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The government will give all factory workers two days off to participate in the June 5 commune council elections. Owners of factories and manufacturing enterprises will be required to pay wages and other benefits as normal. In Virak Cheat, secretary of state at the Council of Ministers, announced the policy in a letter dated May 20 to Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Ith Samheng. “[Prime Minister Hun Sen] has granted the request for workers’ leave one day before the election and for the day after the poll, so they will be able to cast their ballots easily ... with all wages and benefits maintained,” the letter read. read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-sen-gives-factory-workers-2-day-break-june-elections

The Candlelight Party called on authorities to protect candidates in races for grassroots commune councils. Members of Cambodia’s largest opposition party said on Tuesday their campaign signs for June 5 elections in southern Siem Reap province were vandalized and destroyed in the latest of a pattern of harassment. Candlelight Party officials have complained for weeks about incidents of harassment by local officials representing Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Every five years, voters in the nation of 16 million people elect councils to represent rural precincts know as communes and urban districts called sangkat. This year some 86,000 candidates from 17 political parties are competing for 11,622 seats in 1,652 precincts nationwide. While the councils hold relatively little power, the June 5 election will test the dominance of the CPP and the limits of political freedom for opponents five years into Hun Sen’s crackdown on civil society, media and the internet. Sock Kissing, the chief of the Candlelight Party’s northwestern province, told RFA’s Khmer Service that signs his party hung in public places were deliberately destroyed, which he said shows the bias held by local officials toward the CPP. “The Candlelight Party urges the authorities to provide equal protection toward the party’s candidates, supporters and party property,” he said. The Candlelight Party has risen from the ashes of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party, whose strong showing in previous communal elections in 2017 prompted Hun Sen have the party dissolved, paving the way for his CPP to win all 125 parliamentary seats in 2018. With its rise has come what Candlelight officials say are made-up accusations that the party has used fake names for candidates and has put forward candidates in violation of Cambodian election laws. Several Candlelight Party activists have been jailed on allegations of submitting false documents to run in the communal elections, and many others say they have been harassed or attacked by people loyal to the CPP. Sock Kissing said that although authorities are monitoring the campaign trail in Siem Reap, they are watching his party in hopes of catching its candidates slip up, rather than ensuring a free and fair election. He intends to file a complaint with the National Election Commission. The Provincial Election Committee’s secretariat chief, Men Vann Sam, told RFA that he had worked with local officials to resolve all complaints. “We are investigating the incidents with local authorities. We are working for all parties, not only the Candlelight Party,” he said. Norn Thera, a Candlelight candidate in Siem Reap, told RFA that he also submitted complaints about political harassment, which makes it hard to conduct a campaign fairly. “I am very sad over the incidents. I can’t accept it. Many party’s banners were destroyed in public spaces,” he said. Destruction of any political party’s property is a crime that affects the political rights of the Cambodians, Sam Kuntheamy, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, told RFA. Voting holiday for textile workers The labor ministry announced Tuesday it will give garment factory workers three days paid leave from June 4-6 to vote. Yang Sophoan, director of the Cambodia Alliance of Trade Unions, told RFA that the move is a possible indication of CPP’s confidence in its position heading into the election. “It shows that the CPP thinks it has a huge advantage in the election,” she said. Before the pandemic, Cambodia’s garment sector employed about 1 million workers and accounted for 45 percent of Cambodia’s exports. The CPP, the only party large enough to field candidates nationwide, is expected to win a landslide victory, enjoying the power of incumbency and patronage in what Hun Sun has effectively turned into a one-party state at the national level. The government should allow time for workers from remote areas of the country to travel back home to vote, Ath Thun, president of the Cambodian Labour Confederation, told RFA. Government spokesperson Phay Siphan said the government was not considering extending the voter leave beyond three days. Given the country’s modern infrastructure, he said workers should not need more than 10 hours of travel. The government is not covering transportation expenses, Phay Siphan said. The Ministry of Labor, however, urged factories to pay the workers before they leave to vote, or at least loan them money for travel expenses. Meanwhile, NGOs monitoring the campaign say they have reported no serious incidents so far. Kang Savang, a monitor with the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, said parties have continued to conduct their campaigns, including by marching and distributing leaflets. “There is no serious irregularity or threat during this election campaign,” he said. The National Election Commission issued a statement Tuesday that said the campaigns were proceeding normally. “In general, the election campaign in the fourth day went smoothly with security, safety and order, without violence or intimidation,” it said. Translate by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/signs-05242022201213.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The US Senate has called on Cambodia and all signatories of the Paris Peace Agreement to reaffirm their commitment to strengthen peace, prosperity, rights and the freedoms enjoyed by the Cambodian people 30 years after the signing of the accord. The Senate on May 12 unanimously passed a resolution to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, which ended decades of conflict and put Cambodia on a path to peace, stability and prosperity. The bipartisan resolution was sponsored by Senators Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney of Utah, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Jim Risch of Idaho. A statement from the US Ambassador in Phnom Penh said yesterday that the US Senate emphasises the need for the Government of Cambodia to commit to free and fair multiparty elections in the commune elections next month and national elections next year as an expression of its commitment to the self-determination of the Cambodian people. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501081422/us-senate-calls-on-all-signatories-to-strengthen-ppa-commitments/

The President of the Tourism Association says that Vietnamese and Thai tourists will be the leading tourists from ASEAN member countries who visit Cambodia the most. The President of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, Chhay Sivlin, said on May 24 that Cambodia has seen an increase in the number of tourists as Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted in Cambodia. Sivlin said that the Vietnamese and Thai tourists are at the forefront of traveling to Cambodia. Sivlin stressed that the Chinese tourist market may not return to Cambodia immediately due to the unfavourable situation and conditions, so we cannot wait for the Chinese market alone. The country must strengthen and promote tourist destinations. Through the launch of the $150 million tourism co-financing program to promote and grow tourism with this important and timely concessional interest rate. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501081972/vietnamese-thai-tourists-to-lead-the-pack-in-visits-to-cambodia/

The plea came as so many others have — a Facebook post to a live-stream address by Prime Minister Hun Sen. “Hello Prime Minister Hun Sen, I am a Chinese. I was tricked into a scam park in Baima City, Kampot Province, forcing me to work in fraud, if I didn’t work they would shock me with an electric baton, hit me with a stick, please help me, I really I don’t want to die, please.” The young man is just one of the latest foreign nationals claiming they’ve been held against their will by employers in Cambodia, forced to work in online scam networks. Though such stories have become all too common in the country, Chen’s case has offered a rare window into how Cambodian law enforcement agencies respond to forced labor reports. VOD reporters followed the case of Chen from his post calling for help to the efforts of a friend of his, a young Chinese man living in Phnom Penh who identified himself as Yuan. The man agreed to speak to VOD using only family names for himself and the detained Chinese national out of safety concerns. read more https://vodenglish.news/a-friends-journey-attempting-rescue-from-alleged-slave-compound/

A Vietnamese man has died after falling from a condominium building in Sihanoukville, local authorities said. Pi commune police chief Seng Hoth said the 35-year-old Vietnamese man had died immediately from the fall. Investigations were continuing, Hoth said. “It was not a Chinese person but it was a Vietnamese person, but there has not been clear identification yet,” he said. The fall happened around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, but authorities had not yet ascertained what the man was doing in Sihanoukville, he added. Deputy city police chief Or Virak referred questions to commune police. A woman who answered the phone for Vietnamese consular services in Sihanoukville said she was not in a position to answer journalists’ questions, and she suggested reporters write her an email. Emailed questions have not yet been answered. The fall on Monday follows similar incidents in Sihanoukville, including two cases in one week in late March at separate casino and hotel buildings. Local officials have spoken of such incidents being a generally known problem in the area. read more https://vodenglish.news/man-dies-falling-from-condo-in-sihanoukville/

Anti-drugs police arrested four Chinese men yesterday and they were taken to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to be charged formally. They are accused of possessing drugs and drug-related material. Court official Bun Sokha said the men were charged with drug possession and trafficking under Articles 38 and 40 of Cambodia’s drug control laws. National Police Deputy Chief in charge of anti-drug operations General Mok Chito said the first suspect was arrested last Friday. He said based on his confession, a joint investigation with police in Kampong Speu led them to three more suspects in the province’s Phnom Srouch district. He said police seized 40 kilogrammes of Ketamine and more than 11 tonnes of drug-related chemical substances from them. “They are the target of foreign traffickers and drug producers. They hired a Cambodian farmer’s farm on the pretext of growing mango trees and used the place to produce drugs,” Gen Chito said. “They had planned to export the drugs to Taiwan by sea,” he said. He added that police raided the secret drug warehouse on a tip off from local authorities. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501080682/four-chinese-men-arrested-and-40-kilos-of-drugs-seized/

The protesters called for ‘Democracy not Autocracy’ in the region as the US-ASEAN summit got under way. More than 100 protesters gathered at the Washington Monument in the U.S. capital on Thursday to call on the United States to encourage democracy and the rule of law in the largely authoritarian nations of Southeast Asia, as leaders from the region met with President Joe Biden on the first day of a high-level summit. Waving the flags of many of the ten nations that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) or in some cases, the flags of now-defunct governments, the protesters called for “Democracy, not autocracy” in the countries that make up the regional bloc. The protesters, who mostly came from Cambodian, Lao, Burmese and Vietnamese communities across in the United States, said they were in Washington to draw attention to the lack of democratic freedoms in Southeast Asia. Signs accused Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is the rotating ASEAN chair for 2022, of being a “dictator” and “killer of Cambodian Democracy.” Protesters from U.S.-based Southeast Asian diasporic communities rally in Washington, May 12, 2022 Photo:RFA “We’re here today to work with other Asian countries to ask the president to convey our message that we do not like the authoritarians in this land of the free,” Rithy Uong of Massachusetts, a member of the banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and one of the leaders of Thursday’s rally, told RFA’s English Service. “We Asians, we like to have democracy, not autocracy in our countries,” he said. “We want to have free and fair elections in Cambodia, monitored by the international community.” Opponents of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have been targeted in a five-year crackdown that has sent CNRP leaders into exile and landed scores of its supporters in prison. Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 in a move that allowed the Hun Sen’s CPP to win all 125 seats in Parliament in a July 2018 election. Flanked by a fellow Vietnamese-American waving the flag of the former South Vietnam, Duyen Bui, who traveled from Hawaii for Thursday’s protest, told RFA that she wanted to call attention to how the governments of Vietnam and other ASEAN countries are not directly elected by the people. South Vietnam was absorbed by communist North Vietnam in 1975. “So we’re calling on U.S. President Biden to really listen to the voices of the people as he meets with these leaders to put human rights forward within his policy and strategic planning with these different leaders,” she said. Much of the crowd was made up of members of the Burmese diaspora who held signs denouncing the military junta that ousted Myanmar’s democratically elected government more than one year ago. “Right now, there’s a new military coup, and we need the United States to help our country that’s being repressed by the military regime,” Burmese-American Stephanie Shwe, who lives in Maryland, told RFA. Myanmar’s elected government was overthrown by its army in February 2021, plunging the country of 54 million into political and economic turmoil and armed conflict. “And that is why we are out here trying to raise awareness and ask President Biden to give us the support that we need so that our people can be free from injustice and oppression,” she said. Lynn Lwin Naing, a member of the U.S. Advocacy Coalition for Myanmar, told RFA that all of the rally attendees are like-minded in support of U.S. efforts to promote democracy across the entire region. “The communities of ASEAN — Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and others — we’re here to use this opportunity for the ASEAN summit to speak directly to Chairman Hun Sen and also encourage President Biden to help the ASEAN members move forward with issues in ASEAN, especially the crisis in Myanmar and returning democratic government to Myanmar,” he said. Protesters from U.S.-based Southeast Asian diasporic communities rally in Washington, May 12, 2022 Photo:RFA ASEAN governments include several electoral democracies, traditional one-party Communist states Laos and Vietnam, strongman rule in Cambodia and Thailand, a military junta in Myanmar and a monarchy in oil-rich Brunei. Protesters interviewed by RFA raised issues such as the absence of media and internet freedom in Vietnam to the lack of fair elections in Cambodia and an overall deterioration of human rights across Southeast Asia. Some expressed their support for Ukraine as it fights off a Russian invasion. Several of the ASEAN member states have strong ties with Russia, and the conflict is an area that Biden is expected to focus on in his meetings with the ASEAN leaders. Following their rally at the Washington Monument, the protesters marched to the U.S. State Department to hold another demonstration at the site of Friday’s summit. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/rally-05122022174724.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court acquitted the publisher of the Khmer Times newspaper of sexual harassment charges Monday afternoon, in a case relating to accusations of sexual advances made to a former employee. Judge Koy Sao announced the not-guilty verdict for sexual harassment on Monday. The judge said he had thoroughly considered statements from the plaintiff’s lawyer and the deputy prosecutor before making the decision. He gave no further explanation in court. The trial was conducted last week with neither Mohan nor a defense lawyer present. A statement from the plaintiff’s lawyer accused Mohan of abuse of power and sexual harassment and requested $100,000 in compensation. The case relates to accusations made by a former Khmer Times employee, April Reposar, in 2019, when she alleged that Mohan had made inappropriate advances by promising money for sex. Reposar left the country and has not attended the trial but has been represented by her lawyer Ham Phea. Phea said he would speak to Reposar and decide what to do next. “I think [the verdict] is not acceptable because we have submitted some evidence. However, it is the right of the client to appeal,” Phea said. Reposar said in an email on Monday that she was not surprised with the verdict given Mohan’s connections. read more https://vodenglish.news/khmer-times-publisher-acquitted-of-sexual-harassment-charge/

The Department of Conservation and Archaeology of the National Authority of Preah Vihear unearthed a metal artifact dating back to the 12th century. The news of the discovery was announced on the afternoon of May 22. The artifact was said to e some from of metal pot and was unearthed near the small temple at the foot of the temple of Preah Vihear in the second protected area. Kong Puthikar, Director General of the National Authority of Preah Vihear, said that the artifacts were unearthed by the professionals on May 20. The artifacts were a body of a metal vase measuring 12 cm high. There were also inscriptions, which linguists identified as a letter in the late 12th century during the reign of Jayavarman VII. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501080539/department-of-conservation-and-archaeology-finds-12th-century-artifacts/

Hundreds of critically endangered baby giant turtles were released into Cambodia's Mekong River to mark World Turtle Day on Monday. Cantor's giant softshell turtles have all but vanished across their former territory in Vietnam and Thailand thanks to poaching and illegal trade, and were only rediscovered in the Southeast Asian country in 2007. The Wildlife Conservation Society coordinated the release of 580 hatchlings, which can grow to a length of up to 200cm (78 inches) and mainly live buried in the sand and the water, surfacing only twice a day to breathe. Monks blessed the baby reptiles -- also known as "frog-faced turtles" for their distinctive appearance -- before helping conservationists and eager children send the stout-nosed snappers into the Mekong's muddy waters. The creatures are among a batch of 982 turtles rescued as eggs -- to protect them from the dangers which threaten the species' numbers -- carefully incubated, hatched, and then released. Ken Sereyrotha, country program director for WCS Cambodia, said significant progress had been made in protecting the animal in the country but more work was needed. "This species is being threatened by illegal hunting and trafficking," he said. read more https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220523-hundreds-of-endangered-baby-giant-turtles-released-into-cambodian-river

Cambodia earned a total of nine gold, 13 silver and 41 bronze medals at SEA Games 31 hosted by Vietnam, ranking eighth in the medal tally, which is a giant leap compared to the 30th edition in the Philippines in 2019 when the country brought home only four gold medals, six silvers and 36 bronzes. Vath Chamroeun, Secretary General of National Olympic Authority of Cambodia (NOCC) and the National Organising Committee of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games 2023 (CAMSOC), praised the hard work of all Cambodian athletes and coaches at this year’s Games in Vietnam. The achievement is building more confidence of Cambodian athletes to perform well at the 32nd SEA Games hosted by the country next year, he added. At the closing ceremony of SEA Games 31 on 23 evening, Cambodia staged a 10-minute art performance following the handover of the SEA Games Federation flag from Vietnam. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501081160/cambodian-sports-make-giant-leap-at-sea-games-31/

The government announced yesterday that it will enforce a two-day ban on the consumption of alcohol during the upcoming Commune Election to promote a free, fair, and non-violent environment. Prime Minister Hun Sen on signing the directive banning alcohol consumption on June 4 and 5 noted that in the past the government has observed that the consumption of alcohol during commune elections has caused violence, traffic accidents, public disorder, and criminal activity. In accordance with the laws, regulations and procedures for the Commune Election 2022, the directive orders owners of establishments that sell alcohol to close one day before the election and on election day and not to sell any type of alcoholic beverage to prevent violence, traffic accidents, public disorder that can be caused by alcohol consumption. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501080074/two-day-alcohol-ban-planned-during-commune-election/

The blame for the recent spate of deaths of Mekong dolphins has been placed on local fisherman, while an NGO is concerned at the dwindling numbers of the animal in the river, especially in the early part of this year. WWF country director Seng Teak said yesterday that five dolphins died and only three dolphins were born in Cambodia’s Kampi Pool early this year. “I am very concerned about what is happening to dolphins in the Kampi Pool this year. We have to take action to protect and conserve the remaining dolphins because the recent deaths are a warning,” said Teak. He added that humans are the cause of the dolphins’ deaths as indicated by the injuries caused by nets seen on some of the animals’ corpses. The dolphins were killed by illegal fishing in the dolphin pool. “We can see the cause of death with our own eyes. Some dolphins were killed because they got tangled in nets illegally set up in the dolphin pool, which are really having an impact on the animals,” said Teak. However, some dolphin deaths have no obvious cause. These cases have been sent to Laos for further investigation. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501080083/fishermen-blamed-for-mekong-dolphin-deaths/

The APSARA National Authority has started restoring the damaged parts of Angkor Wat by replacing it with the stones that are cut from Kulen Mountain. Director of Angkor Wat Temple Restoration, Khean Mony, said the stones are similar to the original stones of Angkor Wat Temple. Mony added that the Authority can restore only 5% of the fragile part of the entire temple. “Now, we will replace 10 stones of Bakan tower on the north to support the structure of Angkor Wat temple.” As many as 63 workers are part of the restoration project. Pu Han, a worker, said that restoration of Bakan tower in the south was complete and now he is helping to fix the one in the north. He added that the restoration has not affected the flow of visitors to Angkor Wat. He added it takes at least up to three days to place each new stone manually. The team uses a wooden or metal trolley and at least 12 people to carry new stones from one place to another. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501080078/apsara-authority-begins-restoration-work-of-angkor-wat/

Prime Minister Hun Sen has stated that the Royal Government is preparing to facilitate the issuance of Identity Cards to Cambodians abroad to make it easier for them to live and do business in Cambodia. He stated that Cambodians abroad do not need to apply for a Royal Decree to gain Cambodian citizenship. Hun Sen added that the issuance of Cambodian identity cards to Cambodians living abroad is necessary so that Cambodians can easily buy a house, buy land or be able to form a political party to stand for elections. Hun Sen’s speech was made at midnight on May 22, 2022 during a meeting with more than 2,000 Cambodian communities in Europe in Zurich, Switzerland. He said, “I have an important announcement for our brothers abroad. The other day I talked to our brothers in the United States and also assigned the task to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and also handed over this work to Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. It is necessary to issue ID cards to our brothers and sisters living abroad, because some of them do not have ID cards when buying land in the district, do not own property, have to rely on relatives or others to purchase property. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501079775/cambodia-preparing-to-issue-id-cards-to-cambodians-abroad/

More than one million people in Cambodia still live in fear and work in areas contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERWs), a senior official said here on Friday. Senior Minister Ly Thuch, first vice president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, said landmines and ERWs still continue to kill, injure and traumatize people, and severely impede social and economic recovery and sustainable development. He said that since 1979, mines and ERWs have killed and injured nearly 65,000 people in the southeast Asian nation. “Positively, because of mine action efforts in clearance and explosive ordnance risk education, the number of annual casualties has been brought down from 4,320 in 1996 to 44 in 2021,” he said at a high-level dialogue on mine action. “But still today, throughout Cambodia, more than 1 million people live in fear and work in areas contaminated by mines and ERWs,” he added. Cambodia is one of the countries worst affected by mines and ERWs. An estimated 4 million to 6 million landmines and other munitions have been left over from three decades of war and internal conflicts that ended in 1998. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501079403/landmines-pose-threat-to-over-a-million-people-in-cambodia/

A giant freshwater female trout weighing more than 180 kilogrammes caught by fishermen in the Mekong River has been released into waters after it was handed over to Stung Treng provincial fishery officials for conservation. Stung Treng Provincial Fishery Officer Chan Bunsoeun told Khmer Times on Friday that this giant freshwater trout or Urogymnus Polylepis [its scientific name] was caught by a group of Cambodian fishermen last week in the Mekong River in Cambodian-Lao-Border, in Siem Bok commune’s Koh Preah commune. Bunsoeun said that after catching it, the fishermen alerted local authorities and later handed it over to Stung Treng provincial fishery officials for conservation. He said that it has a body length of 185cm, a length of 200 cm and a total body length from head to tail 393 cm. He stated that according to scientists, they believe that this Cambodian freshwater giant trout, which currently weighs more than 180 kilogrammes, can grow up to 600 kilogrammes. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501079362/giant-trout-weighing-over-180kg-caught-by-fishermen-set-free/

The June 5 races won’t shift the power balance but may affirm support for a newish opposition party. Cambodia will launch a two-week election campaign for local commune councils Saturday, a contest for grassroots bodies that won’t tip the scales of power in a country autocratic Prime Minister Hun Sen has ruled for nearly four decades, but also seen as a measure of electoral integrity. The limited power of commune councils––who vote on behalf of their constituents in the 2024 elections for the Cambodian Senate––hasn’t dampened anticipation ahead of the June 5 election in a country that has endured a five-year crackdown on civil liberties and other freedoms by Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). The CPP, the only party large enough to field candidates nationwide, is expected to win a landslide victory, enjoying the power of incumbency and patronage in what Hun Sun has effectively turned into a one-party state at the national level. “Commune elections in Cambodia have always been a low stakes affair for the ruling party because of how much control they have in rural areas at the local level,” said Sophal Ear, an author and policy analyst who teaches at Arizona State University. “And this next commune election is no different but even more extreme in how much control there is at the national level,” he added. But election watchers are looking at the contest between the CPP and 16 other parties for 11,622 seats in 1,652 rural and urban precincts to find out how much support the opposition Candlelight Party can win in the atmosphere and after months of harassment from the ruling party. “Civic and political space in Cambodia has receded and regressed due to what is effectively all-intrusive single-party rule,” said Vitit Muntarbhorn, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Cambodia. “The outlook for human rights and democracy in the country remains disconcerting on many fronts, especially in the lead up to the commune elections,” he told RFA. The Candlelight Party has risen from the ashes of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), whose strong showing in previous communal elections in 2017 prompted Hun Sen have the party dissolved, paving the way for his CPP to win all 125 parliamentary seats in 2018. The Candlelight Party was founded in 1995 by Hun Sen’s political rival Sam Rainsy, who is now living in exile facing a raft of charges his supporters sat are designed to keep him out of politics. Candlelight, which merged with another party to form the CNRP in 2012 but is not subject to the opposition ban, is now the second largest political party in Cambodia and the largest opposition party. The party has been gaining steam over the past year. With its rise has come what Candlelight officials say are made up accusations that the party has used fake names for candidates and has put forward candidates in violation of Cambodian election laws. Several Candlelight Party activists have been jailed on allegations of submitting false documents to run in the communal elections. In February, authorities in the northwestern province of Battambang ordered the Candlelight Party to remove a sign from a citizen’s house, even though national officials pledged a free and fair campaign, without political and partisan discrimination. On April 9, Prak Seyha — a party youth leader for Phnom Penh’s Kambol district — was attacked and beaten by a mob. That same day, Choeun Sarim, a party candidate for Phnom Penh’s Chhbar Ampov district, was killed in traffic while traveling by motorbike from southern Cambodia’s Takeo province to the capital, Phnom Penh. His wife said he had been threatened and assaulted prior to his death, which she said was caused by a blow from behind. On April 11, Khorn Tun, a Candlelight Party activist and a commune candidate in Tabaung Khmom province’s Ponhea Krek district — was attacked by unidentified men who threw rocks at her home. Flags and marches The Candlelight Party has sent flags, about 3 million leaflets and party uniforms to its supporters around the country, the party’s vice president Thach Setha told RFA’s Khmer Service. The party plans to march through the streets of Phnom Penh with thousands of supporters on Saturday in an effort to drum up more support. “We urge all activists and supporters to participate in our march to express their support for the Candlelight Party and to show up for a chance,” he said. The ruling party has also been active in shipping out materials for the campaign, but will not hold massive rallies, CPP spokesman Sok Ey San told RFA. “Activists will visit voters’ houses to inform them about the party’s political platform,” he said, adding that the most active days will be the first and last days of the campaign period. The country’s third largest party, the National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia, a royalist party known as Funcinpec, plans to hold a rally with the party president and about 1,000 supporters in Kandal province in the south, the party’s spokesman Ngouen Raden told RFA. “In each province, working groups will meet voters at their houses,” he said. The National Election Commission (NEC) on Tuesday urged the parties to comply with measures intended to keep the campaigns peaceful and nonviolent. It also asked authorities at all levels to remain neutral and impartial, allowing all candidates access to public places. The NEC is working with authorities to coordinate marches planned by party supporters so that confrontation can be avoided, the commission’s spokesman, Hang Puthea, told RFA. “Until now, there are no negative issues reported yet. I have observed that each party has already prepared for the election campaign tomorrow at 6 a.m.,” he said. The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel) has deployed 20 monitors to follow campaigns in Phnom Penh and other areas, Kang Savan, a monitor for the NGO, told RFA. Despite the trappings of a healthy campaign, the contest fails to meet basic definitions of democracy, said Ear. “Managed democracy–if you even call it that–in Cambodia is about giving people little to no choice in reality, so long as the main opposition party is excluded,” he told RFA. “When you race but disqualify your main competition, is that a real race? No. It's not what anyone who believes in democracy does.” Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/elections-05202022204229.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

A British tourist was arrested and charged by the Siem Reap Provincial Court today for attacking and causing severe injuries to his Cambodian girlfriend. Siem Reap Provincial Immigration Police Officer Major Heng Vichetr told Khmer Times today that the accused was identified as Jon Leon Lov, 57, a British tourist staying in Siem Reap province’s Siem Reap city, in Slor Kram commune. The victim was identified as Uy Soriya, 38, a farmer living in Boeng Daunpa village, in Siem Reap city. Maj. Vichetre said that Jon Leon Lov who was arrested on May 18 has been charged with ‘Intentional act of violence with aggravating circumstances’ under Article 218 of Criminal Code. He added that the accused attacked the victim in an inebriated state after a dispute. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501079326/briton-arrested-for-attacking-cambodian-girlfriend-with-hammer/

Four construction workers are dead and another has been hospitalized with serious injuries after a cable on their lift snapped, causing them to fall from the 15th story of a building, a police official said. Preah Sihanouk provincial police chief Chuon Narin said the cable-snapping incident, on Friday morning in Sihanoukville’s Bei commune, led to three immediate deaths, while a fourth worker died after being taken to hospital. The fifth, injured worker is still in hospital. Authorities were looking for the owner of the building to investigate the incident, Narin said. According to the National Social Security Fund, five construction workers died in 2020 and a further seven in 2021. Thirty-four serious injuries were recorded by the fund in each of those two years, though an official said the data included only reporting from about 10% of construction companies registered with the NSSF. Two larger accidents on construction sites in 2019 made headlines after buildings under construction in Sihanoukville and Kep collapsed, killing 28 and 36 people, respectively, most of whom were living on-site. read more https://vodenglish.news/four-workers-dead-after-fall-at-construction-site/

PHNOM PENH, May 20 (Phnom Penh Post/ANN): Prime Minister Hun Sen has urged Asean and BRICS (the five major emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to urgently restore multilateralism, which prioritises unity when addressing challenges, especially given recent troubling and rapid developments in global affairs. He said this at the Second Forum of Political Parties, Research Groups and Civil Society Organisations from BRICS Countries on May 19-20, held under the theme of “solidarity and cooperation towards development together with a bright future”. Hun Sen said the forum’s theme was a timely response to both traditional and non-traditional challenges that the international community is currently facing. “In a context where the world is rapidly changing, uncertain and complex, we cannot give up or turn away from multilateral mechanisms if we really intend to address common challenges,” he said. “Asean and BRICS, as well as the international community as a whole, need to redouble their efforts to restore multilateralism, which prioritises unity in addressing challenges.” https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/05/20/asean-and-brics-must-work-together-and-restore-unite-says-cambodian-pm-hun-sen

PHNOM PENH, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will start offering a fifth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to priority groups from June 9 onwards, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Friday. The priority groups include leaders of the government, the senate, the parliament, frontline health workers, government officials, civil servants, armed forces, the elderly, staff of embassies, national and international organizations, journalists, and celebrities. He said the interval between the fourth and the fifth doses is at least three months. "Vaccines have not only played a critical role in preventing deaths and infections, but also help prevent other infectious diseases such as flu," Hun Sen said in a voice message released publicly. Meanwhile, the prime minister said the Southeast Asian country has reported no new cases of COVID-19 for 14 days straight, and there are only eight active cases in the kingdom. Cambodia has so far inoculated at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines to 15 million people, or 93.8 percent of its 16 million population, the health ministry said, adding that of them, 14.27 million, or 89 percent, have been fully vaccinated with two required shots. Also, some 9 million, or 56.2 percent, have got a third dose, and 2.3 million, or 14.4 percent, have had a fourth dose. Buoyed by its high vaccination rates, Cambodia has resumed all socioeconomic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since November last year. China's Sinovac and Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines have been widely used in the kingdom's immunization program. http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2022-05/20/content_78229803.htm

The United States said that it will be opening an investigation into the individual who hurled a show at Prime Minister Hun Sen during the Premier’s visit to the country. The incident took place on May 11 in Washington D.C. when a man named Ouk Touch aimed and threw a shoe at Prime Minister Hun Sen. This is according to Chad Roedemeier, spokesman for the US Embassy in Cambodia, on May 19. The Spokesman for the US Embassy in Cambodia responded that the United States attaches great importance to the safety and security of diplomats and dignitaries visiting the United States. With the May 11 incident, the United States will launch a thorough investigation under US law. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501079045/us-to-open-investigation-into-shoe-throwing-incident/

Three schoolgirls were believed drowned while swimming near the Krabao Chrum Bridge in Pursat province. The three, identified as Kim Sok Keang, 14, Chea Srey Neath, 14, and Tha Srey Mey, all 14, were on their way home after school with three friends when they decided to go for a swim upon reaching the bridge in Phnom Kravanh district’s Krabao Chrum Village in Bak Chunhchean commune. Pursat Provincial Deputy Police Commissioner Brigadier General Mo Lida said the girls were riding two motorcycles going home to their Krabao Chrum village after school at about 1.45pm on Wednesday. He named the survivors as Khoeun Srey Leak, 15, Hoeun Srey Lin, 15, and Song Sokly, 14, and said the six girls live in the same commune. “The girls were having fun fooling around in the water until they decided to play on a tree stump floating about 50 metres away from them. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501078733/three-14-year-old-students-believed-drowned-in-river/