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Peppercorns are the unheralded heroes of the pantry. Home cooks happy to obsess over the provenance of their salt or the scorching heat of their chile flakes usually pay scant attention to the pepper they grind from dawn to dusk. But there’s a wide world of peppercorns, and their range of flavors can have a powerful impact on scrambled eggs, spaghetti, and T-bone steaks. These unassuming dried Kampot peppercorns, available from the marvelous spice hideout SOS Chefs ($15 for 2 oz), don’t look like anything special, but they pack a bright spiciness that delivers an intensely fragrant punch to everything they touch. THE COMPETITION • Grown on a coffee farm in central Vietnam, Burlap & Barrel’s Robusta black pepper ($9 for 1.8 oz) evokes java with a wallop of ginger. • White Penja peppercorns ($16 for 2.5 oz) are a specialty at the New York spice company La Boîte. Sourced from Cameroon, on Africa’s west coast, they have a light fermented taste and are especially good on seafood and vegetables. read more https://www.bloomberg.com/pursuits

MEP Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler receives honor for generous gestures to Buddhists Buddhist leaders in Cambodia have honored French Bishop Olivier Michel Marie Schmitthaeusler for his years of support and donations to local Buddhists and a popular pagoda. Bishop Schmitthaeusler, the apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, received the accolade “a great friend of Buddhists” at an event at Ang Monrei pagoda in Tram Kak district of Takeo province in southern Cambodia on April 30, reported Catholic Cambodia, the communications wing of the local Catholic Church. Seng Somony, secretary and spokesman of the Ministry of Cults and Religions, presided over the ceremony and handed a certificate of honor to Bishop Schmitthaeusler issued by the Mahanikaya Council of Cambodia, the country’s supreme Buddhist council. Venerable Nget Chamroeun, the abbot of Ang Monrei Pagoda, told the gathering that as a priest and bishop the French missionary has extended a helping hand to Buddhists that enabled them to have vegetable gardens and ponds and to construct bridges among other things. Bishop Schmitthaeusler, 51, a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP), said he was humbled by the honor and expressed his gratitude to Buddhist leaders for their support in helping the Church thrive in the area. "This honor, I understand, is not for myself but a recognition for the Catholic and Buddhist communities as they walk together. The recognition also affirms that the local Catholic community is rooted in Cambodian culture. This is a very special occasion that highlights real fraternity between religions,” he said. read more https://www.ucanews.com/news/french-bishop-hailed-as-friend-of-buddhists-in-cambodia/97140

World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Cambodia Li Ailan said countries around the world should study how Cambodia overcame the challenges of Covid-19 and follow its success, particularly its overarching vaccination programme. “The vaccines saved lives. It helped Cambodia manage and reopen safely and in a sustainable way,” Li said at a ceremony to hand over two million Pfizer vaccines donated by the US to Cambodia through COVAX – a global mechanism aimed at ensuring equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines – at Phnom Penh International Airport on May 3. Both WHO and its partners stood alongside the government and were at hand to support Cambodia in setting a good example not only for the vaccine campaign, but also the sustainable management of Covid-19, she said. read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/who-kingdoms-jab-drive-deserves-study

Hun Sen’s government has attacked independent media in recent years to keep his party in power. The son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen defended press freedom at an event marking World Press Freedom Day in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, ignoring his father’s crackdown on journalists who have criticized his government. Lt. Gen. Hun Manet, an army commander expected eventually to succeed his long-ruling father, glossed over increasing restrictions on press freedom and civil rights in the country Hun Sen has ruled since 1985. “As Prime Minister Hun Sen stated in his statement, the royal government is committed to protect freedom of expression, press freedom and promote cooperation between the government and press institutions that is vital for the country’s development,” Hun Manet, 42, said as his father’s representative at the event, which was attended by more than 100 journalists, Cambodian news outlet VOD reported. World Press Freedom Day was created by UNESCO in 1991 to highlight the importance a free press plays in society. This year’s theme, “Journalism Under Digital Siege,” is designed to spotlight how developments in monitoring and surveillance technologies affect journalism and freedom of expression. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based group, ranked Cambodia 142 out of 180 countries and territories in its 2022 World Press Freedom Index released Tuesday. “Worried by the possibility that he might have to give up power after more than 30 years in office, Hun Sen went after the press mercilessly ahead of parliamentary elections in July 2018,” RSF said. “Radio stations and newspapers were silenced, newsrooms purged, journalists prosecuted — leaving the independent media sector devastated. Since then, the few attempts to bring independent journalism back to life have drawn the wrath of ruling circles,” the annual report said. But in his speech, Hun Manet insisted that his father’s government views the press as an ally in creating a better-functioning society. The government has prioritized its policy on the press to allow its participation in fighting corruption and promoting democracy and respect for human rights to create a just society, peace and development, Hun Manet said. “Of course, we have criticisms against the government that we’ve restricted press freedom,” he said. “The allegation is groundless and doesn’t reflect the truth. Cambodia has a pluralistic government that respects freedom of expression and freedom of the press.” Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said at the event that the government was disappointed with reports criticizing the government. He claimed that NGOs that are not registered as news organizations produce the negative reports based on the wishes of their donors. But he didn’t provide evidence to support the claim. Government pressure Sun Narin, Voice of America’s reporter in Cambodia, told RFA on Tuesday that Hun Manet did not take questions at the event. He also said the press cannot write what they want, even though freedom of expression is enshrined in the country’s constitution. “There are pressures from the government,” Sun Narin said. “I have observed that [journalists] are afraid of the government.” He said that he and other journalists are advocating for a law that would make the government more transparent. “We don’t have documents now,” he said. “It is difficult to get statistics. It is hard to find information.” Hun Manet’s speech came a day after two dozen organizations, press associations, journalists and NGOs held a conference in Phnom Penh to discuss the deteriorating situation of press freedom in Cambodia. Nop Vy, executive director of the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association, said the government must ensure that Cambodians get the information they need to make informed decisions in the country’s local elections on June 5. “Receiving information is essential and getting real information is even more important to make improvements to the quality of life and to the democratic process that ensures the participation of the people,” he said. “As Cambodia prepares for next month’s elections and the 2023 elections, the government should ensure that information flows to every citizen, and all the harassment against journalists must not continue.” In Cambodia, journalists still face persecution, intimidation, violence, arrests and pretrial detention for their work, Nop Vy said. Free press advocates want Cambodia’s government to end impunity for crimes against journalists, including physical assaults and murder, by bringing the perpetrators and accomplices to justice. They also want the country’s Information Ministry to reissue revoked media licenses and to expedite the passage of a Right to Information Act, they said. Meas Sophorn, secretary of state and Information Ministry spokesman, said the government was committed to ensuring further protections for respecting freedoms of the press and expression. Translated by Samean Yun and Sok Ry Sum for RFA’s Khmer Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/press-freedom-05032022183128.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The Minister of Health, Dr Mam Bunheng, said that so far Cambodia has received more than 53 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, including bilateral assistance, assistance from the Kovax Center and direct orders. An additional 20 million doses are due to arrive in a row soon. At the same time, the Minister stated that as of the end of April 2022, Cambodia has more than 8 million doses of vaccine left in the warehouse for further vaccination of the people. Bunheng made this remark on the occasion of receiving 2 million doses of Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine as the second aid from the United States through the Covax Center to the Royal Government of Cambodia. The reception took place at Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday with the participation of W. Patrick Murphy, US Ambassador to Cambodia, Dr Li Ailan, WHO Representative in Cambodia and Ms. Foroogh Foyozat, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501069006/cambodia-has-received-more-than-53-million-doses-of-covid-19-vaccines-with-another-20-million-doses-on-the-way/

The Candlelight Party (CP) has submitted another petition claiming harassment of party officials to the Ministry of Justice seeking the intervention of Minister Keut Rith. The party’s working group submitted the letter to Rith yesterday, said CP vice-president Son Chhay. He said he was happy that the Ministry of Justice team had received the CP official’s petition, but was disappointed that ministry officials did not assure that there would be a solution for CP. The complaint filed was about local authorities who had harassed or unjustly detained CP party officials including summons issued by the court and questioning by local police. He said the summoning of local CP activists and officials is within the jurisdiction of the provincial and municipal courts but “the Ministry of Justice is the guardian of the court and they have the right to intervene in the persecution”. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501068595/cp-files-harassment-petition-yet-again-to-justice-ministry/

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — An outspoken critic of Cambodia’s government dressed up as “Lady Justice,” complete with scale and blindfold, to bring attention to her case as lawyers in her trial for treason presented their final arguments Tuesday. Theary Seng, a Cambodian American lawyer, is charged with conspiracy to commit treason and incitement to commit a felony, which together carry a maximum jail sentence of 12 years. The charges arose from a failed attempt by leading opposition figure Sam Rainsy to return to Cambodia in November 2019, after a period of self-exile. Cambodian authorities, who opposed his return, alleged Theary Seng was involved in organizing the trip, which she denies. Four other defendants being tried on the same charges are former members and activists of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, of which Sam Rainsy was co-founder. Theary Seng denies belonging to the party. “I am not afraid of prison. I am ready. I am prepared to go to prison if this dictatorial, autocratic regime continues with its injustice against justice itself. So I am not afraid of prison,” Theary Seng told journalists outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. Cambodia’s Supreme Court in 2017 ordered the Cambodia National Rescue Party to be dissolved for allegedly plotting to seize power, but it is widely believed the action was taken to help ensure that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party would win the 2018 general election. His ruling party made a clean sweep of the National Assembly seats. Opponents of Hun Sen, who has been in power for 37 years, criticize him for acting in an autocratic manner and keeping the opposition on a tight leash. He has said he intends to stay in office until 2028 and has endorsed one of his sons to be his successor. Cambodian-American lawyer Theary Seng, dressed in a pageant costume that reads "Lady Justice", walks outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, May 3, 2022. Tuesday is the the final day of hearings for her trial on treason and a related charge for which she could receive a prison sentence of up to 12 years. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) To publicize her case, Theary Seng dressed on Tuesday as Lady Justice, a symbol of law who is traditionally depicted as a Roman goddess bearing a sword and a balancing scale and wearing a blindfold and flowers in her hair. On previous trial days, she had dressed up in a prison-style orange outfit with ankle shackles and as a classical Cambodian Apsara dancer, telling reporters she was expressing her belief that the trial was “political theater.” She did not attend Tuesday’s court hearing when a security guard refused to let her in unless she removed the flowers from her hair and left the sword and scale outside the courtroom. She stayed outside with supporters and reporters and let her lawyer represent her. “I am ‘Lady Justice.’ This autocratic regime is putting justice itself on trial. This autocratic regime uses the court as its weapon,” said Theary Seng, who graduated from University of Michigan Law School in the United States. “It is unjust when the law is not based on justice. My weapon is truth. Truth is eternal. … Truth is freedom.” Her lawyer, Choung Chou Ngy, said the court is expected to deliver its verdict on June 14. In a related case in March, the court convicted 21 people of treason and related charges for their nonviolent political opposition to Cambodia’s government. Seven exiled leaders of the disbanded Cambodia National Rescue Party received 10-year prison terms in absentia, including Sam Rainsy, who has been in exile since 2016. Another 13 defendants were ordinary party supporters whom the court ordered to serve more than three years. https://www.voacambodia.com/a/cambodian-dissident-dresses-up-as-lady-justice-for-trial/6554943.html

In an online meeting with Myanmar’s State Administrative Council (SAC) Chairman General Min Aung Hlaing yesterday, Prime Minister Hun Sen requested a second visit by the Asean Chair’s Special Envoy and reiterated the importance of access to all parties concerned in Myanmar including Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release that the request was made during the third online meeting with Gen Aung Hlaing conducted from the premier’s residence in Takhmao city, Kandal province to exchange views on a way forward in implementing Asean’s Five-Point Consensus. “In response, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing pledged to facilitate meetings with other parties concerned,” it added. The premier also welcomed the release of more than 1,600 prisoners during Myanmar’s traditional New Year celebration in April and recalled his earlier request for the release of all political prisoners including Professor Sean Turnell of Australia, it added. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501067969/pm-asks-myanmar-junta-for-access-to-aung-san-suu-kyi/

Preah Sihanouk Provincial Department of Tourism will hold a four-day Cambodian food fair and cooking competition for tourism students from May 13 to 16 at Techo’s field (Poy Tamong) Square in Sihanoukville. According to the Department of Tourism of Sihanoukville, the event is aimed at promoting Khmer food to attract national and international tourists. The event will also showcase the potential of beaches and other tourist destinations in Sihanoukville. Beside the exhibition, Preah Sihanouk Provincial Department of Tourism is also organising a food and beverage competition and a bicycle race. Taing Sochetkrishna, the director of the provincial tourism department, said that this event organised by the Ministry of Tourism is aimed at promoting and helping the coastal province to attracted local and international tourists, read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501067976/food-fair-to-promote-khmer-cuisine-in-sihanoukville/

With the reopening of the country and Angkor Wat to the return of tourists, Cambodia earned more than $1.3 million from Angkor ticket sales during the first quarter of 2022. This is according to the press release on the statistics of foreign tourists and the revenue from the sale of tickets to the Angkor Park, which was sent to local news by the Angkor Institute on May 2. Last month (April), Angkor Institute earned $537,040 from the sale of 13,365 tickets to foreign tourists visiting Angkor. According to the report, during the first quarter of this year, a total of 33,205 foreign tourists visited Angkor. Revenue from the ticket sales amounted to a total of $1,352,615. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501067829/open-for-business-cambodia-earns-more-than-one-million-dollars-through-angkor-ticket-sale/

Two Siem Reap military police officers tasked with fighting drug crimes in the province were charged with conspiracy to traffic drugs and failing to report a crime. Military Police spokesperson Eng Hy said that two officers had been arrested Saturday evening for misconduct and had been sent to Siem Reap Provincial Court. He did not detail the officers’ wrongdoings, only saying that the military police had zero tolerance for any crimes committed. “Thus, the military cannot leave any officer or soldier who committed the crime. Therefore, we follow our motto,” he said. Siem Reap deputy prosecutor Sat Thida also did not elaborate on the exact crime committed by the two military police officers, but listed the provisional charges against them. Theav Chantara, who is the bureau chief of the antidrug department, was provisionally charged with articles 253, 528 and 532 of the Criminal Code for illegally confing a person, failing to file a complaint of misdemeanor or felony, and concealing evidence. He was also charged under Article 40 of the Drugs Control Law for illegally storing drugs. read more https://vodenglish.news/siem-reap-military-polices-antidrug-chief-arrested-for-drug-crimes-concealing-evidence/

The significant presence of Chinese criminal syndicates in Southeast Asian countries is turning out to be a major problem for law enforcement and other public agencies in the region. Several Chinese gangs are active in areas on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. The scale of such illegal activities has increased since the emergence of COVID-19, as many organized groups started taking advantage of vulnerable youth rendered unemployed due to the pandemic. The rise of Chinese-run scam operations is closely linked to the increasing economic integration between China and Southeast Asia over the past decade, which has seen a surge in Chinese investment in the region. As they grow in scale, these operations increasingly resemble an industry. Such operations have been aided by weak legal frameworks and corrupt local elites in parts of the region, providing favorable conditions for illicit activities. The activities are also taking place in territories and special economic zones that exist beyond the effective reach of the host country’s legal apparatus. This was again confirmed in a recent case in Cambodia. In a cross-border operation on April 10-11, the Thai and Cambodian police rescued 68 Thai workers from Chinese scam gangs that were running call centers in Sihanoukville in western Cambodia, the capital Phnom Penh and Krong Bavet on the border with Vietnam. read more https://www.irrawaddy.com/opinion/guest-column/chinese-gangs-exploiting-vulnerable-people-across-southeast-asia.html

PHNOM PENH, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have discovered pieces of the 12th century Apsara, or fairy carvings, in the Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said in a statement on Monday. The stone carvings were spotted in the northern wall of the causeway of the Angkor Thom temple's Takav Gate, where the archaeologists were clearing vegetation and removing soil from the lower structure during restoration. Archaeologist Kim Seng Pheakdey said the pieces of stones with Apsara carvings and other decorative sculptures were used as the northern wall of the causeway. "These Apsara carvings are similar to the Apsara on the pillars of the Bayon Temple, while other stone carvings have the same shape as the ones that decorated the structure of the Takav Gate," she said. Pheakdey said the Bayon-style Apsara carvings might have been built simultaneously with the Takav Gate and the Bayon Temple during the late 12th century and early 13th century. She said archaeologists will do the excavation in the next step to find Deva statues that had fallen into the moat in the north of the causeway in order to restore them back to their original positions. The Takav Gate is one of the five gates of the Angkor Thom, which was built in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. Angkor Thom is one of the key temples in the 401-square km Angkor Archaeological Park, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992. http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2022-05/02/content_78198174.htm

On Thursday, Australian Ambassador Pablo Kang joined Lieutenant General John Murray Sanderson AC, former Force Commander of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), to open a photo exhibition marking the 30th anniversary of UNTAC and the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Cambodia at Raffles Hotel Le Royal. The exhibition, supported by the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and the Asian Vision Institute, features 30 photographs documenting the historic period for Cambodia and a great example of effective international political and security cooperation. The UNTAC photo exhibition from April 29 to May 28, is open to the public from 7am to 9pm every day. more pictures https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501067394/an-exhibition-showcasing-untac-journey-in-cambodia/

Kampong Speu provincial authorities claim Covid-19 seems under control and factories in the province are reopening, but businesses are facing a labour shortage of more than 10,000 workers. Provincial Governor Vei Samnang, leading a working group to meet workers at the Mingfai factory in Samraong Tong district, raised the issue of a labour shortage on Friday evening on the occasion of the 136th anniversary of International Labour Day. Samnang said the province is currently facing a shortage of more than 10,000 workers and can’t meet the demand for staff by factories, which have increased since Cambodia reigned in Covid-19. He added that the factories and other enterprises in the province are now booming through the mobilisation of the Kampong Speu provincial administration. There are more foreign businessmen and more investment is flowing into the province because of its potential and many advantages. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501067324/factories-reopen-but-labour-shortages-loom/

Thunderstorms rolled across Cambodia in April with lightning strikes that caused the death of six people and injured 14, killed 18 cattle, and damaged or destroyed hundreds of properties in 18 provinces nationwide. National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) spokesman Soth Kimkolmony said yesterday that 30 natural disasters occurred last month destroying 101 houses and damaging a further 512. He said the six people and 18 cattle were killed by lightning strikes while working or sheltering under trees when it was raining. According to the NCDM report, three of the victims were in Phnom Penh, one in Banteay Meanchey, one in Battambang, and one in Siem Reap province, while the 18 injured were struck by lightning or hit by airborne house debris caused by the lightning. The heavy rainfall across the Kingdom from early April until measured 50-100mm, but this level will increase with the onset of the wet season from May 1 to October. The average rainfall this year could be higher than 2021. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501067329/tropical-storms-kill-6-damage-hundreds-of-properties/

Belgian media are reporting that convicted cocaine smuggler David Catry – who received a life sentence in 2018 – has passed away in Prey Sar prison. The Belgian citizen – aged 40 – passed away from a severe asthma attack on the night of April 29th. Mr Catry was convicted with accomplice Tanguy J. Taller – also Belgian – of drug trafficking and received a life sentence in 2018. He was arrested on January 10, 2018 by anti-drug police and customs agents at Phnom Penh Airport. He had travelled from Brazil to Ethiopia to Thailand and then onto Cambodia where he was arrested after officers found 1.003 kilos of cocaine hidden within his suitcase. He had initially denied the crime, but then later confessed, saying he had received $30,000 to smuggle the drugs into Cambodia. His accomplice, Taller, was convicted in absentia after going into hiding in Cambodia, but was arrested after being apprehended on October 4 ,2018 at the Cambodia-Vietnam International Checkpoint in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet city. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501067160/belgian-drug-smuggler-dies-in-cambodian-prison/

The number of international tourists has seen a sharp increase by 125 percent to 159,546 in the first three months of this year, a positive sign for the tourism sector recovery since Cambodia announced to fully reopen the country in November last year. Data from the Ministry of Tourism showed that in the January-March period says that Vietnamese tourists topped the Kingdom’s tourism market list with 46,303 visitors, followed by Thai tourists with 39,615. Chinese tourists, with 12,804, ranked third while the American tourists increased to 8,820. Cambodia has relaxed entry rules to facilitate the travel and boost tourism, investment and trade since Mar. 17, 2022. The requirement for PCR negative test for COVID-19 within 72 hours before arriving in Cambodia and for rapid test upon arrival at the airport were removed. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501066584/foreign-tourist-arrivals-increase-125-in-first-3-months-of-2022/

The checkpoint in Poipet on the Cambodia-Thailand border will open for travellers from May 1, according to authorities in Banteay Meanchey province. Due to Covid restrictions, until now the route was open only for trucks carrying goods. The province’s deputy governor Ngor Meng Chruon said people can enter and exit the border crossing from Sunday. Travellers who are fully vaccinated and carrying a passport or a letter of permission will be allowed to use the border crossing, reports said. Chruon said Thai authorities have been requested to open the border as the pandemic has eased. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501066518/poipet-border-to-open-for-travellers-from-sunday/

The Cambodian government has not greenlighted the issuing or use of any cryptocurrency in the country, a report has said. The report, which cites a document recently released by the Ministry of Finance and Economics, said it is still illegal to create, distribute, or trade cryptocurrencies in Cambodia. According to a China News Service report, while the ministry does concede that the fintech industry is growing rapidly, it nonetheless reiterated that the long-standing ban on crypto trading remains in force. As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, Cambodian authorities announced in 2018 that the circulation or trading of cryptocurrencies without a license was illegal. At the time, authorities warned that crypto activities had the potential to cause risks to the public and society. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501065952/conducting-cryptocurrency-related-activities-in-cambodia-is-still-illegal/

Residents in Kratie’s Sambor district blocked a local company from clearing land that they said they had bought for agricultural purposes, threatening to burn down equipment if the clearing continued. Around 100 residents attempted to meet local authorities on Wednesday but were unable to talk to commune officials about the land clearings. They instead went to stop bulldozers that were clearing land they claimed to own. The residents said they were unaware of the company’s name. Kith Chanthol, one of the affected residents, said he had bought 2 hectares of land at $200 a hectare in 2018. Around 200 other families had also bought land, some buying as much as 100 hectares of land for farming in the area. “[We] went to the commune hall but they did not solve it. So we came to protest at the disputed site,” he said. Chanthol said a person in charge of the clearing work had promised that representatives from the commune, district and province will meet them to find a solution on April 29. “If on April 29 they do not follow the promise, the machinery has to be removed. If not removed, people will burn it,” he said. read more https://vodenglish.news/kratie-residents-threaten-to-burn-equipment-if-local-company-continues-clearings/

The wildlife research team of the Mondulkiri Provincial Department of Environment, Ministry of Environment, and WWF this week revealed a rare photograph of a female Indochinese leopard from their camera trap surveys, conducted in the forest of Cambodia’s eastern plains. According to WWF’s news release on its social media, the Indochinese leopard, listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, had disappeared from almost all its former range across Southeast Asia.The Cambodia’s eastern plains landscape remains the last refuge for only very few of its last known population. Nevertheless, this extremely rare apex predator is threatened with extinction by the snaring crisis, fueled by the illegal wildlife trade. The Indochinese leopard could face the same faith as the already extinct Indochinese tiger since its very small population left in Cambodia is exposed to high risk of getting caught in the snare hidden in the forest habitat waiting to ambush the carnivore and its ungulate prey species with indiscriminate. killing. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501066013/female-indochinese-leopard-detected-in-mondulkiri/

PM Hun Sen has reaffirmed that he will remain in power for up to 10 years – and joked that this is despite fortune-tellers predicting he will live to be 101 years old. The PM made the remarks during a meeting with athletes before they go to the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam on Thursday morning. “Fortune tellers say I will be 101 years old, but of course I will not be in power until 101 years, at most another 10 years,” he said . The PM confirmed that he has a high possibility to live another 30 years as he comes for a long living family The PM had previously announced that he will continue to run as the Prime Minister of the Cambodian People’s Party for the upcoming 7th National Assembly election in 2023. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501065782/pm-i-will-be-in-power-at-most-another-10-years/

Three workers from a Kandal factory are alleging they were fired by their employer for forming a local union. The trio were employed at SYSG Garment factory in Kandal’s Ang Snoul district and said they were fired without cause or notice last week. They said this was done because they had formed a factory-level union in March. Hul Sokhim, one of the workers, said their seniors made it clear they were unhappy with the workers’ decision to form the union. She said management was rude to workers and treated them badly. “They used harsh words against us. They did not give us value as workers at the factory,” she said. Prak Tola, one of the three fired workers, said the dismissals were discriminatory and in violation of the law. “They do not want an independent union to help workers who have been oppressed by the company. They choose only those who side with them.” Tola said. A person called Piseth, who was identified by the workers as SYSG’s administrative director, did not want to comment for this story. The three workers have filed a complaint with the Labor Ministry this week alleging they were illegally fired for unionizing and wanted to be reinstated. read more https://vodenglish.news/workers-allegedly-fired-from-kandal-factory-for-forming-union/

Seam Pluk, president of the National Heart Party, is accused of submitting fraudulent party registration documents. Authorities in Cambodia on Thursday arrested the president of a small Cambodian political party who had been on the run since last week after being charged with forging documents to compete in local elections in June. RFA reported April 18 that Seam Pluk, president of the National Heart Party, had gone into hiding after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest and ordered him to appear in court on April 25. His lawyer, Sam Sok Kong, said that he intended to appear but that the court date did not give sufficient time to prepare to fight the charges. Choung Chou Ngy, another lawyer representing Seam Pluk, told RFA’s Khmer Service that the arrest was not legal because the warrant expired two days ago. “It is wrong for the police to implement an expired warrant. The court should take action against the police,” he said. Choung Chou Ngy also sought to cast doubt over the allegation that Seam Pluk forged registration documents so that his party could participate in elections. “The Ministry of Interior did a unilateral investigation without the National Heart Party’s participation. Was it an accurate audit? It is a secret,” he said. Among the 4,000 thumbprints collected for party registration, the Ministry of Interior only identified 200 that may have been forged, he said. Even if there are forgeries, the party has enough support to register, assuming the remaining prints are legitimate, Choung Chou Ngy said. The political party registration process should not lead to arrests, Kang Savang, a monitor with the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel), said. “I haven’t seen the ministry file a complaint over thumbprint issues. This is new to me. I am concerned they are using the court to deal with the case. It will affect people’s right to participate in the electoral process,” Kang Savang said. “I think authorities shouldn’t use the court to resolve this issue. The ministry should have just refused to register the party,” he said. The Ministry of Interior moved to prosecute Seam Pluk after they accused him of receiving funds from exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy to participate in the election, an accusation Seam Pluk has denied. Sam Rainsy is one of two prominent leaders of the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 in a move that allowed Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party to win all 125 seats in Parliament in a July 2018 election. Sam Rainsy, 72, has lived in exile in France since 2015. He was sentenced in absentia last year to 25 years for what supporters say was a politically motivated charge of attempting to overthrow the government. Choung Chou Ngy said he will meet Seam Pluk April 29 in prison to discuss an appeal against his detention. RFA reported last week that another small opposition party, the Candlelight Party, believed that Sam Pluk has been targeted because of his previous support for Candlelight. The Candlelight party has been gaining steam over the past year and its leaders believe it can challenge the CPP in the upcoming elections. After the National Heart Party’s registration was denied, Candlelight party leadership encouraged Heart party supporters to join Candlelight. The Candlelight Party, formerly known as the Sam Rainsy Party and the Khmer Nation party, was founded in 1995. It merged with other opposition forces to form the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in 2012. Freedoms monitor Seam Pluk’s arrest comes as three NGOs released a report that listed hundreds of instances of rights abuses in the country, which Hun Sen has led for decades. “Despite the government’s duty to respect, protect and promote the freedoms of association, expression and assembly, the report records more than 300 restrictions and violations of fundamental freedoms in every province,” the report by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc), and the Solidarity Center said. The report’s findings show that “fundamental freedom is being restricted while opposition parties are being abused by the state, authorities and third-party actors,” Hun Seanghak, who coordinated the report, told RFA. But a spokesperson for a government-aligned rights group dismissed the report’s conclusions. “When individuals break the law, authorities must implement the law. Is that human rights abuse? In Cambodia people enjoy their freedom,” Kata Orn, spokesperson for the pro-government Cambodia Human Rights Committee, told RFA. He said the report was designed to please donors and doesn’t reflect the truth about democracy and freedom in Cambodia. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/seam-pluk-04282022191024.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.