anti-drug campaign over the last five and half years has been used by the government to score political points by arresting, detaining and imprisoning tens of thousands of people. read more https://vodenglish.news/hun-manet-says-army-has-a-drug-problem-pushes-for-strict-measures/

The National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) has said that natural calamities have claimed 46 lives, injured 78 people, and destroyed 3,515 homes across the country in the first six months of the year. This, however, is a significant decrease when compared to last year, as 78 people were killed, 129 injured and 5,491 homes were destroyed. Soth Kim Kolmony, spokesman for NCDM, said yesterday that three people were killed in the ongoing rainy season while thousands of task force personnel are ready to assist in any emergency situation brought about by floods. The NCDM plans to deploy more than 2,000 additional forces, besides nearly 40,000 troops and police who were put in place to help flash flood victims. Kolmony also said that there were 251 fires in the first six months, which killed 11 people and injured 32 people and charred 445 houses. He added that the blazes also damaged 20 cars and 83 motorcycles, 46 stalls, 13 warehouses, six factories, two administrative buildings two schools, while it damaged 13 tonnes of rice, 20 tonnes of corn, and six hectares of cashew plantations. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501118584/natural-calamities-claim-46-lives-in-six-months/

The Daung International Border Crossing Police Station – who administer the international crossing point into Thailand – have strongly rejected claims by media alleging that immigration officials illegally exacted charges on border crossers. In a strongly worded letter denying the charges, border police strongly deny that they took the sum of 1500 baht (approx. $41) from people with valid passports The letter states that no immigration official has ever taken 1,500 baht per person from the people to stamp their passports, as alleged by the Youth Journalists Association. Also, the location and pictures posted on social media are not within the geographical area of operation of the International Border Police. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501118386/border-police-deny-claim-that-they-levied-tax-on-border-crossers-with-valid-passports/

Cambodia's Ministry of Health on Sunday issued preventive measures against monkeypox transmission, a day after Thailand's first monkeypox fugitive was found in capital Phnom Penh. Osmond Chihazirim Nzerem, a 27-year-old Nigerian man who was diagnosed with monkeypox and fled from Thailand to Cambodia, was caught by Cambodian authorities at a guesthouse in the capital's Chamkarmon district on Saturday evening. The patient was soon sent to the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital for medical treatment. In a statement, the health ministry appealed to individuals who have been in direct contact with the Nigerian monkeypox carrier to be isolated from their family members and seek medical aid. Health Minister Mam Bunheng advised all hospitals and health centers across the Southeast Asian country to closely monitor the situation and report immediately if any suspected cases of monkeypox are detected. He also urged authorities at all international ports of entry to check all inbound passengers from countries where cases have been detected, and report to health authorities if any passengers are found to have itchy rashes. The World Health Organization declared on Saturday that the current multi-country monkeypox outbreak outside of the traditional endemic areas in Africa has already turned into a public health emergency of international concern. https://www.shine.cn/news/world/2207248379/

Cambodia needs another $136 million to achieve its target of becoming a nation free of landmines by 2025. The figure was given by Ly Thuch, the First Vice-President of Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), during a coffee briefing at the residence of British Ambassador to Cambodia yesterday. This year, Cambodia marks 30 years of mine action in the country, which have seen landmines or explosive remnants of war (ERW) removed from approximately 2,385 square kilometres of land, which are now being used for productive purposes such as agriculture, resettlement, roads, schools, and other infrastructure development. However, according to Thuch, 1,991 square kilometres of land in Cambodia is still contaminated with remnants of war, of which 716sqm are identified as contaminated with landmine. “To release this 716sqm, we need $136 million with an estimated average cost of 19 cents per square metre,” he said, adding that this number is not inclusive of sector-wide coordination, management, and oversight. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501117274/cambodia-needs-136m-more-to-be-mine-free-by-2020/

Cambodia’s economy is projected to grow by 5.3 percent this year, up from 3 percent in 2021, Chea Chanto, governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), said on Thursday. “The growth will be supported mainly by a rise in manufacturing exports, an increase in construction and real estate as well as agriculture, and a gradual recovery of tourism,” he said in a closing speech of the central bank’s biannual meeting. The Southeast Asian country’s economy traditionally relies on garment, footwear and travel goods exports, construction and real estate, agriculture and tourism. Ministry of Commerce’s undersecretary of state and spokesman Penn Sovicheat said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Cambodia-China FTA (CCFTA), both entering into force on January 1, have been boosting Cambodia’s economic growth. “Through RCEP and the CCFTA, we’re confident that Cambodia’s export volume to China and other RCEP member countries will be bigger, especially the exports of potential agricultural produce such as rice, cassava, bananas and mangoes, industrial products, and processing goods,” he told Xinhua. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501117657/cambodias-economy-expected-to-grow-5-3-pct-this-year-central-bank-governor/

Nine Chinese men in custody were sentenced to life in prison for alleged crossed-border drug trafficking to Australia and New Zealand alongside more than 10 others in absentia. Phnom Penh judge Nhim Pisal issued a verdict on Thursday sentencing the nine men to life and 80 million riel each in fines (about $20,000) based on drug and money laundering charges. Pisal also sentenced more than 10 others in absentia to life and 50 million riel in fines each. He named the convicted men in custody as Liu Wei Cheng, Chen Zhiquan, Wang Lei, Sun Lian, Huang Rui Ming, Sun Hai Tao, Li Yi Nam, Wang Yue and Zhu Xiao Fei. Pisal added that they have the right to appeal. On December 24, Cambodian police, in cooperation with Chinese police and the Chinese Embassy, raided two locations in Phnom Penh’s Borey Peng Huoth Boeng Snor in Chbar Ampov’s Niroth commune, and at a restaurant in Prampi Makara’s Boeng Prolit commune. Chinese authorities simultaneously made arrests in China. read more https://vodenglish.news/more-than-20-sentenced-to-life-for-drug-trafficking/

The country’s top anti-trafficking official said Cambodia would investigate news reports of rampant human trafficking in the country, as a rights group noted how neither the government nor civil society were positioned to look at the emergent type of trafficking. The official said the country had cooperated with the U.S. on human trafficking measures and was disappointed the efforts were not enough to prevent the country from sliding down in U.S. ratings this week. In its ”Trafficking in Persons” report, the U.S. downgraded Cambodia to be a “Tier 3” state — the lowest rank — citing human trafficking at scam operations, in the entertainment industry and among migrant workers. The ranking allows for restrictions to foreign assistance by the U.S. president. Over the past year, hundreds of foreign nationals have been removed from debt slavery at scam compounds across Cambodia, and those who have escaped have spoken of thousands of workers perpetrating crimes online while being barred from leaving. The U.S. report suggested official complicity in the industry. read more https://vodenglish.news/interior-ministry-official-saddened-by-injustice-of-human-trafficking-downgrade/

Inflation rose to 7.2 percent in May this year in the country, the highest in the last decade, the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) said yesterday, adding that it has unleashed a set of measures to control the inflationary pressures and protect the purchasing power of the local currency. Increasing prices of oil and food mainly contributed to the sharp rise in inflation, said NBC Governor Chea Chanto at its biannual meeting yesterday. The prolonging Russia-Ukraine war and sanctions on Russia have pushed up world oil and food prices, along with the prices of fertilizers and agricultural products, he said. China’s ‘Zero Covid Policy’ also led to a spike in the prices of construction materials in Cambodia as the country depends on Chinese imports. The NBC through its monetary policies is trying to control the inflationary pressures and support the economic recovery of the country, he added. “As an immediate step, the exchange rate of riel against the US dollar has been stabilised,” he said. Due to the high dollarisation of the economy, exchange rate fluctuations can have a direct and rapid impact on inflation in Cambodia. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501116556/may-records-decades-highest-inflation-in-cambodia/

The unemployment rate for Cambodia is expected to be at 0.31 percent this year, which is the lowest among all member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), according to the Asean Information Center. Laos is at the second place with a projected unemployment rate of one percent. The unemployment rate of Myanmar is expected to be at 1.79 percent, Singapore (2.2 percent), Vietnam (2.46 percent), Malaysia (3.9 percent), Philippines (5.8 percent), Indonesia (5.83 percent) and Brunei (8.4 percent), the report said. Hong Vannak, an economic analyst at Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Khmer Times that the figure is reliable. Vannak added that Cambodia is one of developing countries that have created jobs for its people in production, domestic trade and export along with the government’s efforts in building international, bilateral and multilateral relations with different partners both regionally and globally. “The relations are consistent with regional and global economic integration policy of our country and so we are not lonely. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501116561/cambodias-unemployment-rate-lowest-in-asean/