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Cambodia has confirmed 10 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours after 52 days of zero cases, the health ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Eight were found in the community and two were detected on inbound travelers, the ministry said. The southeast Asian nation has so far recorded a total of 136,272 COVID-19 cases with 133,206 recoveries and 3,056 deaths, the ministry added. Prime Minister Hun Sen has called on people to strictly comply with health measures and to receive COVID-19 vaccines or booster shots when their turns come. “If thorough measures have not been taken, our country will probably return to a very bad situation,” he said in a special audio message released Tuesday night. Buoyed by its high vaccinations, Cambodia has resumed all socioeconomic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since November last year. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501104097/covid-19-cases-back-in-cambodia-with-10-new-cases-detected-are-there-more-undiscovered-cases/

Authorities in Siem Reap province’s Puok district are on the alert after the deaths of 27 buffaloes from blackleg since the beginning of this month. Siem Reap provincial Animal Health and Production office director Prum Vich said that the animals were found dead by their owners who had left them in the flooded forest along the Tonle Sap Lake to forage for food. He said up to yesterday teams of veterinarians have confirmed that all 27animals which died had been infected with blackleg infection. Vich said that they are in the process of locating other buffaloes which had been left to roam in the forest in order to check for more cases of blackleg and also vaccinate the animals. He said the dead buffaloes belonged to 22 families in four villages in Keo Por commune, and the owners did not get the animals vaccinated. Vich said that during a recent vaccination drive in the villages veterinarians could not locate these animals because they had already been let loose in the forest. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501103820/siem-reap-on-alert-after-blackleg-kills-27-buffaloes/

The 11th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) kicked off yesterday at Chaktomuk Conference Hall in Phnom Penh after a gap of two years. As many as 144 movies from 26 countries will be screened at the six-day long festival that will end on July 3. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, said in the event that the ministry considers the film industry as an essential part of its strategy of cultural and economic development. She added that ‘after the pandemic years, the Royal Government of Cambodia wishes to welcome filmmakers to CIFF, an event which promotes Cambodian film as well as the country as an attractive film destination for filmmakers from across the world.’ Dy Saveth, 78-year-old Cambodian actress and the first Miss Cambodia , often referred to as the “actress of tears”, was the major attraction at the gala opening of the festival. While expressing her joy with Khmer Times, one of the most beloved actresses from the 1960s, Dy Saveth said yesterday that she was so happy to see the crowd and it shows the growth of film industry in the country. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501103049/144-movies-from-26-nations-to-be-screened-at-11th-ciff/

A government press conference Wednesday morning about Justice Ministry work included the attendance of human rights NGOs — a rare sight that a spokesman said he hoped would be the start of a “culture of dialogue.” The presser, held at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, discussed recent, high-level Justice Ministry work such as the opening of provincial appeal courts. Joining the conference at the same table as reporters were representatives of human rights NGOs Adhoc and Licadho. During the meeting, government spokesman Phay Siphan and Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin sat on a raised platform in front of the rest of the attendees. Siphan said the day’s press conference was organized with invitations to civil society in order to share issues face-to-face.“By my observation, non-governmental organizations encounter problems but they do not understand the mechanism and principles to solve them,” he said. read more https://vodenglish.news/govt-presser-invites-ngos-to-join-culture-of-dialogue/

Experts at UN call for reexamination of June 14 mass trial that sent opposition activists to prison. A court in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh warned opposition leader Kem Sokha not to engage in any further political activities after the prosecution played a recorded conversation he held with supporters ahead of recent local elections, the latest wrinkle in his trial that started more than two years ago on unsubstantiated charges of treason. The deputy court prosecutor demanded Kem Sokha’s arrest after alleging that he had met with allies in the northwestern province of Siem Reap prior to the June 5 vote for commune council seats and discussed politics. Kem Sokha was released from pre-trial detention to house arrest in September 2018 and granted bail in November 2019 by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, the terms of which allowed him to travel within Cambodia but restricted him from taking part in any political activities. An undercover investigator recorded one of the conversations, which was used as evidence in Wednesday’s proceedings. Kem Sokha was allowed to return home when the court session ended at 2 p.m. His lawyer, Pheng Heng, told RFA’s Khmer Service that Kem Sokha would be more careful about interactions in order to avoid new charges as the trial unfolds. “He didn’t make any political speech,” said Pheng Heng. He said that Kem Sokha has participated in public gatherings, like weddings, Buddhist ceremonies and a feast, none of which were political. “The deputy prosecutor thought it was political activity, but the defense thinks otherwise,” Phen Heng said. Kem Sokha is not part of any political party recognized by the Ministry of Interior. The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) — which he co-founded with Sam Rainsy, who is living in self-exile in France — was dissolved by Cambodia’s Supreme Court in November 2017, two months after he was arrested over an alleged plot backed by the United States to overthrow the government of Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 35 years. Kem Sokha therefore could not have been engaging in politics, his lawyer argued. Wednesday’s hearing was the 46th session of the trial that started prior to the coronavirus pandemic. While the trial was delayed by the court’s closure during the height of the pandemic, critics believe that since then the authorities have been stalling in an attempt to keep Kem Sokha out of the public sphere to curb his political influence. During the 46th session, the court did not address the underlying charges against Kem Sokha, but focused instead on his recent activities. The case against Kem Sokha is clearly politically motivated, Yi Sok San, a senior monitor for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc), told RFA. “I urge the government to differentiate between politics and law,” he said, adding that it was not fair to raise the new allegation against Kem Sokha without informing the defense. CPP spokesperson Chhim Phall Vorun told RFA that the government’s case is not politically motivated. Experts condemn mass trial U.N. human rights experts on Wednesday requested a review of a June 14 mass trial where 43 defendants with connections to the CNRP were convicted on charges of plotting and incitement, receiving sentences of up to eight years. U.N. officials Vitit Muntarbhorn, who monitors human rights concerns in Cambodia, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, who tracks freedom of peaceful assembly issues, and Diego Garcia-Sayan, who promotes the independence of judges and lawyers, signed the statement. “The outcome of this first instance trial reinforces a troubling pattern of political trials peppered with judicial flaws,” the experts said in a statement. “We urge the government to urgently review and remedy the process to ensure the defendants’ access to justice.” Among the convicted activists is Cambodian American lawyer Theary Seng, who was recently moved from a prison in Phnom Penh to a more remote location, which the experts said makes family or consular visits more difficult. “On these grounds, the government is urged to review these convictions — and all pending similar cases — and to ensure future judicial proceedings adhere to international obligations,” the experts said. “This is critical to ensure the trend of shrinking civic and democratic space in Cambodia, aggravated by these trials, is reversed. A hindered access to justice not only infringes the rights of the victims, but has an overall chilling effect on society, discourages participation in assemblies and associations, and contributes to the dangerous trend of closing of civic space,” they said. Cambodia’s mission to the U.N. rejected the assessment of the trial as “misleading news.” The mission asserted that the trial was not politically motivated and said calling it as such was “unfounded and prejudicial.” It said that the experts’ narrative “one-sided and biased.” Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/kem-sokha-06292022175231.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

A recent report from the Ministry of Health has indicated that maternal, infant and neonatal mortality rates have decreased significantly. According to the National Institute of Statistics 2021-2022 analysis, the comparison between 2014 and 2022 indicated the maternal mortality rate declined from five in 1,000 to four in 1,000. The neonatal mortality rate was eight deaths per 1,000 birth in 2022, dropping from 18 deaths per 1,000. Infant mortality rates also declined from 28 deaths per 1,000 births to 12 deaths per 1,000 births. Death of children under five declined dramatically from 35 deaths in 2014 to 16 in 2022. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501102956/significant-drop-in-maternal-infant-and-mortality-rates/

More than 600 Khmer artefacts have been returned to the nation since 1996 through the generosity of other countries, memoranda of understandings and other types of bilateral cooperation. The artefacts are part of the haul of cultural treasure illegally removed from the Kingdom. Long Ponnasiriwat, a spokesman for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, told Khmer Times that countries that have returned artefacts to Cambodia include the United States, Japan, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Norway and China. He said: “Since 1996, more than 600 ancient Khmer sculptures have been returned to Cambodia through mechanisms of bilateral cooperation, government-to-government cooperation according to national and international legal standards, including through philanthropists.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501103054/over-600-artefacts-returned-to-cambodia-since-1996/

Eleven young indigenous filmmakers will showcase short films on their culture, language and hurdles facing their communities at a Phnom Penh film festival that starts Wednesday. The Cambodia International Film Festival was inaugurated Tuesday evening and will screen movies starting Wednesday morning at venues across the capital after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The festival runs until Sunday, with a scheduled roster of events and screenings of Cambodian and international films and documentaries. Kicking off the festival will be a showcase of short films from indigenous filmmakers who have been training at the Bophana Center, an organization that archives audiovisual material from Cambodia. read more https://vodenglish.news/indigenous-filmmakers-bring-their-communities-stories-to-film-festival/

Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed optimism that Cambodia will definitely achieve its vision of a high-middle-income country by 2030 and attributed it to the country’s peace and economic growth, particularly the socio-economic resumption after the pandemic. His remarks came in a meeting to commemorate the 71st Founding Anniversary of the Cambodian People’s Party on Tuesday. In the light of peace, the Cambodian people have achieved great and proud changes, especially in the economic and social fields, he told party members at its headquarters. “Realising high and sustainable economic growth over the past two decades has moved Cambodia from a low-income country to a low-middle-income country and is striving to achieve its vision of a high-middle-income country in 2030,” the premier said. As per the World Bank’s criteria, middle-income countries (MICs) are a diverse group by size, population and income level. They are defined as lower-middle-income economies – when the gross national income (GNI) per capita is between $1,036 and $4,045; and high middle-income economies – with a GNI per capita between $4,046 and $12,535. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501102959/cambodia-will-be-high-middle-income-country-by-2030-says-pm/

Observers say authorities are making the labor dispute worse by suppressing At least ten people were injured Monday when security forces in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh violently dispersed a strike, ramping up a crackdown on workers involved in a six-month-old labor dispute with the NagaWorld Casino. Strikers told RFA Khmer that “hundreds” of security personnel were deployed to set up roadblocks and otherwise stymie the peaceful protest by around 150 mostly female NagaWorld workers near the downtown casino. They said authorities beat them when they wouldn’t board a bus sent to ferry them away from the area, leaving 10 people in need of medical attention. A worker named Chan Srey Roth said a security officer hit her in the head with a walkie talkie and repeatedly insulted her during the incident, while other officers “grabbed male workers by the hair and smashed their heads” against the side of the police vehicle. “They are members of the national security forces, whose duty is to protect the people, not to use violence against them – particularly against women,” she said. “We raised our hands, begging them not to beat us, but they did so anyway, ordering us to disperse. When we interlocked our hands, they tried to break our chain and dragged us off, one by one, to brutally beat us. One of them hit me in the face with a walkie talkie and kicked me, while cursing at me.” Another worker, Phat Channa, said authorities are increasingly turning to violence to break up gatherings by her group as protesters refuse to board the buses police have used to relocate them to Prek Pnov district, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. “They beat me unconscious. I was shocked because they didn’t bother to consider that we are women – they just dragged us away and beat us like dogs,” she said. “We have experienced a lot of injustice. We are only demanding the right to work, but they beat us like beasts.” Other protesters told RFA that authorities prevented civil society representatives and United Nations human rights officials from monitoring Monday’s protest and threatened to confiscate the phones and cameras of anyone seen documenting the incident, unless they deleted their photos and video. A statement issued by the Phnom Penh government claimed that Monday’s protest was “an ugly event that was planned in advance by a handful of people seeking to make the authorities look bad.” “They disrupted social and public order, leading to violence that left a number of authorities injured and resulted in the loss of five walkie talkies and one watch.” Government Human Rights Committee spokesperson Kata Un accused the strikers of holding an illegal rally and called the response by authorities “an educational measure.” “In the case of illegal acts, the authorities have the right to use whatever measures are necessary to stop, disperse, or suppress the perpetrators,” he said. “So far, the Phnom Penh authorities have not taken any repressive measures. What the authorities are doing is educating people to avoid restricted areas and to instead hold protests in Freedom Park [in the Phnom Penh suburbs].” Six-month dispute Thousands of NagaWorld workers walked off their jobs in mid-December, demanding higher wages and the reinstatement of eight jailed union leaders, three other jailed workers and 365 others they say were unjustly fired from the hotel and casino owned by a Hong Kong-based company believed to have connections to family members of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The strikers began holding regular protest rallies in front of the casino, drawing the attention of NGOs and U.N. agencies who have urged Cambodia’s government to stop persecuting them and help resolve their dispute in accordance with labor laws. Cambodian authorities allege that the strikes by NagaWorld workers are part of a “foreign plot to topple the government,” although they have provided no evidence to back up their claim. An increasingly tough response by security personnel led to pushing and shoving during a strike outside the casino’s offices on May 11 that one worker claimed caused her to miscarry her pregnancy two weeks later. Am Sam Ath, chief of General Affairs for Cambodian rights group LICADO, told RFA that authorities have made the NagaWorld dispute worse by leveling allegations against the workers and cracking down on their protests. “We don’t want to see a labor dispute between NagaWorld and its workers turn into a dispute between the authorities and the workers,” he said. “What we want to see is a peaceful settlement to the issue, and these incidents of violence don’t benefit anyone.” Am Sam Ath urged the Ministry of Labor, as well as other relevant state institutions, to remain neutral and end their accusations against the NagaWorld workers and called for a resolution of the dispute in accordance with the law and international labor practices. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/crackdown-06272022215538.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Vendors will no longer be allowed to conduct business on Sihanoukville beaches and seaside promenades from July 7, and in Siem Reap, the municipal authority has given residents a 15-day moratorium to dismantle their structures from eight road sidewalks in the city. The two authorities have warned that action will be taken to confiscate business items and equipment and structures demolished if the directives are not followed. A release by the Sihanoukville authorities states that the beach is for public use. “It is not an open venue for the wanton mushrooming of eateries. So stop putting tables, chairs and stoves on the beach. By July 7, 2022, at the latest, there will be no more mobile vendors on the beach,” the notice read. Kheang Phearum, Sihanoukville Provincial Hall spokesman, told Khmer Times yesterday that the coastal area of Sihanoukville was for public and tourist enjoyment. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501102246/sihanoukville-bans-vendors-from-beaches/

Four high school students, three girls and a boy, drowned while they were attempting to pick lotus fruit and flowers on a lake, and the boat they were in sank in Kampong Thom province’s Prasath Sambor district on Saturday afternoon. Prasath Sambor district deputy chief Major Loeung Thai said that the four victims were identified as Ken Sreyleak, 12; Kean Sreykhuoch, 12; Chitr Reaksmey, 12; Phoun Channa, 13; and Run Rotha, 12 year-old boy. Maj Thai said yesterday that at 4:30 pm on Saturday, seven high school students went to swim at Boeng Toek La’ak lake in Cheay Sampov village, Prasath Sambor district’s Sambour village. Maj Thai said that the vicitms decided to take a boat out onto the lake to pick lotus fruit and flowers while the other three students played on the shore. “According to the three students on the shore, while the victims were on the lake and picking the lotus fruit and the flowers, the old wooden boat sank and they all fell into the water,” Maj Thai said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501102294/four-students-drown-after-old-wooden-boat-sinks/

NagaWorld protestors were met with violence by security personnel on the streets of Phnom Penh Monday afternoon, after weeks of their protests proceeding relatively subdued. Police and district guards pulled and shoved about 100 workers Monday afternoon at the intersection of Sothearos and Sihanouk boulevards, as they attempted to make their way to NagaWorld casino to resume their protests. The workers walked north on Sothearos Boulevard, arms locked together, when they were met with dozens of police officers and security guards. The protestors resisted as police tried to break through the workers, only managing to pull away one or two at a time. They were shoved into waiting city buses, according to Facebook livestreams taken by the workers. “I am a woman, I have nothing. We are all women, we have nothing,” one of the workers could be heard saying. Police continued to pull at the workers and shove them, with people in plain clothes and deputy Phnom Penh governor Mean Chanyada yelling orders at security personnel. In the background of the livestream, district security guards could be seen blocking UN observers. read more https://vodenglish.news/nagaworld-workers-met-with-violence-near-casino-complex/

‘Unusually wet’ dry season in the region is dangerous for riparian species and the communities that rely on them. Abnormally high-water levels in the Mekong River at the end of May indicate that dams on the river must release less water during the dry season to protect the ecosystem, experts said at an online panel Monday. Rain levels during the dry season this year have increased, experts told an online seminar about the unseasonably wet 2022 dry season, hosted by the Washington-based Stimson Center. But they singled out dams, particularly in China and Laos, as adding to the problem of flooding along the lower half of the river, threatening the ecosystems there. The Mekong region is home to numerous species of plants and animals that rely on its annual changes from dry season to wet season and back again, the panelists said. Disruption of the cycle is harmful to many of the species, and in turn the riparian communities that depend on them. “I think our data shows that very clearly the river level there is much higher during the dry season than normal … and China's dams actually can be part of the solution,” Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia program director of the Stimson Center and co-lead of its Mekong Dam Monitor Project, told the panel on Monday. “They wield a lot of power over the downstream, particularly those two largest dams,” he said. “We found that they can they alone can raise the river level by 50 percent ... for total dry season flow. That's power,” he said, adding that the dams could also help to restore natural flow in times of need. The Mekong River Commission, an intergovernmental body that helps to coordinate management of the river, reported that May 2022 was the second wettest May since it began collecting data. Total flow in May was 22.8 billion cubic meters, about 150% higher than the average flow of 9 billion cubic meters. The Mekong Dam Monitor’s data suggested that about 6 billion cubic meters from the flow came from dam releases upstream, mostly in China. An example of how the increased flow could affect species is the Mekong Flooded Forest, said Ian Baird, a geography professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The World Wildlife Fund said the flooded forest is “a spectacular 27,000 km² complex of freshwater ecosystems including wetlands, sandy and rocky riverine habitats in northern-central Cambodia, bordering the South of Laos.” Baird said that the forest’s most striking feature, trees that jut upward from the floodwaters, relies on drier periods when the trees are not submerged. “Right now what we can see is that, the bushes that are in the lowest part of the river have been heavily impacted. The Blodgett trees have [exhibited] medium impacts,” he said. “So, I mean, things are already bad, but it's important to understand that they could get a lot worse than they are now. And really the way to mitigate this is to release less water in the dry season,” Baird said. But he said that decisions about upstream releases are mostly beyond Cambodia’s control. “This is all water coming from above Cambodia, you know, but there is a lot that China and Laos could do, especially China, I think, that that could reduce the impact.” The Mekong River ecosystem could be lost if nothing is done, Chea Seila, project manager of the Wonders of the Mekong, a research group that receives funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development. She brought up the world record 300-kilogram giant freshwater stingray that was recently caught, tagged by her team and released in Stung Treng. “The discovery of this [world record breaking] fish indicates the special opportunity that we have in Cambodia and also to protect the species, and also the core habitat,” she said. Eyler of the Stimson Center said that although existing dams could help keep the river’s flow closer to expected averages, building more could create new problems. “I would not recommend building more dams to counter this effect, which is a discourse that we're hearing coming out of the Mekong River Commission, that there's an investment solution to this, there's an infrastructure solution to this,” he said. “I think that's a very expensive, dangerous and risky proposition, particularly when there are solutions at hand,” Eyler said. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/mekong-06272022180117.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

The National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) has confiscated more than 90 tonnes of illegal drugs since the beginning of 2021. More than six tonnes of the contraband were set alight near the Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh to mark the June 26 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, with the remaining slated for incineration later. Speaking at the event, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng said that in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, geopolitical rivalries among the great powers and the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict, the issue of illegal drugs was easily overlooked. But Cambodia would not forget, he said, and has actually increased its efforts to fight them. At the peak of the pandemic in 2020-21, Cambodian authorities had made many arrests for drug-related offences, with 21,566 happening in 2020 and 13,979 in 2021. read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/six-tonnes-drugs-incinerated

Two-thirds of Tonle Bati lake — a popular weekend getaway — will be filled in by a developer, official documents show, as three other lakes in Kandal and a further area on Phnom Penh’s Boeng Tamok have been privatized by Hun Sen’s decree. A tranche of government documents released Wednesday, but which date from February and March, show the privatization of 12 more plots on public water bodies, plus the reclassification of a state forest to private land in Preah Sihanouk. Tonle Bati lake, which straddles Kandal and Takeo, will be reduced by 222 hectares handed to an individual named as Srun Bunleaph, according to a March 2 decree. A further 46 hectares of Boeng Trea, in Kandal, is further transferred to Bunleaph. An attached map shows that Tonle Bati, which the Information Ministry has touted as a “well-known cultural tourism resort” 40 km from Phnom Penh, will be filled in from the edges to leave a narrow strip in the middle. Plans for Tonle Bati overlaid with an European Space Agency satellite image. read more https://vodenglish.news/tourist-friendly-tonle-bati-next-in-line-as-lake-losses-ramp-up/

The ruling CPP will have the lion’s share of commune councilors, according to results announced by the NEC on Friday, though the election body said it will finalize the count on Sunday. The NEC discussed the results at a meeting Friday morning and released a statement showing the CPP winning 9,376 council seats, followed by Candlelight with 2,198 councilors and seven other parties lagging far behind. The council positions reflect the dominant performance by the CPP which is slated to win all but four commune chief positions in an election where it got more than 70 percent of votes on June 5. The NEC statement also said the final turnout was 80.3%, with 7.2 million valid ballots and 157,000 spoiled ballots. NEC spokesperson Sam Sorida said the NEC decided to announce the formal results ahead of Sunday but that final counts for votes and seats, with more detailed results, expected on Sunday. read more https://vodenglish.news/nec-cpp-wins-9300-councilors-candlelight-comes-second-with-2100/

Tragedy struck a family of 10 when an eight-month pregnant woman was struck by lightning and killed. This tragic incident happened in Santepheap Village, Toul Pong Commune, Malai District. Banteay Meanchey on June 26. According to the local police, the victim was Ban Ly, a 44-year-old female. She is survived by her husband and eight children. The family is impoverished and do odd jobs to support themselves, such as foraging for vegetables and snails to sell. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501101912/pregnant-woman-killed-by-lightning-strike/

Supporters had feared Theary Seng’s transfer to a remote prison would block her access to legal help. A Cambodian American democracy activist jailed in Cambodia on treason charges has been allowed to meet with her lawyer after being transferred last week from the capital to a prison farther north, a move that supporters had feared would isolate her from lawyers and friends, RFA has learned. Now serving a six-year prison term, Theary Seng was sentenced on June 14 together with 50 other activists for their association with the Cambodia National Rescue Party, a group opposing long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen that was banned by Cambodia’s Supreme Court in November 2017. The charges against the activists stem from abortive efforts in 2019 to bring about the return to Cambodia of CNRP leader Sam Rainsy, who has been living in exile in France to avoid convictions in court cases described by his supporters as politically motivated. Theary Seng, who holds citizenship both in Cambodia and the United States, was arrested June 14 while protesting outside the courthouse against the trial that convicted her, and began serving her sentence the same day at Prey Sar Prison in the capital Phnom Penh. Prison authorities later confirmed to RFA that she was then transferred to Preah Vihear Prison in the country’s far north. Blocked by authorities from meeting Theary Seng while she was held in Prey Sar, lawyer Choung Chou Ngy told RFA on Thursday he was recently able to meet his client for about two hours in her new prison, where she said authorities check her health every day. “Around 10 women are being held with her in her cell,” Ngy said. “I told her that people are speaking positively about her on social media, and she said she was grateful for their support. We also discussed details of her case she didn’t know about because of her arrest.” Theary Seng then asked him to file an appeal in her case, which he will submit to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of Appeal in the next few days, Ngy said. Theary Seng denies the charges of treason made against her, Ngy added. “She said that she has only demanded and fought for respect for human rights and democracy in the interests of society as a whole, and she is being silenced because of her advocacy work.” Also speaking to RFA, Ny Sokha — president of the Cambodian rights group Adhoc — said that Theary Seng should be immediately released. “If the Cambodian government continues to harass and arrest political party activists, this will not look good for Cambodia’s future. More international sanctions will likely be imposed if the situation with human rights is not improved, especially before the next election,” he said. The European Parliament in May adopted a resolution calling on the Cambodian government to stop persecuting and intimidating political opponents, trade unionists, human rights defenders and journalists ahead of local elections in June and national campaigns next year. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party led by Hun Sen is now five years into a no-holds-barred crackdown on its political opposition and civil society, jailing or driving into exile scores of opposition figures. Translated by Sok Ry Sum for RFA Khmer. Written in English by Richard Finney. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/meet-06242022153425.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

Prime Minister Hun Sen will join the Heads of State/Government from Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, emerging markets and developing countries in addressing the BRICS Plus Leader’s Event to be held virtually on June 24. According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s participation will be made at the invitation of Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China. This is a high-level Dialogue on Global Development themed “Foster a Global Development Partnership for the New Era to Jointly Implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The Prime Minister, in his virtual address, will highlight the post Covid-19 world economic recovery, the continued pressure on global security environment, food security and the significance of multilateralism and ruled-based international cooperation. The Premier will also focus on Cambodia’s post Covid-19 economic recovery plan, efforts to address the smooth graduation process of Cambodia from Least Developed Countries status and to achieve the Cambodian Sustainable Development Goals. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501100410/pm-to-attend-the-brics-plus-leaders-event/

Most primary school students do not have minimum proficiency in reading, writing, and arithmetic (3 Rs), the basic skills taught in schools, according to the Ministry of Education. Hem Sinareth, director of Phnom Penh Education Department, said yesterday that primary school students are the worst hit group in learning loss during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Most of the students were forced to stay at home for almost two years as they could not spend enough time for education,” he said. Though online classes were arranged for students, most of them did not pay attention to studies and spent time on smart phones, he added. Sinareth added that many children seem to be less attentive in classes post-Covid and teachers have to work harder to bring them back to studies. Ly Bunna, director of Siem Reap Education Department, highlighted that proficiency of students do not match the grade level. “Parental intervention is very much required to bridge this gap in studies. Some of the rich parents focus on English language but ignore other subjects in Khmer,” he said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501099976/majority-of-primary-school-students-lack-basic-3r-skills/

The long and slim kernels SKO rice stands for Sen Kro Oub and DSMK stands for Damneob Sbai Monkul. These varieties have been developed and researched by the Cambodia Rice Federation in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and partner organisations The Cambodian Rice Federation launched two new varieties of rice – SKO fragrant rice and DSMK glutinous rice, which will compete with similar fragrant rice varieties from other countries on the international market. The long and slim kernels SKO rice stands for Sen Kro Oub and DSMK stands for Damneob Sbai Monkul. These varieties are also expected to improve the income of Cambodian farmers. They have been developed and researched by the Cambodia Rice Federation in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, agricultural cooperatives and partner organisations. The Sen Kro Oub rice varieties play an important role in exports and they are non-seasonal, which allows farmers to grow up to three times a year, according to CRF. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak said the two varieties are good for Cambodia to show the development of the rice sector in the country and prepare for competition in the international market. “These SKO rice varieties are a new choice for farmers and exporters to compete with other countries’ fragrant rice in the international market,” Sorasak said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501100136/new-rice-varieties-launched-for-international-market/

Lawyer blames confusion during the Khmer Rouge era, but some critics say Hun Sen is just superstitious. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is now a year younger after he changed his official birthdate to Aug. 5, 1952, instead of April 4, 1951, a switch critics attributed to his overly superstitious nature. Hun Sen's lawyer filed a petition with the Phnom Penh court earlier this month which stated that the country's leader had been using the wrong date of birth, a mistake owing to the fact that Cambodia was mired in a war when he officially registered it with authorities. According to the Cambodia New Vision (CNV) website, which calls itself the official newsletter of the country’s Cabinet, Hun Sen had used the April 4, 1951, date from April 4, 1977, until June 20, 2022. The year he officially registered was a tumultuous one for Cambodia and for Hun Sen, who had been a member of the ruling Khmer Rouge. The future prime minister fled with supporters to Vietnam in 1977 to escape a brutal political purge. He returned as one of the leaders of the Vietnamese-sponsored rebel army in 1979, becoming the country’s leader in 1985. Those who are skeptical of this version of events point to the fact that the change moves his birth from the Year of the Rabbit to the Year of the Dragon, considered auspicious by those who adhere to the Chinese zodiac. Exiled political analyst Kim Sok told RFA that Hun Sen should concern himself with bigger issues. “He is supposed to serve the interests of the people and protect the country’s territorial integrity and national honor, but he prioritizes the interests of himself and his family. It hinders the national interest,” Kim Sok said. Man Nath, the chairman of the Norway-based Cambodian Monitoring Council, said in a Facebook post that the change shows Hun Sen’s excessively superstitious nature. “His belief in superstition dominates his leadership. If he is a good leader, even in death he will become a ghost and still be worshiped for decades," Man Nath said. Phnom Penh Municipal Court President Taing Sunlay issued a decree on June 20 adjusting the date of birth as sought by Hun Sen. Judge Taing Sunlay ordered the registrar and the authorities to change the civil status data in accordance with the prime minister’s request. Sok Eysan, spokesperson for Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party, told RFA it was right for Hun Sen to correct his birthdate, but he declined to comment on whether it related to superstition. “It is the responsibility of the prime minister himself to make [that decision], and there is no loss of anything to the people. The people of the country do not say anything [about it],” he said. Local media reported in early May that Hun Sen had announced the change days after the death of his older brother Hun Neng. India-based Wion News reported on May 19 that Hun Sen suspected the birthdate he had been using may have led to his brother’s death because it conflicted with the Chinese zodiac. The report also said that it is common for Cambodians older than 50 to have multiple birthdays. Official records were often lost or destroyed during the rule of the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979, creating confusion about family histories. Others may have altered their birthdates to avoid military service in the 1980s when fighting continued between the government and Khmer Rouge remnants. Hun Sen’s Aug. 5, 1952, birthdate has been known publicly for at least the past 15 years. A reference to that date appeared as early as 2007 on the Wikipedia article for Hun Sen, which cited a report by the Cambodia Daily news outlet. Subsequent Wikipedia edits over the next few years acknowledged one date or the other, and sometimes both. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/birthdate-06232022190704.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

US retail multinational Walmart will increase orders of Cambodian garments and footwear products in the upcoming year and will also start buying fruits, food products, and electronics. The remarks were made by Anbinh Phan, director of Walmart’s Global Government Affairs, in a virtual meeting with Ith Samheng, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training, yesterday. The American retail giant’s remarks have been significant considering that Cambodia resumed its socio-economic activities, pushing a full production chain in the industry sector. The two sides discussed the purchase orders on Cambodia-made products which contribute to enhancing job creation and people’s living as well as the development of the job, and vocational training sector in the Kingdom. Phan appreciated Cambodia for effectively handling the Covid-19 situation. “The Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, as well as the Royal Government of Cambodia, has paid much attention to better working condition enhancement, especially managing and preventing the spread of Covid-19, ensuring the sustainability of the production chain and export of Cambodian products abroad,” Phan said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501099228/retail-giant-walmart-to-buy-more-products-from-cambodia/

Twenty-one Thais working for romance and investment scam gangs in Cambodia have been arrested and were expected to be returned to Thailand next week. Details were announced on Wednesday by Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, director of the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT). He said Thai and Cambodian police jointly raided two locations in Preah Sihanouk province on Tuesday and arrested 21 Thai people, men and women, working for fraud gangs. All suspects were named on arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court for public fraud, illegal assembly and money laundering, Pol Gen Damrongsak said. They were being held in custody by Cambodian police for legal action. After legal proceedings they would be deported to Thailand to face charges. They were expected to be sent back next week, through Khlong Luek district in Sa Kaeo. The cyber taskforce chief said the gangs created fake online profiles using images of good-looking people in their profile, and approached their intended victims via the popular dating app Tinder and on LINE app. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501099647/thais-arrested-as-scam-gangs-busted-in-cambodia/