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Author: David Hutt, Central European Institute of Asian Studies At a mass rally on 1 July 2023, with campaigning underway for Cambodia’s upcoming general election, Prime Minister Hun Sen symbolically handed over the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) flag to his eldest son — Hun Manet — who is expected to soon succeed him as premier. General Hun Manet, son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen holds a party flag as he attends a kickoff of an election campaign rally for the upcoming national election in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 1 July 2023 (Photo: Reuters/Cindy Liu). While Norodom Sihanouk is remembered as Cambodia’s ‘King Father’, Hun Sen will presumably want to go down as something akin to the ‘Prime Minister Father’. As Hun Sen’s myth-making goes, he was the person who finally brought peace and stability to Cambodia, ending the country’s three-decade civil war in the 1990s. And he brought a measure of prosperity to Cambodia — a famine state when he took over. Cambodia’s GDP per capita rose from US$247 in 1993 to US$1625 in 2021. He has also defended Cambodian sovereignty. The degree to which Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985, is solely responsible for these developments is debatable. But Cambodia has irrevocably changed for the better during his tenure. read more https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2023/07/16/cambodia-transits-from-strongman-hun-sen-to-strongson-hun-manet/

A senior official of National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) yesterday made a clarification that Chinese people who visit the country will be able to make electronic payments in riel, “not yuan”, by scanning the KHQR code with the QR codes of UnionPay, WeChat and AliPay – which is most likely to come into effect by next year. Amid misreporting on the MoUs signed last week, the official during a press meet at SOSORO—Cambodia’s Museum of Economy and Finance—in Daun Penh district of Phnom Penh, attended by over 50 participants including central banking officials and journalists, the official broke down the core objectives of MoU in simpler terms. Citing an example, Deputy Governor of NBC Chea Serey said, “For instance Mr Ming, who is in Cambodia and enjoyed soup noodles that cost 10,000 riel, he can use the QR code of UnionPay in his mobile phone to scan KHQR code to pay 10,000 riel”, adding, “the noodle shop will not receive yuan, but riel into its bank account.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501325074/e-payments-will-be-in-riel-not-yuan-in-cambodia/

Cambodia received the most foreign tourists in June 2023 from Thailand, Vietnam, and China, according to the Tourism Statistics Report in June 2023 from the Ministry of Tourism. “The top ten foreign tourist arrivals in Cambodia are from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Lao PDR, US, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, and Russia,” Top Sopheak, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Tourism, told Khmer Times. Cambodia received 144,284 travellers from Thailand in the first six months of this year, up 121 percent from 65,545 tourists for the same period in 2022. Around 85,822 tourists from Vietnam visited Cambodia till June this year, up 134.4 percent from 36,611 travellers for the same month in the previous year. The number of tourists from China surged 387.8 percent to 40,383, from 8,279 travellers. Some places that attracted the most tourists last month were Phnom Penh, Siem Reap Angkor, Costal zone, Preah Sihanouk, Eco-tourism zone, etc. The capital welcomed 115,006 foreign visitors in June 2023, up 43.8 percent from 79,982 travelers for the same month last year. Similarly, Phnom Penh received 144,767 domestic tourists, up 143.6 percent from 59,434 visitors for the same period in 2022. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501325128/kingdoms-top-tourist-arrivals-from-thailand-vietnam-china-in-june/

A mother was killed by lightning in Sambo district, Kratie province, while her son was injured and is being treated at the Sambo District Referral Hospital. The incident happened on the evening of June 13. Sambo District Governor Kong Metta confirmed that the lightning strike killed the mother, Dim Kunthea, 36, and her son Tol Keo, 12 suffered minor injuries. He said that before the incident, the two victims, the mother and child went to feed the cows in the field behind the house about 500 meters, then there was heavy rain mixed with wind and lightning. While feeding her cows, unfortunately she was struck by lightning, killing her and her son was injured. The working group visited the family affected by the lightning in the afternoon under the direction of the District Governor and the Honorary Chairman of the District CRC Sub-Branch. They brought food donations and a total of 800,000 Riels from the District Red Cross Sub-Branch and philanthropists. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501324612/lightning-strike-kills-mother-injures-son-in-kraties-sambo-district/

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — Since Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen deleted his Facebook account in late June, where he had 14 million followers. the ruling Cambodian People’s Party has put pressure on students and loyalists alike to improve his follower count on platforms such as Telegram and TikTok, but neither a mass following nor a migration off Cambodian Facebook has materialized. Hun Sen deleted his account June 29, hours after Meta Platforms Inc.’s oversight board — which issues binding content moderation decisions for Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram — announced he had incited violence on the platform and recommended a six-month suspension. Since then, Hun Sen has moved his primary communications to Telegram, posting hundreds of daily updates to about 975,000 followers, compared to 850,000 in late June. His new TikTok account has meanwhile gained about 244,000 followers, and this month also reactivated Twitter for the first time in more than a year. He has yet to reach the 1 million Telegram followers his office stated as a goal before the July 23 election, even with a quiet government push underway to draw more eyes to his accounts. In mid-July, more than 15 employees from the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry visited individual classrooms at a Phnom Penh university with printed copies of QR codes for the prime minister’s accounts, according to a student who asked to remain anonymous and shared photos of the visit with VOA. School administrators meanwhile have been regularly reporting the number of students following the accounts in classroom group chats, messages shared with VOA show. A ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. “I think it’s really a big deal,” the student said. “They shouldn’t be doing this kind of stuff. But there’s nothing we can do. It’s the whole system.” Hun Sen himself, various ministries and even local tycoons have called on citizens and local authorities to follow the accounts in recent weeks. At least two ministries have released public statements asking employees in their sectors to do so, while pro-government media has continued boosting the handles. Pressuring people to follow officials online interferes with their ability to choose how they receive information, Chak Sopheap, executive director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights told VOA Wednesday. ((712)) “Citizens should be able to freely decide the kind of content and information they want to access and disseminate, and the accounts they want to interact with, particularly those of public figures,” Sopheap said. Social media, she added, “cannot be used as an excuse to interfere with this fundamental freedom or to put pressure on rights-holders to force them to act in certain ways.” Still, Hun Sen’s push toward other platforms has not deterred other arms of the government from using Facebook. Ministries covering information, justice, education, and public works sectors, among others, have been posting as usual. One prominent tycoon, music producer and real estate developer Leng Navatra, who initially promised to leave the site along with Hun Sen later changed his mind; other prolific posters such as Information Minister Khieu Kanharith have also kept up their Facebook habits. Meas Sophorn, the Information Ministry spokesperson, told VOA that although the prime minister had left the site, it was still valuable for ministries, citizens and other figures to share information and that the ministry did not plan to stop using it. “However, the ministry will continue considering which social media platforms are relevant and popular to use ... and consider using that platform to share information to citizens to be more widely updated,” Sophorn added. Hun Sen has long attracted scrutiny for his social media followings. In 2016, shortly after joining Facebook, The Phnom Penh Post reported more than half his page’s likes originated from abroad, which experts raised "questions about their legitimacy.” Over the years, he amassed 14 million Facebook followers. Cambodia’s population is about 17 million. That reach is part of what pushed the Oversight Board to recommend his suspension, arguing that his strong online influence — amid a lack of independent media — gave his violent rhetoric more weight. On Telegram, follower bots are available for purchase online, although the platform regularly removes them. Despite Hun Sen having fewer followers so far, Telegram could ultimately afford him more impunity, said Wai Phyo Myint, an Asia Pacific policy analyst and Myanmar expert at digital rights group Access Now. After the Myanmar junta was banned from Facebook shortly after the 2021 coup, it shifted operations largely to Telegram, where abuse, disinformation and doxxing – targeting someone by releasing personal information without their permission – have proliferated, prompting United Nations experts to call on the platform to “fundamentally” change its approach. “We don’t really see any kind of policy changes from Telegram’s side, or any positive engagement, either with us or any other civil society groups in Myanmar,” Wai Phyo Myint told VOA. “It would be the same in Cambodia as well. … What we’ve been seeing is zero content moderation.” Hun Sen has mainly used Telegram to forward hundreds of photo albums from the campaign trail and post the occasional voice note. However, warnings have also surfaced: late Thursday, he wrote a message in response to a voice note from an opposition party member. “If you’re against the law, then the prison will welcome you anytime,” Hun Sen said. https://www.voanews.com/a/ruling-cambodian-party-trying-to-boost-hun-sen-s-numbers-on-tiktok-telegram-/7182042.html

Ly Ry and Bun Kheit of the opposition Candlelight Party have been accused of ‘inciting people to destroy ballots’ Scores of opposition politicians have been convicted and jailed during Prime Minister Hun Sen’s time in power Two Cambodian opposition party members have been arrested for allegedly inciting voters to spoil ballots, officials said on Saturday, ahead of a national vote in which long-serving leader Hun Sen is effectively running unopposed. Ly Ry and Bun Kheit of the opposition Candlelight Party were arrested on Friday for “inciting people to destroy ballots”, interior ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said. Authorities did not provide details on the allegations against the pair, but the spokesman said authorities had “enough evidence” against them. The kingdom votes in a general election on July 23 with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party running almost unopposed after the Candlelight Party, its main challenger, was barred from contesting on a technicality. read more https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3227830/cambodia-arrests-two-opposition-members-over-ballot-protest-ahead-national-election

The long-time leader seems to gloat over a Thai politician’s defeat in an initial parliamentary vote. Prime Minister Hun Sen has removed a Twitter post that attempted to connect the Cambodian opposition to a Thai politician’s failure this week to win enough parliamentary votes to become the country’s next prime minister. Pita Limjaroenrat and his Move Forward Party fell short of the 375 votes needed to clinch power in an initial round of voting on Thursday. Hun Sen tweeted that Pita’s setback was also “a major failure” to Cambodia’s exiled opposition activists. He was most likely referring to Sam Rainsy, the former head of the now-disbanded opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party who fled to France in 2015. “These traitors always expected that when Pita becomes the prime minister of Thailand, they would use Thai territory to do a campaign against the Royal Government of Cambodia,” Hun Sen wrote in the tweet. “Now the expectations of the brute opposition group have vanished like salt in water,” he said. In May, Sam Rainsy told Radio Free Asia that if a new pro-democracy Thai government is formed, he would look into traveling to Cambodia through neighboring Thailand. Thailand’s progressive Move Forward Party was the top vote getter in the May 14 general election. It heads a pro-democracy coalition trying to unseat an administration with deep military ties that has ruled Thailand for almost a decade. Hun Sen has asked Thailand to arrest Sam Rainsy if he travels there. Last month, he publicly threatened to attack Sam Rainsy with a rocket launcher if he led workers from Thailand into Cambodia. “Do not do politics that depend on somebody else,” the prime minister wrote in Thursday’s deleted tweet. “This is my goodwill message for the extremist groups.” Move Forward Party leader and Thailand prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat speaks to the media in Thai Parliament after the parliamentary vote for the premiership in Bangkok on July 13, 2023. Credit: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP Online reaction After it drew angry online comments, Hun Sen removed the post from Twitter. “Absolutely ludicrous,” wrote Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director. Thai journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk tweeted that the 70-year-old Hun Sen is “a political dinosaur comfortable in the company of dictators.” “When he looks at Pita, he sees the [political] liberalization & reform he fears might some day come to Cambodia,” he wrote. Hun Sen posted another message on both Twitter and Telegram on Friday, writing that he doesn’t oppose Pita’s candidacy for prime minister. “I respect the decision of the Thai people and I will not interfere in the internal affairs of Thailand,” he wrote. “I am ready to work with Thailand’s leader, regardless of who or which party.” He added that Cambodian opposition activists should stop using Pita’s name – “who does not know he is being used” – to oppose the Cambodian government. Finland-based political commentator Kim Sok said the first message made it seem like Hun Sen doesn’t understand diplomacy and politics, even though he served as Cambodia’s foreign minister during the 1980s. “Normally, a leader of a country uses good words and avoids bad words to other countries’ politicians, especially those who win the election,” he said in an interview with Radio Free Asia on Friday. Translated by Chandara Yang. Edited by Matt Reed. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/hun-sen-thailand-election-07142023163923.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Cambodian premier Hun Sen has taken advantage of the unsuccessful attempt by Pita Limjaroenrat to secure a victory in Thailand’s prime ministerial election as an opportunity to criticise his local opposition. However, Hun steadfastly denies any interference in Thailand’s politics, expressing his openness to collaborating with Pita and his Move Forward Party (MFP) should they manage to establish the subsequent Thai government. This statement follows a recent occurrence when the Cambodian leader erroneously asserted that MFP was planning to repatriate migrant workers to surrounding countries. Hun expressed in a Tweet yesterday evening… “I declare today that Pita’s failure to get enough votes to be Thai prime minister is a major failure of the brute opposition in Cambodia.” He continued… “This does not mean that I am interfering in Thailand’s internal affairs. My point is that in the past, these traitors always expected that when Pita becomes the prime minister of Thailand, they would use Thai territory to campaign against the Royal Government of Cambodia.” read more https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/politics/cambodian-premiers-willingness-to-work-with-thai-opposition-despite-criticism

The poverty rate in Cambodia had declined to 16.6 percent in 2022 from 36.7 percent in 2014, according to a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report on Thursday. “The number of poor people was halved from 5.6 million to 2.8 million,” the report said. “One in five Cambodians moved out of poverty in just 7.5 years.” Of the 25 subnational regions, 17 had significant reductions in global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) value and incidence of poverty, the report said, adding that the poorest subnational regions, Kratie, and Preah Vihear and Stung Treng provinces, significantly reduced their global MPI value and incidence of poverty the fastest. Incidence of poverty fell from 64.3 percent to 34.6 percent in Preah Vihear and Stung Treng, the report said. Cambodia has a population of about 17 million people. According to the World Bank, the national poverty line in the Southeast Asian nation is 10,951 riel or 2.7 U.S. dollars per person per day. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said last month that the kingdom is projected to graduate from the least developed country status by 2027. “I’m very confident that Cambodia will graduate from least developed country status by 2027 at the latest and will achieve our goal of becoming an upper-middle income country in 2030,” he said in a public speech. Xinhua https://english.news.cn/20230713/68dbfdf21046479e9f57a51cf73e6b88/c.html

The readers of Travel + Leisure, one of the oldest international travel magazine, has voted Cambodia’s Rosewood Phnom Penh the Best City Hotel in Asia. The news was announced by Rosewood Phnom Penh’s Managing Director Daniel Simon who described the recognition as a “great achievement” in a press conference on Wednesday. According to a statement released by Travel + Leisure, the candidate for the award category includes hotels “from Singapore to Bangkok, Kyoto to Mumbai”, and they were rated based on four criteria namely rooms/facilities, location, service, food and value. One voter described Rosewood Phnom Penh as “a beautiful hotel in the heart of the city, with stunning views, especially at nighttime. The rooms are spacious and luxurious. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the service was all-around excellent.” Another described it as “One of the best hotels I’ve ever experienced”. While Rosewood Phnom Penh is the only hotel on the magazine’s “Travel + Leisure Readers’ 15 Favourite City Hotels in Asia of 2023”, being at the top with a Reader Score of 98.63 means the Phnom Penh hotel has beaten many prestigious city hotels in the region, including the three branches of Capella hotel in Singapore, Hanoi and Bangkok as well as the Four Season Hotel in Japan’s Kyoto and Taj Lands End in India. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501323880/rosewood-phnom-penh-voted-best-city-hotel-in-asia-2/

A U.N. working group said she’s been wrongfully detained for her criticism of Hun Sen. Renewed calls from the U.S. State Department and a U.N. working group for the release of Cambodian-American lawyer Theary Seng are a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty, the spokesman for the country’s ruling party said on Thursday. “Our court jurisdiction is under the laws of Cambodia as an independent and sovereign state,” said Sok Ey San, spokesman for the Cambodian People’s Party. “The court convicts [any person] based on the laws and the facts. She caused chaos in Cambodia for being a holder of foreign nation’s passport. She stirred chaos in Cambodian society.” In June 2022, Theary Seng was sentenced to six years in prison on treason charges, prompting condemnation from rights groups and the U.S. government. Her conviction was “a direct result of her exercise of her right to freedom of expression, which is protected under international law,” a U.N. working group of independent human rights experts said in a report released on Wednesday. “Her detention resulted from her long-term, high-profile criticism of the prime minister and her pro-democracy activism,” the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said in the 17-page opinion. State Department comments Asked about the working group’s report, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States continues to condemn the conviction and sentence of Theary Seng, who holds dual Cambodian and U.S. citizenship. When pressed by a reporter, Miller said the department still hasn’t determined whether she is “wrongfully detained” – a designation that could involve the department’s Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. “With respect to this case, there is no higher … pressure we can bring to bear than the secretary of state himself personally raising a case with his counterparts,” Miller said at Wednesday’s daily briefing. In August 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Prime Minister Hun Sen to free Theary Seng and other activists during a visit to Phnom Penh. Other U.S. officials, including Under Secretary of State Uzra Zeya, USAID Administrator Samatha Power and Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy, have also called for her immediate and unconditional release. Theary Seng was sentenced along with 50 other activists for their association with the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, once the main opposition in the country before it was dissolved by the Supreme Court in 2017. The specific charges stemmed from abortive efforts in 2019 to bring about the return to Cambodia of opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who has been in exile in France since 2015. Theary Seng and the other defendants denied the charges. Foreign intervention fears Last month, Hun Sen said he wouldn’t pardon Theary Seng or opposition party leader Kem Sokha, who was sentenced in March on treason charges widely condemned as politically motivated. Hun Sen said the decision was necessary in light of recent foreign intervention in Cambodia. He added that even though Theary Seng has dual citizenship, her case applies only to Cambodian law. In recent months, the prime minister has frequently invoked the specter of national security threats at public appearances ahead of the July 23 parliamentary elections, which he has framed as a referendum on who can best maintain Cambodia’s sovereignty. “From now on, those who seek foreign intervention will stay in prison,” he said last month. “We don’t release you. Don’t include them in prisoners who will be pardoned or have a reduced prison term. We are stopping foreign intervention in Cambodia.” Theary Seng’s case was submitted to the U.N. working group by the Perseus Strategies, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and Freedom House organizations, which represent her pro bono. “Theary Seng’s case is emblematic of the many people jailed in Cambodia for exposing human rights abuses, advocating for free expression, and calling for free and fair elections,” said Margaux Ewen, director of Freedom House’s political prisoner’s initiative. “The Working Group’s judgment comes at a critical time. As democracy and internet freedom are under threat globally and in Cambodia, we need the international community’s support of brave individuals like Theary Seng – and the rights for which they fight.” Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/un-working-group-theary-seng-07132023161617.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Cambodia's authoritarian prime minister and his party face little opposition in the upcoming general election. Access to free media in the country remains restricted. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is going into the general election later this month virtually unopposed, after banning the nation's main opposition party and clamping down on independent media outlets. Hun Sen has ruled the Southeast Asian country for nearly four decades and is looking to maintain his grip on power. He is seeking another five-year term for himself and the ruling Cambodia People's Party (CPP), which holds all 125 seats in the National Assembly. Critics say Hun Sen has eliminated any real opposition to ensure that no one challenges his rule. The upcoming election set for July 23 harkens back to Cambodia's much-criticized 2018 vote, during which the now defunct opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) was banned from running. read more https://www.dw.com/en/cambodia-hun-sen-holds-control-of-media-ahead-of-election/a-66203311

The Cambodian People’s Party created its Cyber War Room about a decade ago. The goal was to support Prime Minister Hun Sen’s regime through social media propagandizing. Led by the prime minister’s son Hun Manet, a troll army used Facebook and other digital platforms to attack his father’s opposition with disinformation and even allegedly wield death threats. Fast forward to the Cambodian election taking place this month. The C.P.P.’s Cyber War Room is back up and running. General Manet, commander of the Cambodian Army and most likely the country’s next prime minister, is reportedly back at the helm, this time defending his father’s legacy and himself. Facebook is extremely popular in Cambodia, with roughly 12 million of the country’s almost 17 million people on the site. Many people in Cambodia use Facebook as a core means of getting information, and social media platforms are critical for the few journalists still producing independent reporting. The populations of many other countries where governments have continually used social media for manipulation, including the Philippines and Turkey, rely heavily on Facebook as well. read more https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/11/opinion/cambodia-elections-hun-sen-hun-manet-facebook.html

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng on Sunday ordered all provincial authorities, especially immigration police officers posted at border crossings to stop asking for extra fees from Cambodian workers and business people to receive border permission stamps. The order applies to all international border checkpoints with neighbouring countries, especially at the Poipet border with Thailand. Kheng also warned immigration police officers who violate his orders will be punished or fired from their jobs. He said that if border officers take fees from Cambodian workers and traders, some of whom cross the border daily to work at nearby markets in Thailand, then their livelihoods will suffer because they are forced to spend money unnecessarily for their travel. Kheng noted that informal fees taken from workers or other people crossing the border does not impact the state budget. The malfeasance of the officers is reproachable especially because they pocket the fees of those crossing the border. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/1321908/stop-seeking-extra-fees-for-border-stamps-says-kheng/

Cambodia says the base, built with Chinese money, won’t be a permanent home to foreign forces. Recent images obtained by Radio Free Asia from the Earth imaging company Planet Labs show significant developments at the project that began just two years ago. Compared to December last year, the base now has “several sets of sizable buildings including, possibly, administrative offices and barracks” at the center, according to Tom Shugart, Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security, who first spotted the developments. In only six months, an area of reclaimed land in the southern part of the base has tripled in size. However, the most striking new feature is a “deep draft pier” connecting to the central area of the base. Back in February, analysts thought the pier was a temporary one to ferry in construction materials and equipment, but it has now turned out to be a permanent naval pier that could provide access to full-size warships of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. Satellite images from May this year show the pier has been measurably extended, with the usable pier length estimated to be roughly 300 meters (984 feet). “It ought to be able to accommodate any ship in the PLA Navy’s fleet, including its new Type 003 aircraft carrier,” Shugart told RFA. “What we don’t know is to what depth the harbor will be dredged, the scale of other port services such as shore power, and the scope of the logistical support facilities,” he said. “However, given the length of the pier, I’d expect it to at least support surface combatants such as destroyers and cruisers, and probably logistics support ships,” the analyst told RFA. Remarkable speed “It looks like lots of rapid progress is underway on construction of this base,” Tom Shugart said, adding that such projects “seem to move pretty quickly given the relative lack of impediments that the Chinese government faces, compared to projects in democratically-governed states, where similar developments are more likely to be slowed down by lawsuits and environmental concerns, etc.” Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen reportedly assigned land to the Ministry of National Defense to develop an air defense command and general headquarters, as well as a naval radar system in Ream National Park, adjacent to the naval base. The U.S. Department of Defense's China Military Power Report in November 2022 said China “has likely considered Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand,” among other places, as locations for PLA military logistics facilities. Cambodia's Minister of National Defense, General Tea Banh (center) at the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 3, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Caroline Chia China and Cambodia began developing the Ream Naval Base, in Sihanoukville province on the Gulf of Thailand, with Beijing’s funding, in June 2021. Thanks to its strategic location, the base would help Beijing boost its power projection not only in Southeast Asia but also the Taiwan Strait. This would be China’s first naval staging facility in Southeast Asia and the second in the world after a base in Djibouti. Phnom Penh has repeatedly denied that China is being given exclusive military access to the base, saying that would be in contradiction to Cambodia’s constitution. At the security forum Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore in June, Cambodia’s Minister of Defense Tea Banh said that Cambodia is being “transparent regarding the developments at Ream.” He also stressed that it will not be a permanent base for any foreign force. “We need a proper base so that we have a chance to develop our navy and protect our sovereignty,” Tea Banh told the forum. “Of course, there are people who say that our base will be open to foreign troops, but this will not happen,” the minister stated. Edited by Mike Firn. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/ream-base-expansion-07112023040618.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

National and international researchers have discovered that the ceramic kilns in the Angkor area had been in operation since the mid-12th century and ceased to function in the early 15th century, said a news release of the APSARA National Authority on Monday. One of the ceramic kilns is at Dei Chhnang Gate, at the northwest corner of Angkor Thom in Nokor Krao village, Sangkat Kork Chak, Siem Reap city, Siem Reap province. The kiln cluster is located on a large mound stretching from east to west, 230 metres long, 84 metres wide, and about 2.70 metres high. This mound is parallel to the wall of Angkor Thom, 123 metres from the Dei Chhnang Gate (Northern Gate). Tin Tina, Deputy Director of the Department of Research, Training, and Communication said that after inspecting, verifying, and extracting archaeological data by the researchers from the Department of Research, Training, and Communication of APSARA National Authority, they found 25 mounds, which had not been excavated before. To prove what this is, a handful of researchers have only selected pottery fragments to study. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501322901/ceramic-kilns-in-angkor-area-in-operation-since-mid-12th-century-discover-researchers/

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose country still grapples with deadly war remnants, on Sunday (Jul 9) urged Ukraine not to use cluster bombs, after Washington announced plans to send the weapons to Kyiv to fight Russian troops. Humanitarian groups have strongly condemned the US decision to supply cluster munitions, which can go undetonated and potentially endanger civilians for years to come. "It would be the greatest danger for Ukrainians for many years or up to a hundred years if cluster bombs are used in Russian-occupied areas in the territory of Ukraine," Hun Sen tweeted. He cited Cambodia's "painful experience" of US cluster munitions dropped in the early 1970s, a foreign legacy that has left tens of thousands maimed or killed. "It has been more than half a century. There have been no means to destroy them all yet," Hun Sen added. "As my pity for the Ukrainian people, I appeal to the US president as the supplier and the Ukrainian president as the recipient not to use cluster bombs in the war because the real victims will be Ukrainians," he said. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ukraine-us-cluster-bombs-hun-sen-cambodia-russia-3616591

The APSARA National Authority (ANA) has planted about two million trees as part of its annual reforestation activities, in addition to the distribution of seedlings to the public to protect the Angkor heritage area from the dangers of climate change. In a statement released on Friday, the Authority said that it has also taken care of restoring the ancient irrigation system by repairing and replenishing water in many ancient barays around Angkor and continue to cooperate with partner institutions to monitor air quality in the Angkor area. Deputy Director General of Apsara Authority Yit Chandaroat said that that climate change is a common phenomenon for the whole world, not just in Cambodia. So, if we manage well, the impact is minimal, especially for the heritage sites. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501321023/2-million-trees-planted-by-apsara-authority-to-protect-angkor-heritage-site/

A man has been arrested after an incident in which a young woman died after falling during a violent robbery. The incident took place in front of Trapeang Veng Market at 21:05 on June 13, 2023. Colonel Kim Sok Makara, Stung Sen City Police Inspector, said that after receiving information about the crime, forces investigated and detained Pin Sithol, male, 17 years old, unspecified occupation, living in Tuol Vihear village, Chreab commune, Sar district Nuk, Kampong Thom province. The police confiscated exhibits, including: 1 black Honda Dream motorcycle, 2022 series, with license plate Kampong Thom 1S- 4055 and 1 mobile phone. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501320933/man-arrested-after-womans-death-in-bagsnatch/

The CCFTA, signed in October 2020 and effective since January 2022, was initiated by Cambodian officials with the aim of broadening its trade relations and export markets in China in response to the economic fallout caused by the pandemic, local flooding, and economic pressures and sanctions from the EU and the US. Cambodia’s economic policies are relatively liberal for the region and its investment and trade regimes remain attractive. However, being a small and open economy, Cambodia is susceptible to external changes and shocks. Cambodia’s trade volume nearly doubled between 2017 and 2021, increasing from $25.44 billion to $48.01 billion. Furthermore, Cambodia’s export potential to regional markets is limited. Only a small portion of total exports go to such markets, and the country’s businesses are as yet not adequately integrated into regional value chains. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501320543/china-remains-the-largest-export-market-for-cambodia/

A Candlelight Party youth activist who fled alleged political persecution in Cambodia has been arrested by Thai authorities this week, according to Human Rights Watch. The Candlelight activist, Thol Samnang, 34, arrived in Thailand earlier this week to “seek asylum” according to Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson. Samnang was arrested on Friday by Thai authorities. “For Thol Samnang’s personal safety, the Thai government must not return Thol Samnang to the Cambodian authorities,” said Candlelight’s acting secretary general Kong Monika. He confirmed Samnang is an active member of Candlelight’s youth wing. On June 30, Samnang’s village chief reportedly warned Samnang that he would need to switch his party affiliation to the ruling CPP to avoid arrest, Candlelight’s Kandal province party chief Ly Mengkheang said. Prek Koy commune and district police then repeatedly visited Samnang’s home in Tropeang Chuok village on July 3, according to Mengkheang. They did not have a court order, he said. https://cambojanews.com/candlelight-party-activist-who-fled-cambodia-reportedly-arrested-in-thailand/

Twelve million dollars held by Jersey financial institutions have been frozen in what has been described as the ‘largest ever’ forfeiture of proceeds from the sale of stolen antiquities. The Royal Court agreed to freeze the assets following an investigation into a scheme by the late Douglas Latchford, a disgraced art dealer, to sell stolen Cambodian antiquities in the USA and elsewhere. Attorney General Mark Temple KC said that the Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit in the Law Officers’ Department and the Jersey Financial Intelligence Unit worked ‘in close partnership’ with the US Department of Justice in this ‘important case’. Following the death of Mr Latchford, the proceedings were brought under the Civil Asset Recovery (International Co-Operation) (Jersey) Law 2007, which Mr Temple called a ‘powerful additional weapon for Jersey in the fight against international financial crime and money-laundering’. Following an approach by the US Department of Justice to the Attorney Jersey, the Royal Court yesterday agreed to make the funds subject to a property freezing order. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501320551/12-million-frozen-following-investigation-into-disgraced-art-dealers-stolen-cambodian-antiquities/

PHNOM PENH, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia had reported 4,668 dengue fever cases in the first half of 2023, a sharp increase of 62.7 percent from 2,869 cases over the same period last year, a health official said on Thursday. "The disease claimed 10 lives during the January-June period this year, slightly up from seven deaths in the same period last year," Leang Rithea, National Dengue Program manager and deputy director of the National Center for Parasitology and Malaria Control, told Xinhua. He said the capital Phnom Penh and the provinces of Kandal, Tboung Khmum, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap recorded the highest numbers of dengue cases. "Stagnant water acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which are the primary carriers of the dengue virus. By neglecting to clean or change the water, individuals provide an ideal environment for mosquitoes to reproduce, leading to a higher risk of dengue transmission," he said. The official said another reason for this increase was that the disease generally increases cyclically every five years. He recalled that the last big outbreak was in 2019 and recorded more than 60,000 dengue cases, killing more than 40 people. "Now, we are at year 4 following this last outbreak year; therefore, the probability of dengue outbreak is quite high this year and even in the next two years," Rithea said. "The participation from all sectors is crucial to mitigate the impact of potential dengue outbreak in Cambodia." Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. The disease causes an acute illness that usually follows symptoms such as headache, high fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rash. https://english.news.cn/20230706/868fdaf6412f4b0fa503b23798265393/c.html

According to the ‘2023 Global Peace Index” Cambodia ranks 73rd in the world as a peaceful country, and in the Asia-Pacific region, Cambodia ranks 13th. The study, done by the Institute of Economics and Peace, ranks 163 countries on a number of criteria Cambodia has a better overall score than Thailand, but lags behind Laos and Vietnam. In terms of the most peaceful countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Cambodia and it’s neighbours rank as so : Vietnam (7th), Laos (10th), Cambodia (13th) and Thailand (15th). In addition, the report states that Kuwait, Mauritius, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cambodia had the largest improvements in the economic impact of violence. All these nations recorded reductions of more than 25 per cent from 2021 to 2022. The report also noted Cambodia’s growing trade with China. The number one ranked country in the world is Iceland, while the number one country in the Asia-Pacific region is New Zealand. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501320107/cambodia-ranked-73rd-most-peaceful-country-in-the-world/

The government recently revoked the licence of an influential news outlet. The crackdown against journalism has accelerated ever since On 13 February 2023, the Cambodian government revoked the operating licence of Voice of Democracy (VOD), closing one of the last remaining independent news organisations in Cambodia. VOD, run by the nonprofit Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) since 2007, was based in Phnom Penh and produced radio broadcasts as well as publishing online in two languages: English and Khmer. The outlet created radio and online news, features and investigations into political corruption, land rights and labour rights. The homepage of its Khmer website was last updated on 12 February and broadcasts were prohibited from the day after. The week before its licence was revoked, VOD reported on Cambodia giving aid to Turkey after the recent earthquake. Its report quoted a government spokesperson who said that Hun Manet, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son, had allegedly signed off $100,000 in aid, a move that would overstep his authority. read more https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/cambodia-approaches-crucial-election-journalists-suffer-shutdowns-and-abuse