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The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology issued a notice warning that travellers should take caution while travelling through one of Koh Kong’s districts. The notice was sent out on the afternoon of 13 July by the Ministry to local news. The notice warned that people travelling through Preah Ang Keo village, Dong Peng commune, Sre Ambel district should avoid to take caution as the roads are inundated. According to the notice, several days of continuous rainfall caused the village and rural roads flood. Koh Kong is one of the latest provinces to ban travel along its road due to flooding. Preah Sihanouk and Kampong Speu have each banned travel along National Road 4 due to the floodwaters rushing onto the road. Preah Sihanouk, however, announced this morning that travel is now allowed in some areas of the road as flood water receded. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501112087/notice-sent-out-as-floods-hits-koh-kong/

The Commercial Gambling Committee of Cambodia (CGCC) has revealed that state tax revenue from the industry reached just 8% of the amount required by budget law in the six months to 30 June 2022, impacted by the closure of most casinos nationwide. According to The Phnom Penh Post, figures from the committee – part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance – show that only 20 of Cambodia’s over 200 casinos were operational as of 30 June, resulting in a significant decline in tax revenue. It also revealed that 129 casinos have reapplied for casino licenses this year but only 13 licenses have been issued by the CGCC’s General Secretariat so far. Under Cambodia’s Law on the Management of Integrated Resorts and Commercial Gambling (LMCG), which was promulgated in November 2020, all casinos must renew their licenses annually. They are also, according to the budget law, expected to generate KHR174.2 billion (US$42.7 million) in tax revenues. read more https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2022/07/13/only-20-of-cambodias-200-plus-casinos-operational-in-1h22-as-tax-revenue-plummets/

After enjoying almost 2 months of being COVID free, official figures released today show that, for the 16th day in a row, Cambodia has recorded yet more new COVID cases. Today’s official daily new COVID case total (diagnosed by PCR test) was 16, bringing the COVID case total to 136,390 cases. Cambodia announced 0 new deaths, bringing the total to 3,056 direct deaths from COVID-19 in Cambodia. The Kingdom recorded 16 new community and 0 new imported cases of the new variant. There are now 76 active COVID cases (diagnosed by PCR test) in The Kingdom. There was dispiriting news yesterday from the Ministry of Health that two Omicron ‘spinoffs’, the dominant subvariants of the Covid-19 virus, BA.5 and BA.4, have snuck into Cambodia. The Ministry is sounding the alarm bell for all to take extra precautions or suffer severe consequences. The variants were detected after laboratory tests on 84 cases that were reported in the two weeks from June 28 after a respite of two months without cases, said Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501112020/active-covid-cases-rise-again-for-cambodia-as-new-cases-reported/

Son Chhay said the National Election Committee had ‘stolen votes’ in the June 5 local communal elections. A senior official for Cambodia’s main opposition party accused of defamation for claiming there were irregularities in the June 5 local commune elections said his trial is a waste of time after testifying before the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday. On June 17, the National Election Committee (NEC), a supposedly impartial election monitor, filed a lawsuit against Son Chhay, vice president of the Candlelight Party, for telling journalists that the NEC stole votes to allow Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party to win more races than it should have. CPP candidates won roughly 80 percent of the 11,622 contested commune council seats, outpacing Candlelight contestants by five to one. The suit claims that Son Chhay’s comments damaged the NEC’s reputation. It asks that he publicly apologize to the monitoring body. “I want to know what is not right about [my comments],” Son Chhay said outside the court. “Many NGOs who monitored the elections also said the same thing. Which parts are not true? It is strange. This is a bad example of the democratic process.” Son Chhay said that he continues to stand by his statements and will not apologize for them. His criticism of the NEC should be protected by Cambodia’s freedom of speech laws, he said. RFA was not able to reach NEC spokesperson Hang Puthea as of Tuesday evening. Son Chhay is next due in court on Friday to testify in a similar lawsuit filed by the CPP, which is seeking U.S. $1 million in damages. Son Chhay must reveal evidence of the election irregularities or be held responsible before the law, CPP spokesperson Chhim Phal Virum told RFA’s Khmer Service. The court should clearly explain what is covered under freedom of expression protections and what is considered a crime, Am Sam Ath, chief of general affairs for the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (Licadho), told RFA. “Most politicians express their political views, so we should consider that,” he said. In 2017, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which at that time was the main opposition party, was dissolved by Cambodia’s Supreme Court, a move that paved the way for the CPP to win every seat in the National Assembly in the 2018 general election. Following the dissolution, three CNRP members who were serving on the NEC resigned, leaving it without legitimacy according to observers. The ban on the CNRP kicked off a five-year crackdown on political opposition, with many of those affiliated with the party arrested and detained on charges like conspiracy, incitement, and treason. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/son_chhay-07122022153556.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Eighty-nine Thais were removed from Cambodian scam compounds, Malaysia said it was working on the rescues of 60 nationals, and Vietnamese workers were brutally beaten in Cambodia, according to recent news reports from around the region. The reports follow ongoing warnings by foreign governments about workers being duped into debt slavery in Cambodia. Last week, Vietnamese authorities told its citizens to be wary of job ads about “light work, high salaries” in Cambodia, as families were being asked to pay between $3,000 to $30,000 to get them out. In Thailand, national police deputy Damrongsak Kittiprapas said on Monday that 89 Thai nationals were removed from four locations in Sihanoukville and another in Poipet in a series of raids, according to the Bangkok Post. Two of the raids, in late June at Jing Cheng hotel and Bolai casino, have already been reported. The three others, dating June 6 and 7, took 28 people from two Sihanoukville locations and 40 from Poipet, the Bangkok Post said. read more https://vodenglish.news/scam-trafficking-rescues-on-the-rise-regional-media/

The number of traffic accidents in the first six months of 2022 has surged to more than 1,600 incidents with nearly 950 deaths reported, and over 2,200 injuries, according to a report released by the General Commissariat of National Police on July 12. The report stated that there were 1,609 traffic accidents that resulted in 942 deaths and 2,235 injuries, of those 1,429 were serious injuries. Motorcyclists accounted for 81% of fatalities or 759 deaths, and of riders killed, 558 resulted from not wearing helmets. Phnom Penh had 458 reported motorcycle accident deaths, 117 in Kandal province, and 97 in Sihanoukville. A car turns turtle after skidding off a highway. Kong Ratanak, Director of Institute for Road Safety, confirmed that there are three reasons why the number of traffic accidents has surged. The first is that traffic law enforcement has decreased because traffic police have been busy with the recent commune elections and were unavailable to perform normal traffic duties. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501111492/traffic-accidents-surge-in-first-half-of-year/

Once again, the scale of the narcotic production crisis that Cambodia faces was graphically illustrated when as police confirmed they had arrested 11 foreign nationals and confiscated a mind-boggling 1.80 tons of drugs and 276 tons of chemicals in Phnom Penh, Svay Rieng, Prey Veng and Kandal provinces. The Anti-Drug Department say they have cracked down on large-scale drug processing ring, arresting 11 Chinese nationals and confiscating more than 1.80 tons of drugs and 276 tons of chemicals in Phnom Penh, Svay Rieng, Prey Veng and Kandal provinces. The crackdown follows the orders of Brigadier General Neth Savoeun, National Police Commissioner General, and Gen. Mak Chito, Deputy Commissioner General of the Anti-Drug Crime Plan, under the direct command of Lt. Gen. Lek Vannak, Director of the Department of Anti-Drug Crimes. Prior to the crackdown, the police had conducted an investigation for more than three months, read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501111902/massive-drugs-bust-as-foreigners-arrested-with-incredible-1-8-tons-of-drugs-and-276-tons-of-chemicals/

Many say they face financial ruin as their crops dry up and die. A severe drought in northwest Cambodia has destroyed at least 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of rice and farmers are calling on the government to provide irrigation and other assistance. Chak Mao from Mongkol Borey district of Banteay Meanchey province told RFA that thousands of hectares of rice are drying up due to the four-month drought. She said her six hectares will be destroyed and her family would be forced to seek jobs in neighboring Thailand if there is no rain or assistance from the Cambodian government. “We have a serious drought,” Chak Mao said, adding that villagers are praying for rain. She urged the government to help the farmers by providing irrigation systems or reservoirs. A farmer who declined to be named said he stands to lose a significant sum of money because he hired workers for 20 hectares of land his family owns in addition to the three hectares they farm themselves. “We have some irrigation systems, but we don’t have reservoirs to store water, so when there is no rain," he said. "We don’t have water." Farmers in Thailand have access to stored water so their crops don’t dry up during periods without rain, he said. Hoeuk Heng said farmers like him face financial ruin: “If we don’t have rain, we will abandon it. We will abandon it, and it will die." As she watched her husband pump water onto her rice field, Chhun Sory said they had collected some rain from a shower the night before. But they still need help. “I’m afraid that we don’t have any more seedlings to farm,” she said. “I want an irrigation system and for the government to help us so we have water for farming." Commune head Chea Ty said he will continue to work to get the water for farmers. Roth Da Sinong, governor of Mongkol Borey district, said the drought has affected three communes there, though he did not know exactly how many hectares of crops were destroyed. Theng Savoeun, cofounder of the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community, urged the government to prepare long-term measures and to provide seedlings free of charge. “During the drought with a lack of water and lack of markets, local authorities must play a vital role to resolve the crisis for the people,” he said. Translated by Samean Yun for RFA Khmer. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/farmers-drought-07122022173835.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

Most of the detainees were arrested in 2020 for expressing their political views. An attorney representing several jailed Cambodian opposition activists said his clients have been in pretrial detention for longer than is legally allowed, as he urged the court to quickly work to resolve their cases. More than 60 opposition activists, mostly with connections to the banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), have been detained for expressing their political rights. Most of them were arrested by the authorities in early 2020. Many of the activists have been in pretrial detention longer than the 18-month legal limit, while others are close to reaching that limit, Sam Sokong, who represents nearly 10 detained activists, told RFA’s Khmer Service. The legal limit is “six months, and it can be extended twice for six months, so that’s equal to 18 months,” he said. Sam Sokong’s clients include Kong Mas, who previously served an 18-month sentence that ended in 2020, and Khan Bun Pheng, a former commune chief detained since January 2020. Both are awaiting trial on conspiracy charges. Sam Sokong’s other clients include activists who were arrested by Thai authorities and repatriated in late 2021: Voeung Samnang and Voeun Vearn, whose alias is Prey Lang Rose Wood, who are both charged with "conspiracy and incitement;" Lahn Thavry, who is charged with "incitement;" and Mech Heang, who is charged with "insulting the government leadership." They have been in detention for more than eight months. Sam Sokong said that the court told him that their cases had already been sent to a trial judge, but he has yet to receive a court date. Voeung Samnang’s wife, Srey Teang Chenda, told RFA that the court has already summoned her husband from prison six times since his detention began eight months ago but has not yet taken him to trial. She said she expects the court to expedite the hearing soon and release her husband to reunite with his family because he is innocent. “It is unfair because he was not at fault. The authorities arrested him and did not prosecute,” she said. “He has done nothing wrong and just keeping him in prison is making me suffer. I have to take care of my family alone and need to visit him at the prison [to bring him food] too,” Sreay Teang Chenda said. RFA could not reach Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Ey Rin for comment. Civil society groups say detaining suspects without a trial violates their right to due process and a speedy trial. The opposition activists’ cases are moving more slowly than others, Soeung Senkaruna, spokesperson for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, told RFA. “In this case, we would like to see the same legal responsibility be implemented for the detained activists, by speeding up the trial process,” he said, explaining that prolonged pre-trial detention violates the rights of the accused. “Civil society organizations have consistently insisted on the court considering dropping the charges and granting detainees liberty,” Soeung Senkaruna said. The CNRP was dissolved by Cambodia’s Supreme Court in 2017, a move that paved the way for Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party to win every seat in the National Assembly in the 2018 general election. The dissolution of the CNRP kicked off a five-year crackdown on political opposition, with many of those affiliated with the party arrested and detained on charges like conspiracy, incitement, and treason. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/pretrial-07112022164847.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Cambodia's population growth rate in the past two decades has remained roughly 40-50 per cent faster than the global average, as the UN projects that eight billion people will live on the Earth in November this year, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hun Sen made the remark in a letter celebrating the 33th World Population Day, held with the theme of “A World of eight billion people towards a resilient future to seize a chance to ensure rights for all”. “The UN projected that the numbers of the global population will rise to eight billion in November this year, meaning the world has made incredible strides in reducing poverty and improving healthcare. Maternity and infant mortality rates are declining and people are living longer and healthier lives,” he said. read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kingdom-sees-rapid-population-growth

Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities have collaborated to repatriate 400 Vietnamese citizens who had been tricked and sold to Cambodia. So far this year, authorities in Vietnam and Cambodia have worked together to verify cases in which Vietnamese people had been taken to Cambodia by human traffickers. The collaboration resulted in nearly 400 Vietnamese being rescued and brought home, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang last week. In recent times, it has been increasingly reported that many Vietnamese had been tricked to work in Cambodia. In most cases, trafficking rings advertised their services on Facebook and Zalo, a Vietnamese texting and calling app, targeting people of working age but without stable jobs, promising a career with a monthly salary of up to thousands of dollars. The victims were typically smuggled into Cambodia via unofficial routes and sent to work at foreign-owned companies. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501110997/400-vietnam-citizens-tricked-to-work-illegally-in-cambodia-rescued/

A man died yesterday after an attempt to electrocute frogs in a pond ended in his own death from an electric shock. The incident happened at 11:10 AM on July 11, 2022 at Serey Voan village, Andek Hep commune, Rattanak Mondul district, Battambang province. It appears that the man had inserted a live electric cable into the frog pond, in the hope of killing the frogs for food. Unfortunately, the ensuing electric shock resulted in the man’s instant death According to the police, the victim was named Touch Mao, male, 71 years old (a veteran) living in Serey Voan village, Andek Hep commune, Rattanak Mondul district, Battambang province. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501111161/man-tries-to-electrocute-frogs-dies-of-electrocution/

Dozens of undocumented Cambodian migrant workers have been dismissed from a Thai dried-durian factory after being brought there by job brokers, leaving them in a vulnerable state in an incident that underscores the risks of ongoing illegal migration. Illegal border crossings were on the rise until land borders reopened in May, and undocumented migrants in seasonal work are being left in a precarious state as jobs come and go. Ruk Chanthy, 31, a Cambodian migrant, said he had paid almost $300 to be taken across the border at night through a forest and stream alongside about 20 others. He paid another 1,000 baht, or about $30, before he could start work at the Sunshine International durian factory in Thailand’s Chon Buri province, he said. Undocumented migrants worked only night shifts and were not allowed to leave the factory premises, he said. Another worker, who asked to not be named out of safety concerns, said she had paid a similar to cross the border and work at Sunshine International in Chon Buri, but after three months she was fired and was warned about how she was undocumented. read more https://vodenglish.news/seasonal-migrants-fired-from-thai-durian-factory/

Cambodia on July 10 mourned the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot by an assassin, with flags ordered to be flown at half mast throughout the Kingdom. Abe, 67, was shot while speaking at a political campaign event on the morning of July 8 in the southern Japanese city of Nara. Prime Minister Hun Sen on July 9 offered condolences to Japan’s Royal Family, its government and its people, while also declaring that the Cambodian people would both publicly and privately observe one day of mourning for Abe. read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodia-mourning-after-killing-japans-shinzo-abe

BANGKOK: The Malaysian embassy in Cambodia has rescued 46 Malaysians who were said to have been duped into taking up “lucrative job offers overseas”, according to its ambassador Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim. “To date, there are still more than 60 cases of Malaysians who are waiting to be rescued. We are working closely with the Cambodian authorities to help them return home,” he told Bernama. In 2018, the embassy assisted 47 Malaysians who were caught in a similar predicament. No cases were reported in 2020 and 2021 following the closure of borders during the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent case involved four Malaysians who were allegedly duped by syndicates that offered high-paying jobs in Cambodia. The four men, aged 29 to 41, returned home safely yesterday. The syndicates attracted victims via social networking sites such as Facebook, with offers of high-paying jobs overseas. However, when they arrived in Cambodia, they were forced to be part of a tele-marketing scam targeting people around the world. read more https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/07/10/over-60-msian-victims-of-job-scam-still-stuck-in-cambodia-says-envoy/

Cambodia topped the latest edition of Nikkei’s COVID-19 Recovery Index as Asia fears new waves. According to the source, in the ranking for June, Cambodia climbed to the top spot after lingering at No. 2 and No. 3 since March. The country recorded zero new cases for 52 days until June 28. Since then, a total of 52 infections had been reported as of Thursday. Despite the modest number, Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned of another outbreak and called on the public to get booster shots and wear masks. Cambodia dropped its mask mandate for outdoor public spaces in late April. The Kingdom’s neighbour, Vietnam, came in second in the index. This shows the two Southeast Asian nations are well on their way back to business as usual. Other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations also made progress this time. Thailand, which dropped all COVID-related entry requirements last Friday, soared 36 places to 53rd. Indonesia achieved the same ranking after moving 43 spots higher, though President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo predicted that his country will be challenged by a new surge in infections later this month, driven by the new subvariants. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501110298/cambodia-ranked-first-for-covid-19-recovery-index/

On the occasion of sixth death anniversary of prominent social commentator Kem Ley, scores gathered at the site where the political commentator was assassinated on July 10, 2016. Ley was shot dead, while having his morning coffee at a cafe in a gas station at Tonle Bassac commume in Chamkar Mon district. More than 100 youth and civil society officials yesterday attended the wreath laying ceremony for the slain political commentator at the site, where they renewed demands to reopen an investigation into his murder. Separately, his wife and sister organised prayer meetings in which several people paid tributes to the human rights activist who was murdered in broad daylight in Phnom Penh. While Ley’s wife Bou Rachna, now living in Australia, organised a prayer meeting at the Cambodian Victoria Association in Australia, his sister Kem Thavy living in Takeo province organised a memorial event in Takeo province. Meanwhile, Interior Ministry spokesman General Khieu Sopheak said yesterday that he was not sure whether the wreath laying ceremony was held with the permission of the owner of the site. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501110020/kem-ley-supporters-gather-on-his-6th-death-anniversary/

Cambodia said on Friday it will lift quarantine requirements for unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated inbound travelers, but require them to undergo a rapid antigen test upon their arrivals. The decision will take effect from July 11, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement. “If the rapid antigen test’s result is negative, he/she will be allowed to travel to their respective houses or destinations without observing quarantine obligations,” Bunheng said. “If the test’s result turns out to be positive, but the patient has mild symptoms, he/she will be allowed to undergo treatment at home with self-isolation,” he added. For positive patients with severe symptoms, however, they must seek medical treatment at licensed COVID-19 hospitals, the minister said. According to Bunheng, an unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated foreign traveler is required to pay $5 for a rapid antigen test. He also encouraged unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated inbound travelers to receive COVID-19 vaccines for free-of-charge at any vaccination site across the country. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501109224/cambodia-scraps-quarantine-requirements-for-unvaccinated-inbound-travelers/

Methamphetamine use is spreading as Chinese drug lords establish footholds in the country. NGOs are urging government authorities to enact tougher measures against Chinese drug lords operating in Cambodia, as methamphetamine use continues to surge in the Southeast Asian country. The calls came following news this week of the arrest in Sihanoukville of seven Chinese nationals who set up a factory in the coastal province to make the drugs from smuggled ingredients. Authorities also seized 14 tonnes (15.4 tons) of drug precursors and production equipment during the arrests, according to a report on the National Police Facebook page on Tuesday. The 7 arrested suspects will next be sent for processing in Cambodian courts, police authorities said. Drug use has now spread from Sihanoukville city to the suburbs and will eventually spread even farther into the country, leading to kidnapping and violence by criminal gangs, Cheap Sotheary — provincial coordinator for the rights group Adhoc — told RFA this week. All drugs confiscated by authorities should be immediately destroyed, she added. “We are concerned that many of these confiscated drugs are being stored and that some may be taken out and removed, as some authorities in the past turned out to be drug traffickers themselves. “Authorities should be taking strong action in every case,” she said. Also speaking to RFA, Transparency International Cambodia Executive Director Pech Pisey said that Chinese drug lords began to come to Cambodia after they saw that the country lacked a strong rule of law. “International criminals think they can produce and distribute drugs as much as they like,” Pech Pisey said. Cambodia must strictly enforce its laws if it wants to be kept off the Grey List of countries corrupted by money laundering released by the Paris-based watchdog Financial Action Task Force, he added. Cambodian Minister of the Interior Sar Kheng said during a National Day for Combating Drugs on June 26 that Cambodian police had seized a combined total of more than 100 tonnes of finished drugs and drug ingredients from 2020 to 2021. However, of the nearly 10,000 tonnes of the finished drugs that were seized, only 6,000 tonnes were then destroyed, he said. Translated by Samean Yun for RFA Khmer. Written in English by Richard Finney. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/drugs-07072022151320.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

After linking up with dozens of workers “asking to be saved” and breaking into scammers’ computers, a notorious ex-hacker now working for the Vietnamese state cybersecurity agency called for “prompt intervention” to get thousands of victims out of Cambodian compounds. A report compiled mostly last year by Ngo Minh Hieu — previously jailed in the U.S. for a massive identity-theft scheme involving the personal data of 200 million people — documented familiar allegations that have been raised by Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and other nationals about global scam operations based in Cambodian compounds marked by detention, debt slavery and violence. For months, foreign workers have alleged being lured to come to Cambodia then held at compounds and forced to work on global online scams. Foreign governments have issued warnings about the situation, but the scam compounds have continued to operate. read more https://vodenglish.news/white-hat-hacker-infiltrates-cambodian-scam-operations/

Cambodia has launched a “My 2nd Home” programme to encourage foreign investment in the country. The programme features a 10 year long “Golden Visa” with unlimited entry and exit and other benefits. But how does it compare with Thailand’s 10 year Long Term Resident visa? Applicants for the “My 2nd Home” Golden Visa must be a foreign investor with an investment capital of no less than $100,000 in Cambodia, own a “real estate project” in Cambodia and be a citizen of a country recognised by the Cambodian government. No academic qualifications or language proficiency are required. There is no application fee. Benefits of Cambodia’s programme, approved by the Ministry of Interior, include a 10 year visa with unlimited exit and entry to Cambodia and an option to apply for Cambodian citizenship after 5 years. The programme is the only way for a foreigner to apply for a Cambodian passport. Foreign investors will benefit from Khmer Home Charity Association membership which will give them access to insurance coverage and VIP medical treatment. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501108375/cambodia-goes-head-on-with-thailand-in-implementing-10-year-golden-visa/

The late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi’s life, work and dedication to Cambodia’s traditional art, especially the Royal Ballet, are now detailed and illustrated in the Princess’ first and official biography, written by Julio A Jeldres, who also penned her father King Norodom Sihanouk’s biography. Titled “The First Royal Apsara”, the 184-page life story of the “Goddess of Flower”, and published by the Princess Buppha Devi Association, was officially launched at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal yesterday. Princess Buppha Devi was the elder sister of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and a half-sibling of King Norodom Sihamoni. Queen Sisowath Kossamak, her grandmother and also a devoted patron of classical art, introduced her to the Royal Ballet when she reached the tender age of five. Later, as an outstanding Royal Ballet artiste, Princess Buppha Devi then toured the world as the principal dancer of the Royal Ballet with Queen Kossamak, performing in public. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501108598/the-richness-of-princess-buppha-devi/

Some party leaders want to form an alliance to oppose Hun Sen and his firmly entrenched ruling party. Representatives from five Cambodian opposition parties, including the main opposition Candlelight Party, met on Wednesday to demand electoral reforms and greater political freedom, but were unable to reach a deal on forming a political alliance, one of the party leaders told RFA. The Candlelight Party took about 19 percent of the country’s 11,622 local council seats in last month’s commune elections, but is outnumbered on the councils by Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) by about five to one. Prior to the election, the Candlelight Party candidates reported harassment and intimidation by members of the CPP and its supporters, including government officials. On Wednesday, Candlelight joined the Grassroots Democratic Party, the Cambodian Reform Party, the Khmer Will Party and the Kampucheanimym Party to issue eight joint statements demanding free and fair elections and the right to compete on equal ground with the ruling party. The statements will be submitted to the Cambodian government and the National Election Commission (NEC), Yang Saing Koma, the Grassroots Democratic Party’s founder, told RFA’s Khmer Service. The next step, he said, was for the parties to iron out the details on establishing an alliance. “The Grassroots Democratic Party has coordinated our efforts and built upon what we have previously accomplished to show that the Khmer political parties, even though we are separate, can cooperate to work toward a common goal,” Yang Saing Koma said. The five parties are studying their past experiences to create a new framework for their alliance, he said. Two scenarios are under discussion. The first would merge all of the parties into a single party and the second would keep the parties separate, but alliance candidates would not compete against each other for the same seat, he said. The five parties will hold a joint press conference on July 11 to release their statements and announce their goals. RFA was unable to reach NEC spokesman Hang Puthea and government spokesman Phay Siphan for comment. Kong Monika, president of the Khmer Will Party, told RFA his party advocates a merger before next year’s general elections, when Cambodians will choose members of the 125-seat National Assembly. The Candlelight Party’s vice president, Thach Setha, said Candlelight’s focus is on working with the other four parties to push for greater freedom and to improve the electoral process. Candlelight has not internally discussed an alliance with the others. Merging into a singular party has been tried before with moderate success, said Ros Sothea, director of the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, a local alliance NGOs. During the 2013 election, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was able to take 55 seats in the assembly, while the CPP took 68. The CNRP was an alliance between the Kem Sokha-led Human Rights Party and the Sam Rainsy Party, named after its leader who went into self-imposed exile in France in 2015 after he was accused of crimes that his supporters say are politically motivated and groundless. Hun Sen had Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolve the CNRP in 2017 after it performed well in that year’s commune council elections. The move allowed the CPP to take all 125 of the assembly seats in 2018’s general election. The dissolution began a five-year crackdown on the opposition that made political activities under the CNRP banner illegal and forced many former CNRP members into exile. Many of those who stayed were later imprisoned. The Sam Rainsy Party was technically a separate entity from the CNRP and not affected by the 2017 Supreme Court ruling. It rebranded itself as the Candlelight Party, and many former CNRP members have joined Candlelight, which after this year’s commune elections is firmly established as the main opposition party. “To me, if the parties can combine forces to get free and fair competition, it would be better because of Cambodia’s electoral system,” Ros Sothea said. The four smaller parties that participated in Wednesday’s meeting won a combined seven seats in this year’s commune council elections. The Grassroots Democratic Party won six seats, and the Kampucheanimym Party won one. The other two parties did not win a single seat but had a higher number of total votes for their candidates than the Kampucheanimym Party. Four other smaller parties that did not participate in Wednesday’s discussion also won seats in this year’s commune elections. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/five-07062022163123.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn said the letter of invitation to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to attend the 12th East Asia Summit Foreign Minister’s Meeting and the 29th ASEAN Regional Forum in Cambodia has already been sent. ” Sergei Lavrov’s invitation letter has been sent, but for the reply, I have not got any report from my colleagues yet as I had been on a week-long foreign trip,” Prak Sokhonn said yesterday at a briefing on the outcomes of his second working visit to Myanmar for foreign diplomatic corps accredited to Cambodia and media members. As scheduled, Cambodia is going to host the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers ‘Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings, including ASEAN Post Ministerial Conferences, ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Minister’s Meeting, East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, ASEAN Regional Forum and so on from July 30 to Aug. 6, 2022. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501108346/invitation-letter-already-sent-to-russian-foreign-minister-for-asean-meets/

The government has advised all female TikTok users to respect Khmer culture and tradition after observing a lot of content where women post obscene images and video or use lewd language on the social media platform. Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday that some female TikTok users are posting inappropriate content, which has a negative impact on themselves, the country and culture. “I am pleading with all females to uphold and respect their traditions and culture, and to cease using vulgar language, which affects teenagers who use it (TikTok) a lot, which means they could eventually follow their example,” he said. He added that using TikTok to create nude videos is inappropriate, and it is also problematic to use sexually suggestive noises and visuals. “This social media network won’t be outlawed by authorities. Everyone is welcome to use it, as long as they do it responsibly. I implore all TikTok users to refrain from using vulgar language and obscenities,” he said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501108037/govt-asks-tiktok-users-to-stop-vulgar-content/