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The Kampong Chhnang Provincial Administration yesterday approved the demolition of a French Colonial era building housing 13 flats on the grounds that it is too dilapidated to restore. Kampong Chhnang city governor Yin Saven yesterday said that the bulding was constructed in 1931 and is now-91 years-old. “This house is very old and is very dilapidated and cannot be lived in anymore,” Saven said. “This is why the provincial authorities have called on the flat owners to leave in case of a possible collapse that could lead to the loss of lives and property.” Saven said that with approval from provincial administration, the owners can build new houses on the same site as the old house. He added that the provincial authorities yesterday handed over letters of permission as well as other related land documents to the owners so they can demolish the old building and construct new houses in the same place. However, he said the cost of the demolition and new construction will be the responsibility of the owners to negotiate amongst themselves as the administration is not involved in it. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501014571/french-colonial-in-k-chhnang-to-be-razed/

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- A campaign named "Cambodia: Safe and Green Tourism Destination" was launched here on Thursday, aiming at reviving the COVID-19-hit tourism industry, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said. Speaking at the launching event held via video conference, Khon said for the past two years, many tourism businesses were shut down and tens of thousands of employees lost their jobs. "This campaign is a strategy to attract tourists from around the world as well as from countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to Cambodia," he said. All fully-vaccinated tourists are welcome to Cambodia without quarantine, the minister said, advising all tourism-related businesses to implement tourism safety measures and standard operating procedures effectively in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Tourism is one of the four pillars supporting the kingdom's economy. The country received up to 6.61 million international tourists in 2019, generating gross revenue of 4.92 billion U.S. dollars, according to the tourism ministry. But due to the pandemic, the sector attracted only 163,366 foreign visitors during the Jan.-Nov. period in 2021, down 87 percent from 1.28 million over the same period in 2020, the ministry said. Cambodia is famous for its three world heritage sites, namely the Angkor Archaeological Park, the Preah Vihear temple, and the Sambor Prei Kuk Archaeological Site. Besides, it has a 450-km pristine coastline stretching across four southwestern provinces. The Southeast Asian nation opened its door to fully-vaccinated travelers in November last year after most of its population had been vaccinated against COVID-19. The kingdom has so far administered at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 14.34 million people, or 89.6 percent of its 16 million population, the health ministry said on Thursday, adding that 13.74 million people, or 86 percent, are fully vaccinated with two required shots. Most of the vaccines used in the country's inoculation program are China's Sinovac and Sinopharm. ■

A new report from Amnesty International says governmental authorities often turn a blind eye to the practice. Illegal deforestation and government restrictions on forest access are undermining the spiritual practices, land rights and livelihoods of one of Cambodia’s largest Indigenous groups, according to a report by Amnesty International issued Friday. The report, “’Our Traditions Are Being Destroyed’: Illegal Logging, Repression, and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Violations in Cambodia’s Protected Forests,” says illegal logging has been particularly damaging to the Kuy people in the Prey Lang and Prey Preah Roka rainforests, which contain protected wildlife sanctuaries. The Prey Lang Forest runs through Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, Kratie and Stung Treng provinces in northern Cambodia, while Prey Preah Roka is in Preah Vihear province. Cambodia’s rate of deforestation is among the world’s fastest, and a survey published in 2020 by U.S. and EU monitors showed that Prey Lang lost more than one football pitch (1.76 acres) of woodlands to illegal logging every hour of 2019. Trucks haul away illegally cut timber from a protected forest area in Cambodia in an undated photo. Credit: Amnesty International/Private There are about 70,300 Kuy people in Cambodia who in total comprise a quarter of the country’s Indigenous peoples, according to data from the Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Association issued in 2019. There are approximately 24 Indigenous groups in the country. Many, like the Kuy, have a close connection with traditional forested lands on which their livelihoods and cultural practices are based. They depend primarily on resin from trees for lighting and to sell for boat caulks, paints and varnishes. Illegal loggers increasingly harvest resin trees in the two rainforests for timber to make furniture and ceiling beams, undermining the Kuy people’s traditions and an important economic resource for their communities, the London-based human rights group says. “Rampant illegal logging in Cambodia is posing an existential threat to the country’s remaining primary forests, and the Indigenous peoples who depend on them for their livelihoods, their culture and their spiritual practices,” Richard Pearshouse, Amnesty’s head of crisis and environment, said in a printed statement. “Time and time again, government officials who are supposed to be protecting these precious forests are instead profiting from their destruction by allowing the illegal logging trade to flourish.” Cambodian authorities are legally obligated to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples, including their culture and participation in the sustainable management and conservation of protected areas. Amnesty and remote sensing agency Space4Good analyzed data that revealed extensive recent deforestation in the two protected areas, with a remote sensing calculation showing that nearly 6,300 hectares (15,600 acres) were deforested in 2021. Amnesty also based the report’s findings on open source information, such as reports by civil society organization and published news and academic articles. Amnesty interviewed 20 community activists who work to protect the Prey Lang and Prey Preah Roka rainforests between June and October 2021. The majority of the interviewees said they were Kuy. All of them live in communities in or near the forests. One person interviewed said that about 70 percent of resin trees in Prey Preah Roka had disappeared in recent years because people from outside the area felled the trees when people were away planting saplings or harvesting rice. “This is when they get stolen the most, because people know we are busy in our fields which are far from Prey Preah Roka,” said the activist, who was not identified with his real name so as to speak freely. “Sometimes in one day, 30 or 40 resin trees will be cut.” The activist added that the deforestation was eroding Kuy culture for future generations. “The younger generation will never get to know all the important places for us in the forests. … There are ancient villages that were once inside the forest, and we still pay our respects to spirits of our ancestors. Now, these places have been destroyed because of logging.” Other community members in Prey Lang said that illegal loggers sometimes offered to buy resin trees from them and that they felt that they had to accept whatever payment was offered because the loggers would cut down the trees regardless. Police officers and Cambodian Ministry of Environment officials have routinely demanded and accepted bribes for turning a blind eye to illegal logging. Police checkpoints are set up not to dissuade the practice but to extract money from loggers, Kuy people in both rainforests said. “The big problem is that the authorities, especially the Ministry of Environment, are only interested in collecting money,” an interviewee familiar with the situation in Prey Lang was quoted as saying. The person informed the ministry’s provincial office about the illegal logging and provided photos of it. “They go to investigate it — but they only investigate it to collect [bribes] from the loggers,” the person told Amnesty. Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment has restricted local communities and forest activists, from patrolling and protecting forests in accordance with the provisions on the rights and duties of citizens, as specified in Cambodia’s constitution and laws for protecting nature. “It is essential that Indigenous-led community groups are enabled and empowered to engage in forest patrols and other protection activities,” Pearshouse said. “Indigenous peoples are widely recognized as the most effective protectors of their traditional lands, and Cambodia’s ongoing ban on community groups’ access is a blatant violation of their human rights.” https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/kuy-people-01272022174252.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

For months, Delta was the dominant virus strain of Covid-19 infecting the people until the Omicron variant showed up recently and overpowered it. Experts are of the view that the Delta and Beta strains may still be in the community but what is dominating at the moment is the Omicron variant which is taking a surge with many people infected with it. Since December 26, the Health Ministry has received very few cases of people infected with the Delta strain and those infected are mainly migrant workers as the majority of all the new Covid-19 cases are those infected with the Omicron variant, including the imported cases. Health Ministry spokesman Hok Kim Cheng said that the Omicron variant is highly transmissible although the symptoms are mild while the Delta strain had caused thousands of people to die. “The emergence of the Omicron variant does not mean that the Delta, a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus strain, has disappeared,” he added. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501013889/omicron-variant-overpowers-the-delta-and-beta-strains/

A bent toed gecko and a Cardamom leaf-litter frog in Cambodia are among the 224 newly discovered species in the Greater Mekong subregion in 2020, said a World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) report released on Wednesday. A total of 155 plants, 16 fishes, 17 amphibians, 35 reptiles and one mammal were discovered in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, the report said, adding that this brought the total number of vascular plants, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals described in the Greater Mekong since 1997 to 3,007. “With over 3,000 new species in the past 24 years, the Greater Mekong region is no doubt a world heavyweight contender for species discoveries,” K. Yoganand, WWF-Greater Mekong’s regional lead for wildlife, said in a news release. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501014112/cambodias-bent-toed-gecko-cardamom-leaf-litter-frog-among-new-species-discovered-in-greater-mekong-wwf/

An 18-year-old has sought protection from the Justice Ministry, telling a harrowing story after escaping from a call scam gang he was tricked into working for in Cambodia. Identifying himself only as Surasak, the teenager said at the ministry on Tuesday he had received threatening phone calls since being helped to escape and return to Thailand. He said he saw an advertisement on social media for a job in Poipet with a 40,000-baht a month salary and free transport there, and applied for it last September. He was told to meet a Thai man in Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo. The man took him illegally across the border to Poipet and left him at a building surrounded by an electrified fence. There, he said, he saw about 100 other Thais who had been lured into working for call scam gangs. There were also many Filipinos, Indonesians and Malaysians. “There were rooms for five workers each and they received three meals a day. They were ordered to make scam calls. Each had books containing the information of about 200 Thai people,” Mr Surasak said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501014124/escaped-thai-teen-involved-in-call-scam-seeks-ministrys-protection/

But an observer says Cambodia’s prime minister is trying to save face after failed visit. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday urged Myanmar’s Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to uphold an agreement he made with fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members to end the political crisis in his country, but observers say the entreaty had likely fallen on deaf ears. Hun Sen, who recently assumed the rotating chair of ASEAN, made the request to Min Aung Hlaing during a video conference, a day after he confirmed plans to invite the junta chief to an upcoming summit of the bloc even though he has yet to implement the so-called Five-Point Consensus, a plan he agreed to last April to end violence in Myanmar. The call was billed as a follow up to Hun Sen’s Jan. 7-8 trip to Myanmar — the first by a foreign leader since the military’s Feb. 1, 2021, coup — which drew widespread criticism for conferring legitimacy on a regime that has detained nearly 8,800 civilians and killed some 1,500 others, mostly during nonviolent protests of its rule, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. In addition to discussing “how to further advance” implementation of the consensus, the two leaders “shared the view on the need to make more efforts to improve the situation in Myanmar,” according to a statement by Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hun Sen stressed to Min Aung Hlaing that he is “deeply concerned over the persistent violence” in the country. The statement said that Min Aung Hlaing told Hun Sen that Myanmar “is committed to work with Cambodia as the ASEAN chair,” and that the two sides agreed to continue to hold “candid discussions on matters of mutual interests,” but did not clarify whether he planned to honor his promises to the bloc. Speaking to RFA’s Khmer Service, Cambodian political analyst Em Sovannara said he expects there is little chance that Min Aung Hlaing will follow through on his promises to ASEAN, despite the rosy portrayal of Wednesday’s video conference offered by Hun Sen’s foreign ministry. If the status quo remains in effect, he said, the political crisis in Myanmar will continue and likely result in further bloodshed. “[The talks took place because] Hun Sen wanted to restore face after he was criticized over his recent trip to Myanmar being a waste of time,” he said. In the statement, Hun Sen noted that the Five-Point Consensus “represents ASEAN’s shared resolve to bring normalcy” and should therefore “remain a priority.” As part of that process, he called on Min Aung Hlaing to facilitate a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy of the ASEAN chair as soon as possible. He asked that “all parties … including [the junta] exercise with utmost restraint, cease violence, and endeavor to achieve a ceasefire” to set the stage for dialogue, and requested full cooperation from the military in support of ASEAN relief efforts. Other statements on Hun Sen’s Facebook page referred to Min Aung Hlaing as the “senior leader” of Myanmar or chairman of the country’s State Administration Council, using the official name of the junta — noticeably different than the more deferential tone that followed the Jan. 7-8 visit in which Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry called him the Myanmar’s “prime minister.” Earlier statements prompt concern As recently as Jan. 20, Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry had issued a press release condemning clashes between the military and anti-junta forces in Myanmar’s Kayah state for “jeopardizing” what it characterized as “progress” made in the aftermath of Hun Sen’s visit. Such statements, as well as Hun Sen’s failure during his visit to meet with any of Myanmar’s prodemocracy leaders, including jailed National League for Democracy chief Aung San Suu Kyi — another condition of the five-points — had prompted concern from observers, who said they suggest the prime minister intends to treat the junta with kid gloves as chair of ASEAN. In the weeks since Hun Sen’s visit, Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to four years in detention and the military has deployed air strikes during clashes that have displaced thousands of civilians. On Tuesday, Hun Sen told Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob — his counterpart in fellow ASEAN member state Malaysia — that he had invited Min Aung Hlaing to an upcoming ASEAN summit, provided he implements conditions to end the political crisis in his country. If Myanmar fails to do so, he said, the junta will have to send non-political representatives to the meeting. Hun Sen warned that ASEAN has “a lot of work to do” and cannot allow itself to “become a slave to Myanmar” by becoming too focused on the latter’s internal politics, Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry said. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/conference-01262022172247.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The statement from Washington comes after Phnom Penh confirms sand dredging at the site. The U.S. government on Monday called for full transparency from Cambodia about Beijing-backed refurbishments at its Ream Naval Base following confirmation by Phnom Penh of sand dredging activities at the site. In an emailed statement, Chad Roedemeier, the spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, told RFA’s Khmer Service that Washington is aware of independent reporting that China is engaged in “a significant, ongoing construction project at Ream Naval Base,” located outside Cambodia’s main port city of Sihanoukville. “We encourage Cambodian authorities to be fully transparent about the intent, nature and scope of this project — and the role the [Chinese] military is playing, which raises concerns about the intended use of the naval facility,” Roedemeier said. The embassy statement came a day after a Cambodian Defense Ministry official confirmed sand dredging activity at the base to increase depth to 5-6 meters (16-20 feet) from 2 meters (7 feet). “Yes, in fact there is sand dredging activities — it appears they are creating a pass [for ships to dredge],” the head of the Ream Naval Base Modernization Project, Gen. Chao Phirun, told RFA of the Chinese activities at the base on Sunday. “It is the Ministry of National Defense that sent people to help pump and dredge the sediment to make way for access, but the area is very shallow, and the ships might not make it. If [we] want to dredge, we’ll have to spend a lot of money because the water is only 2 meters deep.” Chao Phirun — one of two senior Cambodian military officials sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury and State Departments in November for conspiring to illicitly profit from the project at Ream — said it is unclear when the pumping will be completed because only one dredging barge is operating at the site. He acknowledged that workers and technical staff from China are working at the base but said no military personnel had been sent by Beijing. Chao Phirun spoke to RFA in response to a Jan. 21 report by the influential U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, which cited satellite imagery as showing two large dredging barges in operation at the Ream Naval Base. Secret agreement U.S. officials have voiced alarm for more than two years over the China-backed refurbishment of Ream Naval Base, following a 2019 Wall Street Journal report on a secret treaty granting the Chinese navy use of the base for 30 years. The claim was quickly denounced by the Cambodian government as “fake news,” but suspicions remain. During a June visit to Cambodia, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman warned her hosts that a Chinese base in Cambodia would negatively impact relations with the United States. The November sanctions against Chao Phirun and Ministry of Defense Tea Vinh were announced in conjunction with a Commerce Department advisory warning U.S. businesses of the “potential exposure to entities in Cambodia, such as the Cambodian military, that engage in human rights abuses, corruption, and other destabilizing conduct.” The arms embargo covers not just conventional weaponry, but also so-called “dual-use” equipment, which are items that could have both commercial and military or national security applications. ‘Accusations’ denied Speaking to RFA on Monday, Chao Phirun called claims about refurbishments at the Ream Naval Base “accusations,” and denied that China would use the site in the future. “There are no Chinese military officials, only technicians and engineers. They came to help … study, survey, determine which plan to follow, because we don’t have many naval experts,” he said. “It isn’t a military force, it's a labor force. They are workers from a company that was successfully tendered by the Chinese Ministry of Defense. At the end of their jobs, they will go back home. They come in groups of 10 to 20 people. [But] there are no troops camping there.” When the project is completed, he said, the Cambodian navy will be able to use the site to repair its small ships, which previously required towing to neighboring countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. He said that the Chinese military is not welcome to use Ream Naval Base because doing so would violate Cambodia’s constitution but added that Cambodia is entitled to receive training and military assistance from abroad as it sees fit. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/base-01242022185554.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s advisor Pen Ean has sent a letter to the Interior Minister Sar Kheng, accusing Mondulkiri province’s O’Raing district governor Seik Mony of grabbing state land and spirit land of indigenous people. According to a letter sent to Kheng yesterday, Ean said that he had visited O’Raing district in Mondulkiri province and that some indigenous people had reported to him, accusing Seik Mony, the district governor and some O’Raing district officials, who often use their power to intimidate indigenous people and conspire to systematically document state land and indigenous peoples’ land and sell them to traders. He added that he had sent a team and lawyers to conduct further research and found that some indigenous people had built homes and lived at the foot of the mountains and along streams for a long time. However, these land had been confiscated on the pretext that it was state and not spirit land. Ean said the land was later sold to rich and powerful people who built fences. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501012443/pms-advisor-accuses-district-governor-of-grabbing-land/

Thirty-six Vietnamese who were arrested on Saturday for operating and involving in illegal online gambling activity in Kampot province have been deported to their homeland via the Prek Chak International border checkpoint in Kampong Trach district on Sunday. Kampot Provincial police chief Major General Mao Chanmathurith said yesterday that the Vietnamese, including some women, were arrested after the Provincial police led by a deputy prosecutor raided a rental house in Kraing Ampil commune. According to police investigations, the Vietnamese rented a villager’s house in Kraing Ampil commune since January 1 to set up the illegal online gambling activity. On getting wind of the activity, the police team raided the house and arrested all of them. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501012539/36-vietnamese-deported-for-illegal-online-gambling/

The bilateral trade between Cambodia and Thailand was valued at $7.97 billion last year, a 10.26 percent increase compared to a year before. Figures from Thailand’s Commerce Ministry showed that Cambodia exported $894 million worth of goods to Thailand, a year-on-year decrease of 22.10 percent. The Kingdom imported over $7 billion worth of goods from its neighbouring country, 16.37 percent year-on-year increase. Cambodia’s main exports to Thailand include textiles, agricultural products, gems, raw materials and semi-finished products. Imports from Thailand include fish, meat, vegetables, automobiles, organic fertilisers, foodstuffs, and construction materials. Exports of agricultural products to Thailand have always faced the barriers of sanitary and phytosanitary requirements. Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, said that it is important that the country should improve the standard of sanitary and phytosanitary conditions. The investment in warehouses along the border are also needed to facilitate agricultural exports to neighbouring countries. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501012634/cambodia-thailand-trade-tops-7-97-billion-last-year/

Defense attorneys say the former political opposition leader’s right to a speedy trial is being ignored. Cambodian prosecutors played several videos of Kem Sokha’s past speeches as evidence against him in his treason case on Tuesday, as defense attorneys for the former leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party criticized the court for allowing the long-delayed trial to extend for so long. The short videos played during the hearing at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court showed Kem Sokha, 68, speaking as opposition leader in Cambodia and abroad, including a demonstration in the capital’s Freedom Park, where he called for a higher minimum wage for in Kampong Cham province. Prosecutors in the trial, which resumed on Jan. 19 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, showed videos of the speeches to try to prove that Kem Sokha colluded with the United States to seize power in Cambodia after the 2013 election. A group of about 50 of Kem Sokha’s supported waited outside the courthouse while the trial was in session, though there were no incidents. The court agreed to a request from deputy prosecutor Plang Sophal that the trial be resumed on Feb. 2. Kem Sokha’s defense team opposed the delay and urged the court to speed up the trial by holding hearings more than once a week. “The case has been delayed for nearly two years,” Ang Udom, one of Kem Sokha’s defense lawyers, told RFA. “Kem Sokha’s right to a fair trial has been violated. “We are disappointed with the court. We want the process to be sped up. We want the case to be finished at the soonest,” he said. Kem Sokha was arrested in September 2017 over an alleged plot backed by the United States to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 35 years. Kem Sokha spent a year in jail before being released under court supervision. After his arrest, Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in a move that allowed Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party to win all 125 seats in Parliament in a July 2018 election and drew U.S. sanctions and the suspension of trade privileges with the European Union. When his trial resumed on Jan. 19, Kem Sokha called for the treason charges against him to be dropped. He and his supporters say the charges are politically motivated. Ang Udom said that the prosecutor had mocked the defense team by saying that if a speedy end to the trial was the goal, then the ex-politician should just confess. “This is wrong. It is against all the law. He didn’t commit any crime. There is no justice. It is fake [and] cannot be accepted,” Ang Udom said. Ang Udom said he would not try to negotiate a plea bargain because his client did not commit a crime. His innocence might also keep Kem Sokha from accepting a post-conviction amnesty from King Norodom Sihamoni, Ang Udom said, although he added that he could not speak for the former CNRP leader on the matter. Neither the Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman nor government attorney Ky Tech could not be reached for comment. Soeung Sengkaruna, spokesman of the human rights organization Adhoc, who has been monitoring the trial, said that the prosecution should not try to force Kem Sokha to plead guilty without any real evidence against him. “This shows that the court prosecutor is incapable of convicting Kem Sokha so they are pushing him to confess,” he said. Hun Sen may not allow Kem Sokha to be freed any time soon since the autocratic leader is grooming his son, Hun Manet, to take over, social and political commentator Kim Sok said. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/kem-sokha-trial-01252022153412.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Since the dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, PM Hun Sen's government has arrested hundreds of opposition activists. Analysts say Brussels has failed to exert pressure on the authoritarian regime. Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha returned to the courtroom on January 19 for a politically-motivated trial in which he is accused of treason. Sokha, 68, was arrested in September 2017, just months before the forced dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the country's only viable opposition party which he co-founded and served as president. Hundreds of CNRP-aligned individuals and activists have been arrested, jailed, or harassed by authorities since 2017. Many more have fled abroad, joining the party's elected politicians who left for exile after being stripped of their positions. According to Human Rights Watch's estimates, there are currently 68 CNRP-affiliated individuals in prison, while another 90 have been released on bail pending charges, like Sokha. Three have reportedly died in custody. read more https://www.dw.com/en/cambodia-eu-draws-criticism-over-inaction-against-opposition-crackdown/a-60536067

Hun Sen pressed to hold generals to agreement Myanmar breakdown a setback for ASEAN image Cambodia leader to talk to junta boss Wednesday Malaysia PM: Suu Kyi, political detainees must be freed PHNOM PENH, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday confirmed he had invited Myanmar's junta chief to a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), on the condition he makes progress on a peace plan he agreed to last year. Hun Sen, the ASEAN chair, said he would talk to military chief Min Aung Hlaing by video on Wednesday, noting that since their Jan. 7 meeting in Myanmar, ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi had been sentenced to four years' detention and military aircraft had been deployed in operations. Min Aung Hlaing led a coup in Myanmar last year and ASEAN made a surprise move in barring his junta from key meetings over its failure to honour a five-point ASEAN "consensus" that included ceasing hostilities and allowing dialogue. "He (Hun Sen) said that he had invited HE (His Excellency) Min Aung Hlaing to attend the ASEAN summit if there was progress in the implementation of the five points agreed unanimously," said a statement on Hun Sen's Facebook page, summarising a call with Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. "But if not, he must send a non-political representative to ASEAN meetings." As new chair of ASEAN, Cambodia has indicated it wants to engage not isolate the junta, but Hun Sen has been pressed by several ASEAN leaders, including those of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, not to give way on the agreement, which is backed by the United Nations and United States. The overthrow of Suu Kyi's elected government in Myanmar has been a setback for ASEAN and its efforts to present itself as a credible and integrated bloc. Hun Sen's Myanmar visit caused concern within the group that it could suggest ASEAN recognition of the generals, who have overseen a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy forces. Fissures have been exposed over the Myanmar issue and Hun Sen last week took a swipe at Malaysia's foreign minister, calling him arrogant for voicing concern about him meeting the junta chief. The ASEAN consensus includes halting offensives and granting full access to a special ASEAN envoy to all parties in the conflict. Malaysian leader Ismail Sabri told Hun Sen there was an urgent need to de-escalate the Myanmar situation and release Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, according to a foreign ministry statement. Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Ed Davies

A joyful party ended in a hospital visit for 34 guests due to food poisoning. The party took place on January 21 at a water treatment plant in Snom Prampi Village, Mak Prang Commune, Teuk Chhou District, Kampot. According to the authorities at around 6 p.m. there were reports of mass food poisoning. The party was reportedly hosted by the water treatment plant. After the report came to the authorities, those suffering were sent to the hospital to be treated. A total of 34 people ended up in the emergency room. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501012144/mass-food-poisoning-reported-with-more-than-30-falling-ill/

Cambodia’s COVID-19 pandemic continues its move to the endemic stage with no deaths reported for 18 consecutive days. A total of 3,015 Cambodians and foreigners have succumbed to the deadly virus since the first death was recorded on March 11, 2021. The onset of the infamous and deadly February 20 Community Event in 2021 led not just to an explosion of COVID-19 infections which rapidly climbed to 121,000 rapidly before an aggressive vaccination campaign and preventive measures brought the virus under control but also crippled the economy and claimed the 3,015 lives. The fact that pandemic stage of the virus in Cambodia is now under control, leading to the endemic stage where home treatment for all COVID-19 cases is permitted, including the highly contagious but less vicious Omicron variant of concern of the coronavirus, signifies the efforts of Cambodia as well as the calculated shrewd tactical strategies of Cambodia. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501011734/in-18-consecutive-days-cambodia-did-not-have-any-known-deaths-from-covid-19/

The number of households nationwide with access to clean water reached 1,091,869 last year, up by 11.80 per cent from 976,621 in 2020, according to the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation. For reference, the number of households in Cambodia was 3,636,100 in 2019 – up by 5.76 per cent over 2018 – of which 1,374,200 were in urban centres, rocketing by 83.47 per cent over 2017 (no corresponding 2018 figures available) or at an average annual growth rate of 35.45 per cent, according to data from the Ministry of Planning’s National Institute of Statistics provided by CEIC Data. The industry ministry said water supply clocked in at 383,134,243 cubic metres in 2021, up by 5,078,303 cubic metres or 1.34 per cent over a year earlier. read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/access-clean-water-ticks-118

Villagers living near Ta Kream Mountain say the government is failing to protect Cambodia’s natural resources. Chinese and Vietnamese companies are grinding Cambodia’s Ta Kream Mountain into gravel, ruining its natural beauty and causing respiratory problems for area residents, villagers told RFA. Environmental activists and villagers told RFA that the mountain, in the northwestern province of Battambang, is being systematically destroyed to support a construction boom within the province and in the capital Phnom Penh. The Banna district in Battambang once counted 31 mountains within its borders that had became popular tourist attractions, some of which were home to ancient temples. A few of the mountains were destroyed by development in 2013. Now Ta Kream and several other nearby peaks are at risk of falling to the same fate. Residents of Ta Kream village have petitioned local authorities to stop the companies, both for environmental and health reasons. Several residents said they have developed respiratory problems from the large amounts of dust the gravel operations kick up. “I am so sad because we could be having wild vegetables and mushrooms but now the forest-covered mountains have become deserts,” a villager, who declined to be named for security reasons, told RFA’s Khmer Service. He said the gravel operations are destroying wildlife habitats, as well as the identity of the villagers. In December, a group of villagers protested and blocked a road in an effort to stop the gravel mining. They have also appealed to authorities to step in. But so far local officials have sided with developers, charging some protesters with incitement, the source said. Other villagers told RFA that the four gravel companies — Heng Chat Construction, Nim Meng Group, and the Tang Thailong and Thy Long companies — are likely operating without licenses, because the local authorities tried to hide information and ignored their health concerns. But Soeum Bunrith, a spokesman for the province, told RFA that the gravel companies were all licensed and had performed environmental impact studies. The companies have also constructed many local buildings and a highway to Phnom Penh, the spokesman said. He however acknowledged that the companies have negatively impacted the environment and the livelihood of the people and promised that the authorities would not ignore these issues. “We have studied the villagers’ complaints and educated the investors,” he said. “Any development will impact local communities, so the companies must find ways to protect the environment and the people’s livelihood if they want to sustain their businesses.” Gravel companies have been exploiting Cambodia’s mountains for two decades with little transparency, Phoung Keo Raksmey, an environmentalist, told RFA. “The government should have been responsible back then,” she said, adding that it is the government’s duty to protect the mountains. “I have observed that the central and local government have supported these kinds of businesses. I hope they will wake up and protect our natural resources,” she said. RFA was unable to reach Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Peaktra for comment. The government should take tougher measures to protect natural resources, and resolve the villagers’ concerns, Heng Kimhong, head of the research and advocacy program of the Cambodian Youth Network, told RFA. “How much revenue from the mountain’s exploitation goes to the government and the local community?” he said. “There should be transparency before these people’s lives are impacted.” Cambodia’s natural resources are being destroyed due to government negligence and corruption, Soeung Seng Karuna, spokesman for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, told RFA. “I urge the authorities to reconsider this case because the issues impact villagers. Authorities should protect natural resources and our forests,” he said. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/mountain-01132022085123.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA — More than four months after the U.S. House passed the Cambodia Democracy Act, a bill that would place stiff sanctions on Cambodian leaders for alleged human rights abuses, there was no public sign of action on the Senate’s version of the bill. However, key House proponents of the bill say they trust Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who represents the large Cambodian community in Lowell, will get the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk. “I am very confident that my friend, Senator Markey, who introduced the bill in the Senate, in partnership with Senators Rubio, Durbin, Tillis and Feinstein, will be able to secure final passage of the bill,” said Rep. Alan Lowenthal Representatives (D-Cal.), who represents the largest Cambodian community in the U.S. Lowenthal announced last month he will not run for another term. Markey’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from VOA Khmer on the status of the Cambodia Democracy Act, nor did his Senate co-sponsors — Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). If the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by the president, it would place sanctions on Cambodian military officials, security forces, and senior members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, who the president deems responsible for human rights violations in the country. “The Cambodian people deserve what was promised to them in the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements – a representative democracy that reflects the popular will, not oppressive single party rule,” Markey said in a statement when he introduced the Cambodia Democracy and Human Rights Act in August 2021, before the House passed its version. “This legislation makes clear that the United States will not stand by, as Hun Sen and his cronies corrupt Cambodian democracy, persecute and jail opposition and political activists, target free speech and independent media, and enrich themselves through rampant corruption,” he added. Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.,, left, speaks at a small rally outside an orientation meeting for incoming members of Congress at Harvard University as Rep.-elect Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., right, and Rep.-elect Lori Trahan, D-Mass. (AP Photo) Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass), whose district includes Lowell, told VOA Khmer by email that she continues to push for the bill, which is currently in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I’m working with my colleague Senator Markey to ensure that this important legislation makes it through the Senate and gets signed into law,” she said. “The Cambodia Democracy Act will hold Prime Minister Hun Sen and corrupt government officials responsible for their anti-democratic actions and human rights violations. This bill supports Cambodia’s path to a free and fair democracy, and we’re going to get it done.” The legislation — sponsored by Lowenthal and Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), co-chairs of the congressional Cambodia caucus — passed overwhelmingly in the House in late September last year, with 403 votes to approve it and just 17 objecting. “Since the CNRP’s dissolution, the government of Cambodia has arrested, imprisoned, or brought politically motivated charges against CNRP leaders and activists,” also noting the mass trials of opposition politicians and activists since the party was dissolved in 2017. “The Government of Cambodia has taken several measures, particularly since 2017 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, to restrict Cambodia’s space for civil society and media environment, especially through politicized tax investigations against independent media outlets,” it stated. The current iteration of the Cambodian Democracy Act is the third U.S. legislative effort in recent years to sanction Cambodia’s ruling party for alleged abuses and violations of democratic norms. The previous two bills also stalled in the Senate. FILE - In this photo provided by the An Khoun Sam Aun/National Television of Cambodia, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen gestures as he joins an online meeting of the ASEAN-China special summit at Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Nov. 22, 2021. (AP Photo) Prime Minister Hun Sen recently made a public statement saying he isn’t worried about the latest bill, even if he is personally barred from traveling to America. “I wish to send messages that if the bill passes, there is only one thing, and it will never go the other way. You shut me down, that means you can’t enter as well and I can't go out. That's nothing,” he said. “It will not happen only one side at all, don't let it be too difficult." Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Cambodian government, said the bill only targets individuals, and U.S.-Cambodia relations would go on as normal, but added it was a geopolitical maneuver and not reflective of the situation on the ground. “That's the rights and sovereignty of the United States, and it's politically motivated, which the allegation does not reflect and respond to the reality,” he said. Even as the Cambodian Democracy Act appears to have stalled in the Senate, the U.S. has made waves with other actions targeting Cambodian military leaders involved with the Ream Naval Base in Preah Sihanouk province, which has become a flashpoint for tension between the U.S. and China. On November 10, the U.S. Treasury Department and State Department announced the sanctions against General Chau Phirun, director-general of the Defense Ministry's material and technical services department, and Admiral Tea Vinh, the Royal Cambodian Navy commander and the brother of Defense Minister Tea Banh. FILE - Cambodian navy personnel guard a jetty in Ream naval base in Preah Sihanouk province during a government organized media tour on July 26, 2019. (AFP) The U.S. agencies accused both men of personally profiting from U.S. funds meant for developing the naval base. The U.S. fears could soon come under effective Chinese control, as relations between Beijing and Phnom Penh become ever closer. In response to those sanctions, Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry lashed out at the “long-arm jurisdiction” of the U.S., adding: "The smear campaign and unilateral sanction of the United States against public figures of a sovereign state... [displays] an utter contempt for the independence of another country, as well as acts as a serious interference in its domestic affairs.” Cambodian political observer Sophal Ear, an associate professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, called the Cambodian Democracy Act “icing on the cake” in terms of U.S. commitment to holding Cambodian leaders accountable for the deterioration of democracy. “I think this year could be the year because Democrats control the Senate. Senator Markey is a dear friend of Cambodia. Lowell Cambodians will be clamoring for his leadership on this. This is the best chance the people of Cambodia have to put their leaders on notice, thanks to the US Senate finally having the right numbers,” he said. “Whether it happens, the US cares about Cambodia and is ready to punish Cambodian officials. Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability will always be there. This is just icing on the cake. The US Congress and President will punish the Cambodian authorities for their misdeeds,” he added. Mu Sochua, a vice president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), said co-opposition leader Sam Rainsy spent a few weeks in Washington D.C. last November lobbying for U.S. action against Hun Sen’s regime, including virtual meetings with Markey and Chabot. She noted that the U.S. Treasury can continue to sanction those individuals most responsible for corruption and undermining democracy. “But with this law, it will be a potential resource that can name more people, because we will see that when the bill becomes law, President Joe Biden and other presidents after can use this law broadly,” she added. https://www.voacambodia.com/a/hope-for-us-legislation-sanctioning-cambodian-leaders-rests-with-senate/6405384.html

After spending more than 130 years without its head, a complete statue from ancient times stands complete in the display of the National Museum of Cambodia. On January 21, the National Museum of Cambodia unveiled a complete Harihara statue. According to the National Museum of Cambodia, the statue is a statue of Harhara, composed of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara). The statue was discovered in two stages, the head of the statue was discovered by Étienne Aymonier in Phnom Da in 1884 before being sent to France in 1886. The body of the statue was discovered in a cave in Phnom Da and the handed over to the National Museum in 1944 by Henri Mauger. In 1955, Pierre Dupont suggested that the head that was previously discovered belonged to the body that was in the National Museum. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501011509/headless-ancient-cambodian-statue-whole-again-after-more-than-a-century/

Cambodian PM should have consulted other ASEAN states before meeting the junta leader, Saifuddin Abdullah had said. Cambodian Prime Minister and ASEAN chair Hun Sen, in a phone call with Indonesia’s president on Friday, lashed out at Malaysia’s foreign minister for being “arrogant” by criticizing Phnom Penh’s strategy to deal with Myanmar. Malaysia’s top diplomat, Saifuddin Abdullah, told reporters last week that Hun Sen should have consulted with other leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations before going to Myanmar on Jan. 7-8 to meet with Burmese junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in an attempt to solve that country’s post-coup crisis. Hun Sen told President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo that Saifuddin had disrespected the role of the ASEAN chair, which rotates every year among the regional bloc’s 10 members. Jakarta’s top diplomat should convey this message to Saifuddin, Hun Sen told Jokowi. “The intended message: Hun Sen asked Malaysian Foreign Minister not to be arrogant with inappropriate statements, and disrespect the ASEAN Chair by using undiplomatic language and [showing] a lack of courtesy,” Hun Sen said on Facebook about the phone call. Saifuddin’s comments were “not right in the ASEAN context” and Indonesia’s foreign minister should tell Saifuddin to not be “rude,” the Cambodian PM said. Hun Sen said he went to Myanmar “to plant trees, not to cut down trees.” “Those who didn’t support him, they only wanted a quick result,” he added. During a dinner with reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Jan. 13, Saifuddin acknowledged that some in ASEAN felt that Hun Sen “has the liberty to visit Myanmar for what is seen as normal bilateral visit.” “Malaysia is of the opinion that [Hun Sen] has the right to visit Myanmar as head of government of Cambodia,” Saifuddin said. “However we also feel that because he has already assumed the chair of ASEAN, he could have probably consulted if not all, a few other ASEAN leaders and seek their views as what he should do if he were to go to Myanmar,” he added. When reporters asked whether Hun Sen’s trip to Myanmar had achieved anything, Saifuddin replied “no.” In fact, even Indonesia had criticized Hun Sen’s trip, stating that he needed to stick to what the regional bloc had agreed to in meetings, including a five-point consensus to put Myanmar on the path to democracy. “PM Hun Sen did ask for a phone call and the purpose of the call was to convey the results of his recent visit to Myanmar,” Teuku Faizasyah, spokesman for Indonesia’s foreign ministry confirmed to BenarNews on Friday, when asked about Friday’s telephone call between the Cambodian and Indonesian leaders. Faizasyah did not elaborate. ‘ASEAN fissures’ Commenting on Hun’s Sen’s statements about Saifuddin, Southeast Asia expert Michael Vatikiotis said on Twitter that he saw an ASEAN spat in the making. “Remarkable and regrettable that Cambodian PM Hun Sen attacks Malaysia FM in a conversation with Indonesian President Jokowi. This is becoming unseemly and needs fixing,” Vatikiotos tweeted. Another analyst echoed these comments. “ASEAN fissures getting increasingly uncomfortable over the Myanmar crisis,” Huong Le Thu, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said via Twitter. Even before Hun Sen went to Myanmar, analysts were warning that Cambodia’s strategy would divide ASEAN, a grouping where countries are bound by geography rather than ideology or political systems. For instance, of the bloc’s member-states, Brunei is an absolutist monarchy; Laos and Vietnam are Communist-ruled; Cambodia is nominally a democracy but one where the ruling party holds all the parliamentary seats; the Thai government has its roots in a military coup; and Singapore has been dominated by a single party since independence. So there would be states that would be divided over the wisdom of Hun Sen’s trip, analysts said. During his visit to Naypyidaw, Hun Sen met with the military coup leader who toppled the elected National League for Democracy government on Feb. 1 last year. The Cambodian PM did not meet with any democracy leaders, and the Burmese junta spokesman said Hun Sen had not asked to meet them either. Regional analysts and parliamentarians had criticized Hun Sen before and after the trip for not insisting on a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders who were thrown in prison. They said his trip – the first by a foreign leader after the coup – would be seen as legitimizing the Burmese junta. Hun Sen has said that he achieved three successes during his trip to Myanmar, an assertion he repeated to Indonesia’s Jokowi on Friday. These successes, according to the Cambodian PM, were – a ceasefire between the military armed ethnic groups in the country’s border regions, allowing the ASEAN envoy to join these ceasefire talks, and an agreement with the junta to provide humanitarian assistance to the Burmese people. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, and by RFA's Khmer Service. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/myanmar-malaysia-01212022165317.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Dredgers have been spotted off Cambodia’s Ream naval base, where China is funding construction work and deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships, a U.S. think tank said on Friday. The United States, which has sought to push back against Beijing's extensive territorial claims and military expansion in the South China Sea, reiterated its "serious concerns" about China's construction and military presence at Ream. "These developments threaten U.S. and partner interests, regional security, and Cambodia's sovereignty," a spokesperson for the State Department said. The report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank said the dredgers could be seen in photos released this month by the Cambodian government and in commercial satellite imagery. "Dredging of deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships at Ream, and was part of a secret agreement between China and Cambodia that U.S. officials reported seeing in 2019," the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS reported. It cited a 2019 Wall Street Journal report that said the deal granted China military access to the base in return for funding facilities improvements. Last June, Cambodian media quoted Defense Minister Tea Bahn as saying China would help to modernize and expand Ream, but would not be the only country given access to the facility. AMTI said a Jan. 16 commercial satellite image showed two dredgers and barges for collecting dredged sand. It said other images showed both dredgers arriving between Jan. 13 and Jan. 15. They were also visible in a photo posted on Tea Banh’s Facebook page following his Jan. 18 visit to Ream, it said, adding that the work "could mark a significant upgrade in the base’s capabilities." "The shallow waters around Ream mean it is currently only able to host small patrol vessels. A deep-water port would make it far more useful to both the Cambodian and Chinese navies." AMTI said construction work had continued onshore, with land clearing in several locations in the southwest of the base since fall 2021 and said this and the dredging "indicates that the base is being prepared for significant infrastructure upgrades." The State Department spokesperson said the United States urged Cambodia "to be fully transparent about the intent, nature, and scope of the project at Ream and the role the PRC military is playing in its construction, raising concerns about the intended use of this naval facility." PRC stands for the People's Republic of China. Last year, Washington sanctioned two Cambodian officials over alleged corruption at Ream and imposed an arms embargo and export restrictions on Cambodia over what it said was the growing influence of China's military in the country, as well as over human rights and corruption.

Cambodia is among 10 countries that accept Vietnam vaccine passports along with Australia, Belarus, India, Japan, Maldives, Palestine, the Philippines, the U.K. and the U.S. On January 1, Vietnam partially reopened regular commercial flights on nine international routes covering Cambodia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Laos and the U.S. Vietnam meanwhile accepts vaccine passports from 79 countries and territories., including Cambodia. A document that simplifies procedures for foreigners entering the country approved by the Vietnamese government on January 18 took effect immediately, says foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang. “The decision takes effect on the date of signing,” Hang confirmed at a Thursday’s press conference in response to a question by VnExpress International. She said that Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has agreed in principle to simplify administrative procedures for foreigners entering Vietnam. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501010932/cambodia-recognises-vietnams-travel-passport-and-vietnam-simplifies-entry-requirements/

The Ministry of Interior has blacklisted an American lawyer Genser Jared Matthew and placed him in the immigration system at all international border police stations permanently banning him from entering Cambodia. Ministry of Interior spokesman General Khieu Sopheak said yesterday that Matthew arrived in Cambodia on December 5 on a tourist visa provided by the Cambodian Embassy in the United States and left on December 9 to Seoul, South Korea. He said that after arriving in Cambodia, Matthew presented himself as an international lawyer, attending the trial of a woman accused of plotting against the government and giving a media interview in front of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court where he called the hearing a “theatrical hearing”. Gen Sopheak added that Matthew also warned the government that there will be problems if the accused Seng Theary is convicted. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501010692/ministry-blacklists-us-lawyer-from-entering-cambodia/

Asia-Pacific economies will bounce back this year after global trade started to recover in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to Moody’s Analytics, with Cambodia’s growth rising as high as 6 percent helped by a tourism revival and rising exports. Uncertainties remain due to the continued impact of the Coronavirus pandemic but Covid-related volatility will diminish over time, according to Chief APAC Economist Steve Cochrane. Regional growth slowed to an annualised 1.8 percent in the third quarter of last year but rebounded in Q4 after Coronavirus cases peaked. “The pattern of rapid rise and an equally rapid fall of Omicron’s wave elsewhere illustrates that any impact in APAC will also be of shorter duration and less severity than the Delta wave of last year’s third quarter. So far steep surges of Covid-19 cases driven by the Omicron wave are evident in Australia and the Philippines,” Cochrane said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501010689/economy-may-grow-as-much-as-6-this-year-moodys-analytics-says/