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Former Force Commander of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC),Lieutenant General John Murray Sanderson AC and his wife Mrs Lorraine Sanderson will visit Cambodia from today to 2 May to mark the 30th anniversary of UNTAC, and as part of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Cambodia. During the visit, Lieutenant General Sanderson and Mrs Sanderson will pay a courtesy call on His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, and Her Majesty Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk of Cambodia. Lt. Gen Sanderson and Mrs Sanderson will also meet Prime Minister Hun Sen and other senior ministers, provincial governors, key officials and civil society representatives. These meetings provide an opportunity to reflect on the personal contributions and friendships that have built Australia and Cambodia’s strong relationship over the past 70 years, and consider how the two countries can further strengthen their relationship into the future. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501062374/lt-general-john-sanderson-former-untac-force-commander-visits-cambodia-to-mark-30th-anniversary-of-untac/

Sat Pha fled after a threatening note was posted to her door, she says by the country’s ruling party. A prominent Cambodian activist who fled her country in a six-day journey through the jungle safely arrived in Thailand, where she plans to seek asylum with the U.N. In Cambodia, meanwhile, government officials said they would not call foreign officials as witnesses in a “treason” case against another critic of the country’s ruling party. Sat Pha, who has supported the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), told RFA that she fled after a hand-written threat, which she believed was from the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, saying she could be “disappeared” was tacked to her door. “Authorities know how to assault, arrest and imprison [activists],” she told RFA’s Khmer Service. Opponents of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have been targeted in a 5-year-old crackdown that has sent leaders of the CNRP 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 CPP to win all 125 seats in Parliament in a July 2018 election. Sat Pha is one of the many Cambodians who has become disenfranchised in land disputes with the government or developers. She has also protested the detention of former CNRP politicians, and, she says, been beaten by governmental officials. “The authorities attacked me until my legs were injured. Has the govt. arrested any authorities? As a leader [Hun Sen] he doesn’t protect citizens. He knows how to assault, arrest and imprison. Killers are never brought to justice,” she said. Sat Pha said she became ill in her journey but is now in a safe location in Thailand. She said she is in the country illegally and is running low on food. She plans to request asylum from the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) office in Thailand. Sat Pha was released from prison in Cambodia six months ago after serving a year in detention for inciting social unrest during a peaceful protest in front of Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh. RFA was unable to contact Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesman San Sok Seiha for comment. However, Cambodian People Party spokesman and lawmaker Sok Ey San told RFA that he believes Sat Pha fabricated her story to earn sympathy. “Police have a duty to look for the suspects. There is a need for cooperation between the victim and the police. It might be a personal dispute,” he said. Sok Ey San previously denied that the threat came from CPP leadership. Sat Pha has the right to ask NGOs for help when she doesn’t have any confidence in the authorities, Soeung Seng Karuna, spokesperson for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association told RFA. “It is normal for a victim who is threatened to seek asylum,” he said. Kem Sokha Trial In the treason trial of CNRP former leader Kem Sokha in Phnom Penh, prosecutors on Wednesday refused to summon representatives of any foreign governments that he is accused of colluding with. The prosecution citied the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, an international agreement that codifies diplomatic immunity. Defense lawyer Ang Odom told RFA after Wednesday’s session that the convention does not forbid representatives of foreign governments from testifying, adding that the prosecution told the defense they could ask the foreign governments to testify. “They need to do it, but they asked us to instead,” he said, adding that the defense plans to officially request that the prosecution summon foreign government representatives to testify in next week’s session, scheduled for April 27. “All relevant parties will help the court seek the truth. They need to speak the truth about the alleged collusion to commit treason,” he said. The government claims Kem Sokha was in league with Indonesia, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Australia, the United States, Canada, the European Union, Taiwan and India in plots to commit treason against Cambodia. The government may have a legitimate point regarding the Vienna Convention, Cambodian American legal analyst Theary Seng, who is herself on trial in Phnom Penh for treason and incitement, told RFA. “Rarely do I have the opportunity to agree with this regime’s political tool [the court], but in this instance it is right to deny the defense’s request. First, there is clear international custom and provision enshrined in Article 31 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that gives diplomats immunity from criminal proceedings as a charged person or a witness,” she said. “Second, it is not politically feasible that any country, especially a superpower, would give way to an incendiary charge as ‘treason’ in another country’s court system, as that carries countless criminal and political implications,” she said. Theary Seng said that putting a diplomat on trial would be a loss of face for the country he or she represents. “It is understandable that Kem Sokha’s lawyers will look to influential figures or countries to come their client’s defense in denying this most serious charge of treason. But it is a dead-end road. Rather, the defense lawyers should place the onus on the prosecutors and court in demanding why the regime did not expel the diplomats or close down the embassy, making the diplomat persona non grata or communicating to the sending state the extremely serious nature of the change,” she said. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/satpha-04212022182846.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Two separate alleged murders happened within three days amid the New Year holiday in Siem Reap’s Prasat Trav village, involving a sorcerer killing and a domestic attack by a man said to have mental illness. Two men, Pov Pao, 24, and a 15-year-old, were charged Monday night after Koy Chhoeung, 51, died from injuries he sustained from an alleged attack by the two on the night of April 15. Siem Reap investigating judge Nou Veasna charged both men with violence with aggravating circumstances, with punishment of up to five years in jail and 10 million riels ($2,500) in fines. Kok Doung commune chief Kem Ham said the two men, who are brothers in law, were neighbors of the victim, who Ham described as a kind man who worked small jobs like picking cassava and cleaning and skinning ducks and chickens for eating. Ham said the men thought Chhoeung was a sorcerer, and they beat him with their hands and knees until Chhoeung was unconscious. Chhoeung was injured in his gallbladder and liver, and died two days after the attack. Killings over accusations of sorcery are not uncommon in rural Cambodia. read more https://vodenglish.news/one-village-one-weekend-two-murders-sorcery-mental-health-issued-raised/

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia on Thursday reduced the required quarantine period from two weeks to one for arriving travelers who are not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, acting after recording consistently low numbers of new infections in recent days. The Health Ministry also said that travelers arriving by air who have not been fully vaccinated must take a rapid antigen test on the last day of their quarantine. Arrivals by land — mostly Cambodian workers in neighboring countries — are required to take rapid antigen tests on arrival as well as on the last day of quarantine. Cambodia had already opened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers on Nov. 15 in an effort to revitalize its tourism-reliant economy. The changes announced Thursday come about a month after another easing of pandemic-related restrictions for visitors from abroad, including the dropping of mandatory COVID-19 tests for travelers who have been vaccinated. Visas on arrival were also restored last month. read more https://www.yahoo.com/news/cambodia-cuts-quarantine-unvaccinated-visitors-101055775.html

Boeung Tamok Lake is home to scores of poor Cambodians who make a living by fishing and aquaculture farming. Cambodian’s autocratic Prime Minister Hun Sen has doled out at least 900 hectares of land reclaimed from one of the last large natural lakes in Phnom Penh to his sister, a wealthy tycoon and ally, and top military officials all benefiting from the largesse, according to a domestic land rights organization. The privatization and filling of Boeung Tamok Lake, also known as Beoung Tumnup Kabsrov, has picked up during the past few years, with little left of the body of water on the northwest side of the capital city. The lake spans six communes in Prek Pnov and Sen Sok districts and is home to a diverse ecosystem of birds and fish. It is also home to 300 families and 1,000 people, many of whom earn a living through fishing, aquaculture farming and home-based businesses, according to the Cambodian NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT). Most of the families live in dilapidated and poorly built housing, with 30% residing in makeshift shelters. The lake’s boundaries were officially demarcated in 2016 when the Cambodian government declared Boeung Tamok’s original 3,240 hectares as state public property, according to an April 2021 report by the NGO. As part of a land privatization drive, the government granted dried-out parts of the lake to ministries authorized to resell the land for urban development projects and to oligarchs and cronies close to the government, STT reported. In more than four years, the government has issued more than 40 directives to reclaim parts of the lake or to give away the land, according to STT, which assists poor communities to protect their rights to land and housing. As of late 2021, the government had reclaimed more than half of the lake area, or about 1,670 hectares. Hun Sen-approved land giveaways that went to 11 government ministries and institutions, including the Interior, Justice and Health ministries, Phnom Penh City Hall and the National Police, according to STT and to reports by VOD, a local independent media outlet. The Ministry of Interior, for instance, sold the allocated land to finance the construction of a new building headquarters on the old site. In addition, 22 individuals also received reclaimed lake land from Hun Sen. Among those who have benefited are his sister, Hun Seng Ny, who received 20 hectares of land. Vong Pisen, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces; Sao Sokha, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces; and other senior military officers each received more than 36 hectares, VOD reported based on information in subdecrees signed by Hun Sen. Kok An, a wealthy tycoon close to the prime minister, received 155 hectares of land. Hun Sen also handed over 100 hectares to Chheng Thean Seng, the younger sister of wealthy real estate businesswoman Chheng Sopheap, also known as Yeay Phu, who has been implicated in several land grab scandals in Cambodia. Say Sophea, wife of Phoeung Phalla, a two-star general of the Special Forces Parachute Unit, received 75 hectares, VOD reported Environmental activist Thon Ratha, who was jailed for criticizing the government’s reclamation of Boeung Tamok, said he fears that the lake could soon disappear, like other natural lakes in Boeung Tumpun and Boeung Choeung Ek districts. The fact that individuals close to Hun Sen received parcels of the restored land raises a suspicion of corruption, he said. “Whether to sell or rent, how much to sell for, or whether to rent it and for how long — we seem to have no information about these questions other than the decision to give parts of the lake to this person and that person,” he told RFA. “That’s why I’m still skeptical. We’re worried that there may be a systematic conspiracy or corruption.” A map shows Phnom Penh's Boeung Tamok Lake and the Tompoun/Cheung Ek Wetlands. Credit: RFA graphic 'It belongs to the state' Government spokesman Phay Siphan said that those who acquired land bought it from the original owners. He also said that before the government offered the land for sale, state institutions assessed the impact on local communities living there, though he did not know if the reclamations had forced some residents to leave their homes. “They bought it from the people in two stages, during which they asked for a [subdecree] to cut away part of the land from the lake,” he said. Seang Muy Lai, director of the Housing Rights and Research Project at Sahmakum Teang Tnaut, said that Boeung Tamok should be kept for the benefit of the public. More than 200 poor families living on the lake face eviction, Seang Muy Lai said. “It is unreasonable to give away parts of the lake that are two to three meters deep,” he said. “There should be no one occupying it. It is illegal to allow anyone to occupy the lake because it belongs to the state.” The environmental watchdog group Mother Nature Cambodia has urged the government to stop the development of reclaimed areas of the lake because of the negative impact on communities that rely on the body of water for their livelihoods and significant flooding in the city as the result of runoff during heavy rains. Lim Kean Hor, Cambodia’s minister of water resources and meteorology, has clashed with Hun Sen over the issue for expressing growing concern over the encroachment on the riverbanks and waterways that are properties of the state and has warned that warned that flooding is connected to landfilling developments such as Boeung Tamok. “The bank of the river, the river, the creek, the canal, and the lake, these are all public properties, so all provincial authorities and governors must take measures to facilitate the prevention of abuse from dumping land which is not in compliance with the law,” he said in a May 2020 letter issued all municipal governments and provincial authorities. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/boeung-tamok-lake-04212022202946.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

A report from Thai news outlet Pattaya Mail claims that ‘neighbouring Cambodia is preparing for a mass international influx starting soon‘ at the expense of it’s neighbour due to Cambodia’s liberal entry rules. The report comes as Cambodia today lowered the quarantine period for non-vaccinated travellers to the Kingdom. The report says that ‘While Thai authorities seek to diversify foreign tourism beyond sexpats and seriously ponder 10 year visas for super-rich investors and retirees, neighbouring Cambodia is preparing for a mass international influx starting soon. Cambodian premier and strongman Hun Sen has already liberalized immigration rules by abolishing compulsory medical insurance, pre-flight medical checks and even on-arrival health tests for fully-vaccinated foreign visitors. But that’s only the start.’ It cites new roads and the new airport that is under construction in Siem Reap as evidence that Cambodia could take some of Thailand’s – one of the major players in South East Asian tourism amongst both western and Asian markets – massive tourist market read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501061339/cambodia-to-be-new-thailand-for-tourism-claims-thai-media/

Pailin authorities launch large-scale crackdown on online tax evasion sites and arrested more than 80 foreigners. The authorities reported that the criminal police force cooperated with the immigration police force of Pailin Provincial Police to conduct the crackdowns. On April 19, the office of the Provincial Gendarmerie Headquarters conducted a search and targeted three businesses in Phsar Prom Cheung Village, Stung Kach Commune, Sala Krao District, Pailin. The businesses were accused of tax evasion and being illegal businesses. During the crackdown, the police arrested 87 people. Local media reported that the 87 people who came to stay illegally and were detained by the authorities, included 85 Thai men and one Lao woman. The illegal immigrants are currently being held in pretrial detention pending repatriation. During the crackdown, the coalition forces also confiscated a variety of illegal exhibits. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501060734/crackdowns-lead-to-arrest-more-than-80-foreign-nationals/

A British man’s Cambodian wife said in court on Wednesday that her previous testimony accusing him of molesting their 13-year-old niece had been given out of jealousy and she now wanted justice for him. Matthew William Watkin, an English teacher living in Siem Reap province, was convicted of sexual assault in 2020, and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. He was also fined about $1,000 and ordered to pay compensation of $2,500. During the initial trial, his wife Prin Sophea said she had seen him molesting their 13-year-old niece when she came home from work at 11 p.m. on March 18, 2020. However, during a Supreme Court appeal on Wednesday, Sophea testified that on the night of March 18, 2020, her niece and husband were both at home, but she hadn’t seen him sexually assaulting the niece. She was drunk and felt jealous, she said, adding that she could even feel jealousy about Watkin and his sister. read more https://vodenglish.news/wife-of-english-teacher-flips-testimony-about-sexual-assault/

A leader in a Malaysian political party estimated there are more than 300 of her country’s citizens still trapped inside online scam operations in Cambodia, as recently rescued Malaysian nationals began returning home. One victim spoke to VOD of the changing business models within the slave compounds after he had recently escaped from Sihanoukville: One operation had been expanding into English-language scams during his time there, while another pursued cryptocurrency-based gambling using bought, sold and entrapped workers, he alleged. Nicole Wong, chair of the youth division of the Malaysian Chinese Association, told VOD this week that her party has been responding to help requests since January, largely from family members who say their children are stuck in Cambodia. “One victim, who secretly contacted MCA, also revealed that about 50 people were being locked up in a building by the syndicate, and we were told that there were more similar buildings in that area, so we expected more were stranded there,” she said. Earlier this month, 16 Malaysian citizens were rescued by Cambodian authorities working with Malaysian authorities and international police, after Malaysia’s foreign minister and MCA raised concern about people being trafficked to work in Cambodia. read more https://vodenglish.news/after-malaysian-rescues-from-cambodia-politician-warns-more-people-trapped/

Political opponents and NGOs say that there is no guarantee for fair elections without concrete measures. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday that he would not stump for his party in local elections in June and urged authorities to remain neutral during the campaign, an appeal that did little to comfort the beleaguered opposition. After a spate of violence and harassment directed against aspiring candidates, however, critics and political opponents told RFA that Hun Sen must allow real challenges to candidates from his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in the nationwide elections. Hun Sen’s comments came during a ceremony for a flood prevention and improvement project in Phnom Penh. He said local officials must work to ensure the June 5 elections are free and fair. “If CPP wins the election, all people can live together. Now we have 17 parties participating in the election,” he said. “I won’t … campaign, but I want to stress that we please don’t allow any types of violence during the election process.” Earlier this month, the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, an electoral watchdog, criticized Hun Sen for appealing for votes while on official duty, a violation of the country’s election laws. A CPP spokesman said the prime minister was simply promoting his administration’s accomplishments. Cambodian authorities also barred 100 candidates from the emerging Candlelight Party from participating in the elections. The party, has been gaining steam despite a crackdown against it and other opposition parties. On Wednesday, Hun Sen said that all political parties should have equal rights during the election, including parties that oppose his government. “I appeal to all places, to allow people to participate in the election so they can vote for their candidates freely,” he said. Hun Sen has made similar statements in the past, but the situation for his political opponents continues to worsen, Thach Setha, vice president of the Candlelight Party, told RFA’s Khmer Service. “If he talks without taking any measures against the perpetrators [of violence], it can’t guarantee a good election environment free from intimidation and assault,” Thach Setha said, noting that many political activists remain in prison. “This needs to end to ensure that the election will be free and fair. Please stop using the court to issue warrants and summons” to political opponents, he said. On Monday, RFA reported that Seam Pluk, president of the National Heart Party, is in hiding after an arrest warrant for forgery of documents for June local elections was issued. Critics said his charges were trumped up amid a government crackdown on the opposition. Hun Sen’s appeal Wednesday for fair elections will be ineffective without concrete action, Kang Savang, a monitor with the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, told RFA. Several NGOs have asked the government to ensure a safe election environment, but the government has so far not acted on their request, Kang Savang said. “If there is only a message without an order toward the local authorities it is not enough,” he said. Opponents of the CPP have been targeted in a 5-year-old crackdown that has sent leaders of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) 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 CPP to win all 125 seats in Parliament in a July 2018 election. The June 5 election will decide who serves in a total of 11,622 seats in local districts known as communes across Cambodia. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/nonviolence-04202022174328.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The poverty rate of the Cambodian population has increased from 13.5 percent in 2014 to 17.8 percent in 2019 and 2020, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Planning. At the opening ceremony of the Workshop on Promoting the Implementation of the National Population Policy 2016-2030 at Siem Reap Provincial Hall yesterday, Toun Thavrak, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Planning, said that Cambodia’s poverty rate dropped significantly from 47 percent in 2007 to 22.9 percent in 2009 and fell to 13.5 percent in 2014, pushing the Kingdom to become a low-middle-income country in 2015. “However, according to the Socio-Economic Survey data from 2019-2020, the poverty rate increased to 17.8 percent, which was largely due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501060205/poverty-rate-increases-in-cambodia-due-to-covid-19/

Critics say Seam Pluk, president of the National Heart Party, has been politically targeted. The president of an unrecognized Cambodian political party who is on the run, facing an arrest warrant for forgery of documents for June local elections, is in a safe location, his lawyer told RFA Tuesday. Critics said his charges were trumped up amid a government crackdown on the opposition. Seam Pluk, president of the National Heart Party, is in hiding in an undisclosed place, his lawyer Sam Sok Kong told RFA’s Khmer Service. His flight was revealed Monday, the same day a prominent activist fled to safety after receiving a death threat for joining street protests. Sam Sok Kong said his client is willing to appear before the court but fled because he didn’t have time to prepare for a hearing by April 25. He is waiting for the warrant to expire and the court to issue a new one. “He is planning to consult with lawyers about his legal issues and he is seeking to testify before the court. When he has a date, he will make it public so we can clarify before the court against the charge,” Sam Sok Kong said. Phnom Penh Municipal Court Investigative Judge Li Sokha on April 4 ordered police to bring Seam Pluk in for questioning over allegations of the use of fraudulent documents to register his party for local elections. If he is convicted, he could face up to three years in jail. RFA was not able to reach Seam Pluk for comment but previously he said the court’s warrant is political intimidation against non-ruling party politicians and has nothing to do with enforcing the law. Soeung Sengkaruna of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc) said Seam Pluk was targeted for political reasons, the latest in a series of such cases. “The court is being criticized for lacking independence over politically motivated cases. It is rare that politicians and conscience activists are spared. They are charged and convicted,” he told RFA. Thach Setha, the spokesperson of a small party called the Candlelight Party, told said Seam Pluk was targeted because of his previous support for Candlelight, which has recently been gaining steam. Its leaders believe it could challenge Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party in the upcoming elections. After the Ministry of Interior banned Seam Pluk’s party, Thach Setha urged all its members to join the Candlelight Party. “Since he supported [the Candlelight Party] he was charged. This case is politically motivated more than being about the law,” Thach Setha told RFA. RFA reported Monday that Seam Pluk joined the Candlelight party after the Ministry of the Interior refused to recognize the Cambodian National Heart party but Thanch Setha said Seam Pluk never joined. 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. All opponents of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have been targeted in a five-year-old crackdown that has sent CNRP leaders and landed scores of supporters in prison. Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 in a move that allowed the CPP to win all 125 seats in Parliament in a July 2018 election. Sam Rainsy, 72, has lived in exile in France since 2015 and was sentenced in absentia last year to 25 years for what supporters say was a politically motivated charge of attempting to overthrow the government. CPP spokesman Sok Ey San told RFA recently that Seam Pluk received thousands of dollars from Sam Rainsy, but Seam Pluk has denied the allegation. Translate by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/seam-pluk-04192022182501.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Anger erupted in an Oddar Meanchey village as three youths aged 15 to 18 were arrested for allegedly raping and murdering a 17-year-old girl during the night after a New Year village dance party, police said. The girl’s body was found in a local stream in Samraong city’s O’Smach commune Saturday. Samraong city police chief Ham Phirum said the three youths had confessed to police, but when they were taken to the scene of the alleged crime to explain their actions, a mob formed. “Regarding the brutal and cruel act, people and family were very angry with them and wanted to use the power of the people,” Phirum said. “On behalf of the authorities, we prepared a force and explained to make them understand that in the Kingdom of Cambodia there is no death penalty.” read more https://vodenglish.news/three-youths-arrested-for-new-year-rape-and-murder/

Earlier this month, two NGO workers based out of Phnom Penh shattered the existing record for the fastest ascent up Phnom Aural from the established trailhead. Jacob Sims (United States) and Julien Brewster (Australia) conquered the trail which ascends from the trailhead at 225-m to a staggering 1,813-m over 10 steep kilometres in a verified elapsed time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 36 seconds – breaking the previous record by more than an hour. The old record was set in 2020 by another duo of foreigners, David Minetti and Fred Zalokar. Minetti is a former French Special Forces soldier and adventure tourism entrepreneur (C4 Adventures). The late Zalokar was a renowned American trail runner who had set speed and first ascent records on peaks around the world. Zalokar was most famous for being the first person to win the Master’s age group at all five of the world’s marathon ‘majors.’ Jean-Benoît Lasselin, also of C4, validated the duo’s record on February 17, 2020. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059603/american-australian-expats-break-phnom-aural-ascent-record/

Until 2020, 290 mosquito species equal to 20 genera have been recorded in Cambodia, in which 49 species are newly listed and 43 species are identified as vectors of pathogens (Maquart et al., 2020), said the Ministry of Environment on April 18. According to the source, Mosquito is an insect group with wings that elongated mouthparts are used to bite and suck (Khmer Dictionary 1967). Normally, female mosquitoes feed on blood of people and animals for existence and reproduction while the male ones eat only nectar. Mosquitoes are insects classified in the family Culicidae and more than 3,600 species of small flies currently are recorded in the world. Based on the medical studies, more than 17 percent of total communicable diseases are caused by insects and kill approximately 1,000,000 people annually and the pathogen-caused insects are introduced to everywhere in the world by means of such human activities as transportation, tourism etc. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059855/290-mosquito-species-recorded-in-cambodia/

In recent years, Phnom Penh has seen unprecedented development – with hundreds of high rise buildings now dominating the skyscape – a marked change from only 10 years ago. Our photographer, Sony Tep, has assembled a portfolio of the ever-growing and ever-changing capital of Cambodia. check pictures https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059975/in-pictures-phnom-penhs-ever-changing-skyline/

Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced a Thai woman and Chinese man to 27 and 5 years in prison respectively in connection with possession and trafficking more than two kilogrammes of the illegal drugs and ecstasy in 2020, in the capital. The court also sentenced in absentia two other Chinese men, who are at large, to 30 years in prison each and issued warrants for their arrest. Presiding Judge Theam Chanpiseth said yesterday that the three accused Chinese were identified as Yi Yu Zhou, 25, who was arrested and now detained in prison, and Pao Jiun, 33, and <deleted> Ming, 34, who are both still on the run. Judge Chanpiseth said the woman was identified as Ketsai Yavaluk, 27, a Thai tourist. “The Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Ketsai Yavaluk to 27 years in prison and ordered her to pay 80 million riel (about $20,000),” Judge Chanpiseth said after the verdict was given. “The Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Yi Yu Zhou to 5 years in prison and ordered him to pay 8 million riel (about $2,000),” he said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501060141/two-sent-to-prison-2-on-the-run-after-drug-bust/

Although the number of national tourists was high during the Khmer New Year holidays, the number of foreign tourists was small this year, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Tourism. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, said that during the Khmer New Year holidays from April 14-17, 2022, the total number of tourists in the country was 5,175,754 people. This includes 5,140,495 domestic travellers and 35,259 foreign tourists. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059260/number-of-domestic-tourists-rises/

Water hyacinths, a type of invasive weed, grow abundantly in tropics and subtropics. With long stems and beautiful flowers, these are one of the fastest-growing plants. Water hyacinth doubles within 15 days and provides a favourable environment for snails and mosquitoes. It reduces the amount of oxygen in the water, which puts a burden on aquatic organisms. The quality of water is also affected by the spread of hyacinths. There are several groups and organisations involved in removing this threatening species, found in all continents except Antarctica, from water bodies. Dr Kit Magellan, an invasion ecologist based in Cambodia, told Business Insider, “The plant is transferred all over the world because it’s beautiful. If an industry is using this species, the amount of it will be reduced.” To tackle the problem, local bag makers in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand use the plant to make high quality, sustainable and fashionable bags as well as accessories to support their community. This helps in removing as well as converting the weed into an essential commodity. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059503/invasive-weed-turned-into-beautiful-bags-by-cambodian-women/

Cambodian and Thai authorities have conducted training in skills to intervene and rescue Thai workers who have been deceived into working in online casinos in Preah Sihanouk province. Thai authorities have increasingly sought cooperation with Cambodian counterparts as more and more Thai workers are tricked into working in online casinos. National Police spokesman Lieutenant General Chhay Kim Khoeun said yesterday that “we have cooperated with Thai counterparts to conduct training on how to urgently intervene and rescue any workers who were cheated and forced to work in online casinos.” “A second round of training was conducted last month and there is a plan for further training in the near future, but we haven’t set a date,” said Lt Gen Kim Khoeun. Meanwhile, Interior Ministry’s Cybercrime Department Director Lieutenant General Dy Vichea said, “We are ready to have further cooperation with Thai police to conduct urgent intervention for any Thais caught up in online casino scams.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059427/cambodia-thailand-rescue-thai-workers-conned-into-working-in-sihanoukville/ https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059646/scam-syndicates-believed-to-still-hold-more-than-1500-thais-against-their-will-in-the-sihanoukville/

Millions traveled around the country this New Year holiday as provincial officials and hospitality workers spoke of being surprised by larger-than-expected crowds returning for the first time in three years. Official Tourism Ministry statistics recorded 5.2 million local and foreign tourists just from Wednesday through Saturday. Battambang had the highest visitor count at over 653,000, trailed by Kampong Cham’s 541,000 and Siem Reap’s 455,000. At the Grand Bayon Siem Reap Hotel, receptionist Srey Leav said the hotel was flooded by guests — to the point that the electrical system was pressured in a way it hadn’t been since Covid-19. “There were so many guests,” Leav said, adding that most visitors had been from Phnom Penh. “There seemed to be a disturbance to some electronic devices.” The city prepared major Sangkran celebrations to be held over five days, including concerts, dance performances, boat rides and markets. On the city’s streets, residents and visitors were seen spraying water at each other amid the festivities. Meng Kunthy, whose family owns the Bayon Modern Residence hotel, said the holiday period was the busiest since Covid-19 crippled the industry. read more https://vodenglish.news/we-missed-celebrating-it-new-year-crowds-exceed-expectations/

Pressure from Hun Sen’s government is rising ahead of local elections in June. A prominent Cambodian activist fled to safety after receiving a death threat allegedly for joining street protests, while a member of a political party challenging Prime Minister Hun Sun’s government is also on the run after a court ordered him to appear on what he says are false charges. Five years after strongman Hun Sen launched a crackdown against the political opposition and civil society, the country of nearly 17 million people that he has ruled since 1985 will hold local elections on June 5, followed by a parliamentary vote next year. Opposition politicians, including those from the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) that was banned during the 2017 crackdown, have faced harassment when trying to organize for the June elections. Sat Pha, a CNRP supporter, said she believes a handwritten threat that authorities from Hun Sen’s one-party government posted the note on the door of her home. The threat said, “You, contemptible, don’t be bold or you will be disappeared.” Sat Pha said she has been on the run since April 16, fearing that she will meet the same fate as other opposition activists in Cambodia. “[They] could put me in jail or make me disappeared or make me crippled for my whole life,” Sat Pha told RFA from an undisclosed location. “I see this dictatorial regime is good at beating people, killing people and throwing people in prison.” She herself was released from prison six months ago after serving a year in detention for inciting social unrest during a peaceful protest in front of Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh. Prior to her imprisonment and following her release, Sat Pha participated in protests staged by fellow activist Theary Seng, a Cambodian American lawyer who is on trial in Phnom Penh for treason and incitement, and with relatives of political prisoners. In a video clip apparently recorded in a jungle in neighboring Thailand and posted on Theary Seng’s Facebook page, Sat Pha said she left Cambodia under pressure from the government. “They posted a life threatening message at my house after I arrived home from the Khmer New Year holiday,” she says in the video. “I beg for national and international help to find justice for me.” Sat Pha also appealed to NGOs and the United Nations to help her remain safely in Thailand as a political refugee. Speaking to RFA on Monday, Theary Seng called the threat against Sat Pha “a cowardly move by this dictatorial regime,” aimed at tamping down her protests that have tried to draw attention to the crackdown. “She has received many threats in the past, but she has refused to give up her [street] protests. But this time I told her that her life is more important than joining protests with me. They have threatened her because she dares to join protests and do advocacy work with me.” Sok Isan, spokesman of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), told RFA that party authorities did not threaten Sat Pha and accused her and other activists of fabricating stories about political persecution to try to obtain asylum through the United Nations. “It is a made-up show to invent a political incident, so she can claim political rights,” he said. “It has happened in the past. In Phnom Penh, the authorities are everywhere, so they would see it if someone posted such a message.” Cambodian activist Sat Pha (C) takes a nap in a jungle in Thailand where she is hiding out after being threatened in Cambodia, April 18, 2017. Credit: Theary Seng/Facebook Fraud and forgery charges Siam Pluk, a former opposition Candlelight Party member and president of the unregistered Cambodia National Heart Party, also fled to safety after the Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued an order for him to be apprehended for allegedly forging a document of party supporters, Theary Seng said. Seng Theary said that the Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued an arrest warrant for Siam Phluk because he did not remain silent after the Ministry of the Interior refused to register his political party. Ly Sokha, an investigating judge of the court, on April 4 ordered authorities to bring in Siam Phluk for questioning before April 25 in connection with allegations of fraud and the use of forged documents to form his party in 2021. The offense carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. After the ministry refused to recognize the new political party, Siam Phluk joined the Candlelight Party, which at one time was part of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) that opposed Hun Sen’s government. Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP and banned 118 of its elected officials from politics two months later for the party’s alleged role in a plot to overthrow the government. The moves were part of a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs and the independent media that paved the way for his CPP to win all 125 seats in Parliament in the country’s July 2018 general election. Soeung Sen Karuna, spokesman for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), said political persecution has prompted opposition activists to flee to safety to Thailand, Malaysia and other countries, especially after the dissolution of the CNRP. “Peaceful protests are the rights and freedoms of the people guaranteed by the constitution, so the authorities must not restrict the rights of citizens,” he told RFA. Siam Phluk also provided support to striking workers of the NagaWorld Casino in Phnom Penh, who demonstrated near the casino to demand that it reinstate laid-off workers and recognize their union, Seng Theary said. “Siam Phluk joined me to deliver drinking water to NagaWorld strikers a few times,” she said. “He stood in protest in front of the court each time I had a court hearing, and the authorities took pictures of him.” RFA could not reach Siam Phluk for comment. In an interview with Radio France International his attorney, Sam Sokong, denied that his client had falsified fingerprints as alleged by the Ministry of the Interior. He also said that the order the Phnom Penh court issued for Siam Phluk’s arrest includes erroneous information. Siam Phluk may still appear in the court on April 25 as judicial officials have ordered, Sam Sokong said. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/political-activists-04182022181736.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has warned the main opposition Candlelight Party (CP) will face problems after its founder, former opposition leader Sam Rainsy has announced his return to the country if the CP wins a landslide victory in the upcoming Commune Election. The CPP’s reaction came on Sunday as Rainsy, who currently lives in exile in France, has recently announced his return to the country after June 5 Commune Election. Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy. Khmer Times He predicted that the CP would defeat the CPP in a sub-national election. CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said Sunday that Rainsy’s announced return to the country after the commune election showed he has had an “indisputable connection” with the CP. “The life of the Candlelight Party depends on how much illegal rebel convict (Rainsy) is involved, which is prohibited by the law,” he said, noting that Rainsy’s announced return was just a “political campaign” for the CP ahead of the election. Rainsy claimed that if the CP sweeps the majority of the commune council seats, a favorable political situation in the country will pave the way for his return. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059090/cpp-warns-candlelight-party-of-being-linked-with-rainsy/

Cambodia’s three-day traditional New Year, came to an end with 4.59 million people traveling to various tourist attractions, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said on Sunday. Khon said that of the total, there were 28,849 foreign tourists. “All tourist destinations had been opened and attracted crowds of tourists,” he said in a report. “The number of tourists during the three-day New Year holiday this year is almost comparable to the pre-COVID-19 new year celebration in 2019, when 4.72 million tourists were recorded. Security, safety and public order had been ensured during the holiday, he said, adding that the cultural province of Siem Reap, the capital city Phnom Penh, and the coastal provinces of Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, and Kep were among the kingdom’s most popular tourist destinations. “Confidence in the effectiveness of vaccines has allowed our people to travel to all tourist attractions across the country during the New Year holiday,” Khon said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059098/almost-a-third-of-cambodias-population-crisscross-nation-during-traditional-new-year-holiday/

Forty-seven years ago today, the Khmer Rouge took over Phnom Penh and forcibly evacuated city dwellers to the countryside, causing immense suffering to the people. People believed that the fall of the Khmer Republic would bring them peace and prosperity. City dwellers came out to welcome the arrival of the Khmer Rouge soldiers, dressed in black suits, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and grenades. But hope was dashed as they were forced to work in labor camps and starved. The Khmer Rouge soldiers were in black suits, mostly teenagers aged between 16 and 17, and they did not smile. The soldiers announced that the people would leave the city in two or three days without having to carry many supplies, as they could return in two or three days. Rong Ren, 61, who lived in Meanchey district in 1975, recalled that April 17, 1975, was the bitterest ordeal his family experienced and that people were ordered to leave the city and those who could not walk were shot dead on the streets by the Khmer Rouge soldiers. Ren said that his four siblings were separated while moving to Kampot province. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501059031/cambodia-remembers-the-fall-of-phnom-penh-to-the-khmer-rouge/