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The filling of Phnom Penh’s Boeng Tamok lake is continuing briskly as the government allocated more landfill plots to people close to government and military leaders. Boeng Tamok, considered one of Phnom Penh’s “last lakes,” has been carved up for private individuals as well as state institutions that have at least in some cases sold the plots to pay for renovations. In sub-decrees from November that were made public this week, four more sets of plots totaling to 219 hectares were distributed. These include five locations totaling 122 hectares given to Som Sokdaramonuerika, Som Somalika and Som Sokdararikio; 70 hectares to Say Sorphea; 6 hectares to Chim Pisey; and 19 hectares to Chen Srunheng. All the decrees were signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen. The connections for Pisey and Srunheng could not immediately be found on Thursday. However, the siblings Sokdaramonuerika, Somalika and Sokdararikio are directors of Emario Shonan Marine and Emario Property and Investment. read more https://vodenglish.news/family-of-hun-sen-assistant-general-receive-plots-on-rapidly-dwindling-lake/

Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, said on the night of January 19 that he had had a telephone conversation with Don Pramat Vinay, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand on the current ASEAN issues. “We both understand that the Myanmar crisis cannot be resolved immediately,” he said. Of course, this solution must be led by the parties in Myanmar itself. As an ASEAN family, we are ready to support this process. “As the chair of ASEAN, Cambodia will continue to contribute to this work in good faith as we strive to ensure that ASEAN continues to move forward.” “I would like to thank His Excellency and encourage him as Cambodia carries this heavy burden during its chairmanship of ASEAN this year,” he added. Meanwhile Bloomberg reported that Asean has avoided following the US in placing sanctions on the generals, and hasn’t even broached the topic of expelling Myanmar. Doing so threatens to upset a delicate geopolitical balance in which Asean plays a central role in mitigating the interests of major powers. And a fissure in the region risks destabilising an area that saw immense bloodshed as competing blocs battled during the Cold War. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501010384/cambodian-and-thai-diplomats-agree-myanmar-crisis-cannot-be-resolved-immediately/

Kep province’s crab-shaped tourism port was officially inaugurated yesterday, a move to enhance the tourism sector by facilitating travel of tourists in the province, where there are dozens of potential islands for tourism. Taking about two years to complete, the $1.2 million Kep-Koh Tonsay Tourism Port will facilitate mainly maritime transport of tourists and isle residents between the mainland and islands. The port can accommodate three ships with capacity of 150 passengers on board each, according to the Kep Provincial Administration. The port was built on the site of the old port in Kep city with construction starting in 2019 over a total area of nearly 4,000 square metres. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Public Works Minister Sun Chanthol said that the port infrastructure will contribute to development in the province, especially in the tourism sector. He said the port facility is one among many infrastructure development projects that the government has plans to build, particularly roads, to facilitate travel of people to visit the coastal province of Kep. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501009994/kep-province-officially-inaugurates-new-tourism-port/

Accor has launched its ‘For the Love of Captivating Cambodia’ campaign with guests rewarded with special credits that can be redeemed for meals, beverages and spa treatments. Guests booking at Raffles & Sofitel hotels will be rewarded with a $50 to welcome travellers back in Cambodia. Accor has also launched a short-film entitled ‘Unveil Cambodia’, to inspire travellers to rediscover the country. The video is part of Accor’s global campaign which encourages people to experience the beauty, depth and meaning that travel brings to their lives to celebrate of the return to travel, the reopening of Cambodia, and the joy of great hotel stays. Most visitors to Cambodia come in search of the Angkor temple complex in Siem Reap. This world-heritage site was constructed in the early 12th century and is the largest religious structure in the world, covering 162 hectares (more than three times the size of the Vatican City). The town of Siem Reap has since become a burgeoning destination for visitors exploring the province’s 1,000+ temples. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501010324/accor-unveils-campaign-to-welcome-back-international-travellers-to-cambodia/

As a treason trial against former opposition leader Kem Sokha resumed on Wednesday after a delay of nearly two years, lawyers attacked each other over the postponement. Sokha also said he believed Prime Minister Hun Sen wanted a reconciliation and that the charges against him would be dropped, while a prosecutor said the only way the trial would finish early was if Sokha admitted his guilt or he died. Sokha was arrested in September 2017 and the CNRP, the main opposition party he co-founded in 2012, was banned two months later. He is accused of colluding with the U.S. to topple the government, and faces up to 30 years in jail. In the courtroom ahead of the hearing, Sokha told VOD that he believed the court would drop the charges against him so the country could move forward. “Whenever we have a quarrel, there’s no benefit. We need national reconciliation,” Sokha said. “I believe that there will be a solution. Even the ruling party, samdech also want national reconciliation,” he added, using an honorific for Hun Sen. As he resumed the trial, presiding judge Koy Sao said the delay was due to Covid-19, and congratulated the government for its success in combating the pandemic. read more https://vodenglish.news/opposition-leader-says-reconciliation-is-near-as-treason-trial-resumes/

The National Committee for Clean City Assessment (NCCCA) on Monday announced that three top Cambodian tourist destinations have been chosen as ASEAN Clean Tourism Cities, namely Battambang, Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. According to the NCCCA, the awards for the winners are scheduled to be distributed at the ASEAN Tourism Awards Ceremony to be held during the 2022 ASEAN Tourism Forum in Preah Sihanouk province. The Asean tourism ministers will present the awards to 21 tourist cities in the Asean region. The awards are valid from 2022 through 2024. Battambang provincial deputy governor Soeum Bunrithy said that he was very happy that Battambang received the Clean City Award from the ASEAN Tourism Forum and this is the second time that his province has won the award. He added that under the leadership of provincial governor Sok Lou, every year the government has prepared infrastructure in all areas, especially Battambang city, where there is a lot of heritage architecture including around 800 old French Colonial buildings. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501009475/three-cambodian-destinations-picked-as-asean-clean-tourism-cities/

The Mekong river endured three years of drought and its lowest-ever water levels due to minimal rainfall as well as the actions of upstream hydropower dams, which had spillover effects for the Tonle Sap lake and Cambodia’s fishing industry that relies on it, according to a new report. The Mekong River Commission reported that water flows down the mainstream were lower than average for three years it studied — 2019, 2020 and 2021 — with the worst impact of drought and low water flows hitting downstream countries. The wet season, when river volumes are at their deepest, was also reduced to four months as they started in July — one month later than usual — for the last three years, the report says. The Tonle Sap lake, whose unique flood-pulse system depends on the Mekong, also saw the lowest water levels on record during the last three years. Abnormally low water levels were likely the primary cause of fish shortages, which have become a constant bane for Tonle Sap fishers. read more https://vodenglish.news/mekong-drought-tonle-sap-fish-shortage-tied-to-low-rainfall-hydropower-mrc/

Phnom Penh Appeal Court yesterday upheld the sentence of an American man who was convicted last year by the Siem Reap Provincial Court over child prostitution and producing child pornography in 2019. Presiding Judge Pov Phousun identified the accused as John Patrick Reidy, 58, a tourist from Massachusetts. “Based on the victim’s answers and the evidence that police seized from the accused John Patrick Reidy’s rental house in Siem Reap city during his arrest, the Judges’ Council of Phnom Penh Appeal Court has found him guilty as charged,” said Judge Phousun, who read out the verdict. “The Judges’ Council of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court has considered that the ruling by Siem Reap Provincial Court was right and was made in accordance with Cambodian Laws, and the accused’s sentence given by the provincial court had been already reduced and is light,” he said. “Therefore, Phnom Penh Appeal Court has decided to uphold the ruling of Siem Reap Provincial Court as affected.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501009366/american-loses-appeal-against-child-sex-conviction/

PHNOM PENH, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Cambodia is set to resume the treason trial on Wednesday of banned opposition party leader Kem Sokha after a two-year delay due to the pandemic, in a case condemned by the United States as politically motivated. Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 and his opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was banned ahead of a 2018 election that was swept by the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen. CNRP has since been decimated, with many of its members arrested or fleeing into exile in what activists say is a sweeping crackdown designed to thwart challenges to CPP's power monopoly. "He will go to court to fight the charges," Kem Sokha's lawyer Pheng Heng told Reuters, confirming his attendance. Kem Sokha was freed from house arrest in 2019 but remains banned from political activities. His daughter urged the court to drop the charges. "It's overdue. The trial should move swiftly, for Cambodia's sake," Monovithya Kem told Reuters. "He is in strong spirits," she added, referring to his health. The treason charges stem from accusations he was conspiring with the United States to overthrow self-style strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades. Kem Sokha denies the charges and the United States has dismissed the allegations as "fabricated conspiracy theories". The U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh urged authorities to stop "politically motivated trials", including that of Kem Sokha and other members of the political opposition, journalists, and labour and environmental activists. "Promoting democracy and respect for human rights is central to U.S. foreign policy in Cambodia and around the world," embassy spokesperson Chad Roedemeier said. Cambodia's justice ministry said the trials were not politically motivated and urged the U.S. embassy to provide evidence to support its claim and not to interfere. "This allegation is legally baseless," the ministry's spokesman Chin Malin said.

Thailand has administered 3,900,995 doses of COVID0-19 vaccines to foreigners residing there between February 28, 2021 to January 6, 2022. An info graph obtained by Khmer Times depicted the 10 major recipients by nationalities who are residing in Thailand. Cambodians in Thailand, the neighbouring country’s second largest component of migrant workers were second on the list of foreigners receiving the COVID-19 vaccine there. A total of 365,777 Cambodians, representing 17.8 percent have been vaccinated in Thailand. Myanmar nationals were those who received the most vaccines, totaling 1,234,863 of them, representing 60.43 percent. Cambodia was followed by Laos with 182,415 people or 9.93 percent, China with 53,760 people or 2.63 percent, Japan with 24,925 people or 1.22 percent, Greece with 22,482 people or 1.1 percent, India with 18,857 people or 0.92 percent, Philippines with 18,283 people or 0.89 percent, Britain with 17,689 people or 0.87 percent and U.S with 11,667 people or 0.57 percent. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501008790/more-than-365000-cambodians-in-thailand-vaccinated-against-covid-19/

A 16-year-old girl told the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday that she did take a 17-year-old girl from her house in Akrei Ksath commune in Kandal province to meet a Cambodian human trafficking broker called ‘Chan” in Takhmao city in 2020. The high school dropout who lived in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district said she only took the girl to see “Chan” and for the introduction, she was paid $50 as commission. She said she knew the girl via Facebook and recruited her for “Chan” as she was begging for help. “She (victim) said that she is very poor and her mother is a widow. She knew that I had a Chinese husband and lived in China. She begged me to find her a rich Chinese man to marry so that she can support her family financially,” said the accused. She added that she pitied the girl and decided to help her. The school dropout is charged with “unlawful removal for cross-border transfer” under Article 11 of the Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation and if found guilty, she will face a jail sentence of between seven to 15 years. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501008657/school-dropout-recruits-17-year-old-to-be-trafficked-for-marriage-to-chinese-man/

Vietnam Airlines has added another six flights per week to bring its current four per week to 10. Vietnam Airlines first flight to Phnom Penh was on January 1 this year. Other flight increases were to Australia, Thailand and Laos which were also increased to 10 flights per week. The routes to China and the US will operate four flights per week. The Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) has decided to increase the frequency of international flights to Japan, Korea, Taipei (China) and Singapore. In its announcement about regular international flights sent to airlines, the CAAV said that the routes to Japan, Korea, Taipei (China) and Singapore increased to 14 flights per week per route, divided between four airlines including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways and Pacific Airlines. Specifically, for the Japan routes, Vietnam Airlines (VNA) operates seven flights per week, Vietjet Air (VJA) four, Bamboo Airlines two and Pacific Airlines one. The frequency of the Korean route is VNA with seven flights, Vietjet with five flights, and the remaining two airlines one flight each. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501008216/vietnam-airlines-increases-cambodian-flight-frequency-to-10-per-week/

Among the average costs of doing business in Asia, Cambodia ranks top. According to TMX’s – a business transformation consultancy – latest report, ‘The Great Supply Chain Migration – Breaking down the Cost of Doing Business in Asia’, Cambodia is reported to have the lowest operating costs among nine countries in Asia, ahead of Myanmar and Vietnam. The report assessed the average costs of doing business in Asia and the corresponding country competitiveness across nine popular potential manufacturing locations: Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. According to the TMX report “The great supply chain migration – breaking down the cost of doing business in Asia,” the average total operating cost for a manufacturing company in Việt Nam ranges from US$79,280 to $209,087 per month, compared to leader Singapore at $366,561 and second placed Thailand at $142,344. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501007945/cambodia-ranks-top-for-lowest-operating-costs-among-nine-countries-in-asia/

All relevant authorities in the provinces including sub-national administrations, provincial administrations, the Department of Environment, relevant authorities and stakeholders have been told to take all proactive measures to avert land encroachment activities on state lands and forests. They have also been told to be on high alert and stop all unauthorised land clearing and burning activities in the flooded forests, especially in the protected areas and biodiversity conservation sites to prevent forest fires due to the onset of the hot season until May. Environment Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra said yesterday that they are very concerned over the outbreak of forest fires in the Kingdom, especially from now until May, with high incidences of hot spots and fire outbreaks reported, sometimes between 4,000 to 5,000 nationwide a day. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501008036/provinces-to-stop-unauthorised-activities-in-protected-forest-areas-to-avert-fire-outbreaks/

The army based in Stung Treng will recheck the conditions of all firearms and bullets following the deaths of two soldiers during a live fire exercise on Friday. Royal Cambodian Army spokesman Major General Mao Phalla said yesterday that the accident which happened in Thala Barivat district was caused by a crack in a mortar which resulted in a shell exploding inside. “Two soldiers fired three shells during which the mortar became cracked. A fourth shell got stuck and exploded inside and killed the two soldiers,” Maj Gen Phalla said. He said both were sergeants had joined the army about three years ago. They had completed three months of mortar training, using blanks. Maj Gen Phalla said after three months of practicing with blanks, all trainees must undergo a course using live ammunition and the two victims were doing that. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501008037/fatal-accident-prompts-military-to-recheck-armoury/

A testimonial for a Phnom Penh cosmetic surgery raves that Chinese doctors gave her a “foreign nose,” and when she wanted her eyelids cut back, they gave her the option instead to inject thigh fat into her eye sockets. “I don’t trust Cambodian doctors, frankly speaking, because with Cambodian doctors … just show them money for a nose surgery and then in the evening you have the surgery,” the woman says in a video posted online by Romdoul Medical Cosmetology Center. In the center’s videos, backed by upbeat synthesizer music, surgeons perform breast augmentation, while other ads offer chin implants. According to a statement issued by the Counter-Counterfeiting Committee on Thursday, multiple patients have suffered injuries at the surgery. Authorities from multiple agencies cracked down on the business earlier this month, shutting down the operations and sending four Chinese doctors to court, the statement said. read more https://vodenglish.news/cosmetic-surgeons-sent-to-court-over-injuries-counterfeit-medicines-and-unlicensed-operations/

Under a new decree, all web traffic will be routed through a government portal. Rights groups say a crackdown on digital expression is about to get worse. By Charles McDermid PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The day Kea Sokun was arrested in Cambodia, four men in plainclothes showed up at his photography shop near Angkor Wat and carted him off to the police station. Mr. Kea Sokun, who is also a popular rapper, had released two songs on YouTube, and the men said they needed to know why he’d written them. “They kept asking me: ‘Who is behind you? What party do you vote for?’” Mr. Kea Sokun said. “I told them, ‘I have never even voted, and no one controls me.’” The 23-year-old artist, who says his songs are about everyday struggles in Cambodia, was sentenced to 18 months in an overcrowded prison after a judge found him guilty of inciting social unrest with his lyrics. His case is part of a crackdown in which dozens have been sent to jail for posting jokes, poems, pictures, private messages and songs on the internet. The ramped-up scrutiny reflects an increasingly restrictive digital environment in Cambodia, where a new law will allow the authorities to monitor all web traffic in the country. read more https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/15/business/cambodia-arrests-internet.html

Of the total vehicle assembly plants, four are located in a special economic zone in Banteay Meanchey province, two others in Phnom Penh, two in Svay Rieng province, a factory in Koh Kong and another is in Preah Sihanouk province. Cambodia is expected to accommodate a dozen vehicle assembly factories producing for supplying to the local market and for exports, as three more projects have been expected to be online soon. Figures from the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation stated currently there are ten vehicle assembly factories that are already in production chains producing vehicle and vehicle trucks supplying to the domestic market and for export. The total investment of the registered vehicle assembly plants amounted to $78.4 million. Of the total vehicle assembly plants, four are located in a special economic zone in Banteay Meanchey province, two others in Phnom Penh, two in Svay Rieng province, a factory in Koh Kong, and another is in Preah Sihanouk province, according to the report. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501006599/78m-worth-vehicle-assembly-factories-registered-more-in-the-pipeline/

A 14-year old boy was killed on Wednesday when he took home an abandoned unexploded ordnance and hit it, causing it to explode. Sandan commune deputy police chief Captain Bun Narin told Khmer Times today that the victim Lay Seiha, 14, was a Grade 5 student at Chhouk Primary School living in Sandan commune’s Chhouk village, Kampong Thom province. On the day of the incident, Capt Narin said the victim had found the unexploded ordnance in the outskirts of his village and decided to take it home. Upon reaching home, he said the victim tried to break it, hoping that he could sell the shattered pieces. However, he added when the victim hit it, it exploded and caused him to suffer severe body injuries that subsequently led to his death. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501007244/14-year-old-boy-killed-after-he-hit-an-abandoned-unexploded-ordnance-in-kampong-thom-province/

The move comes amid ruling party concerns over the Candlelight Party's growing popularity ahead of local elections. Authorities in Cambodia are ordering an opposition party to remove a sign from a public road, sparking accusations of political bias in favor of the Cambodian People’s Party whose leader Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia for more than 35 years. The move by officials in central Cambodia’s Tboung Khmum province reflects CPP concern over the growth of the Candlelight Party, which has been working since November to prepare for local elections scheduled for June 5, party activist Sou Yean told RFA on Wednesday. Sou Yean said he has refused orders from authorities in Tboung Khmum’s Dambaer district to take down his party’s sign. “All political parties have equal rights,” said the activist, a former member of the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party who was recently released from prison. Provincial deputy governor Keng Bunna denied accusations of political bias in ordering the sign’s removal, saying its placement at the side of a public road had led to complaints from villagers living nearby. “Even though the sign was put up in a public space, it might interfere with traffic,” Keng Bunna said. Candlelight Party members should consult with authorities in the future over where their signs can be placed, he said. “They need to coordinate this with the authorities so we can make sure their signs don’t affect the flow of traffic. We don’t restrict the activities of any political parties,” he added. Sou Yean said however that his party had informed local authorities about the installation of its sign according to legal requirements, and that the sign’s placement did not interfere with traffic flows. The Candlelight Party will continue its activities in spite of authorities’ pressure and intimidations, he said. Kang Savang, a monitor with the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel) said that opposition parties in Cambodia have frequently been blocked in their attempts to put up signs advertising their party’s presence and activities. “It isn’t right for the authorities to refuse permission. Instead, they should work to find compromises so they don’t engage in political discrimination,” he said. The Candlelight Party was formerly known as the Sam Rainsy Party, whose leader merged the group with other opposition forces to form the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 in a move that allowed Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party to win all 125 seats in Parliament in a July 2018 election. The ban came two months after the arrest of Kem Sokha, president of the CNRP, who faces trial on treason charges this month. Hun Sen’s crackdown on the opposition and civil society drew U.S. sanctions and the suspension of trade privileges with the European Union. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney. read more https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/signs-01132022100359.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Communities around Southeast Asia’s biggest lake are feeling the effects of droughts and rising demand for land. Tonle Sap, Cambodia – During Cambodia’s monsoon season, rice farmer Sam Vongsay’s backyard fills with water and the plastic trash of his houseboat-dwelling neighbours as the Tonle Sap lake grows with floodwaters from the Mekong River. But during the dry half of the year, which runs from December to May, Vongsay can hardly access a drop of lake water from his home in Chong Khneas, which is located about 220km (137 miles) north-west of the capital Phnom Penh. The 40-year-old farmer lacks a viable well or the equipment to pump the lake’s water the 2km (1.2 miles) distance to his property, and blames farmers upstream for diverting much of the flow to irrigate their crops. “The water is not enough to come downstream, because the other farmers upstream also block the water,” Vongsay told Al Jazeera. read more https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/14/nothing-to-harvest

The World Bank says Cambodia’s economy will grow at more than twice the pace this year than its estimate of 2.2 percent growth in 2021. It says gross domestic product (GDP) will accelerate to 4.5 percent this year and reach 5.5 percent in 2023. That would still be lower than pre-Covid levels. Cambodia’s economy expanded 7.1 percent in 2019, but then contracted by 3.1 percent the following year as the pandemic forced border closures and cut international trade and tourism. The World Bank estimate for this year is less optimistic than the Cambodian government’s forecast. Prime Minister Hun Sen said 2022 GDP will rise by more than 5 percent helped by growing demand for agricultural exports. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501006598/cambodias-economy-to-grow-4-5-percent-this-year-5-5-percent-in-2023-world-bank/

Cambodia snagged second place in Asia and 14th in the world as the best country for retirees to 2022. This is according to the recent release of the International Living website. The website placed Thailand as the first place in Asia and 11th globally. Globally, Panama is ranked first, Costa Rica is second and Mexico is third, which are followed by Ecuador, Colombia, France, Malta, Spain, Uruguay, Ireland and Peru. Cambodia has also been ranked as one of the top 10 best destinations for tourism over the next 10 years, according to the US-based Forbes magazine. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501006963/cambodia-ranks-second-in-asia-as-the-best-country-for-retirees-for-2022/

The United States Government announced that through extensive effort 35 artifacts originating from Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries will be returned. This is according to the announcement of the US Embassy in Cambodia which was released on January 13. The US Embassy has identified valuable Cambodian artifacts, including bronze Angkorian-style statues, Buddha statues, and 10th-century sandstone statues from Koh Ker temple. The artifacts include a statue of Preah Kanes, believed to have originated from the Bak temple in the Koh Ker temple area. According to people, the statue was stolen from the temple about two decades ago. According to the US Embassy, the artifacts will be returned to Cambodia thanks to the efforts of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Investigation. “We are committed to ending the illegal trade in antiquities, finding these valuable items and returning them to their homeland,” the United States said through its embassy in Cambodia. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501006984/us-committed-to-end-illegal-trade-of-cambodian-antiquities/

Police arrested Chhim Sithar for leading the massive strike against NagaWorld casino. The day before her arrest for leading a strike against one of the most profitable gaming companies in the world, Chhim Sithar shaved her hair and had a photo taken of herself holding a banner declaring: “I am imprison[ed] after demanding Naga Corp. to respect union right[s].” It was, her family and colleagues said, a typically fearless act of defiance for the university educated 34-year-old labor leader, who was immediately detained by police in plainclothes when she arrived at the site of the strike on Jan. 4. As president of Labor Rights Supported by Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld, Chhim Sithar has been at the forefront of a massive strike of workers who are demanding higher wages and the reinstatement of 365 union leaders and members the group says was unjustly fired from the hotel and casino. Cambodian authorities have deemed the strike “illegal” and say it is supported by foreign donors as a plot to topple the government. Chhim Sithar was charged along with seven other colleagues with incitement to cause social unrest. Labor leaders say the government’s response is really about preventing any meaningful worker reforms in the country. “By arresting our union members, the government is playing with fire,” Chhim Sithar told RFA a day before her arrest. She said that it would “bring further shame” on Cambodia’s global image to deny workers the basic rights to organize and fight for themselves. In the five days from Dec. 31 to Jan. 4, authorities in Phnom Penh arrested 29 strikers, union activists, and union leaders, including a tricycle driver and several pregnant women who the labor group says were unjustly fired by NagaWorld. Authorities later released 20 of them after they signed agreements not to rejoin the strike. One of the workers was placed under judicial supervision. Chhim Sithar is now being held on incitement charges in Prey Sar Prison. If convicted, she could face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 4 million riels (U.S. $974,000). Seven other union members also charged with incitement are also in custody. The union leader previously told RFA that she was ready to face persecution to fight for labor rights in Cambodia that she says are not yet fully upheld. Cambodian union leader Chhim Sithar is arrest by plainclothes police in Phnom Penh, Jan. 4, 2022. Credit: Citizen Journalist Math whiz, labor rights defender Chhim Sithar was born into a middle-class in Prey Veng province’s Peam Chor district but grew up in Phnom Penh when her parents moved there for work. The second child among five siblings, she excelled in mathematics at the renowned elite Preah Sisowath High School and studied economic informatics on a scholarship at the Royal University of Law and Economics. She is fluent in English and Chinese and is able to communicate well in Thai. She began to work at NagaWorld casino in 2006. A year later she joined the union. In a previous interview with RFA, Chhim Sithar said she became motivated to take on a more active role in the union when she saw its leaders punished for pushing for better working conditions and higher employee wages. For years now, it has been Chhim Sithar herself bearing the brunt of the fight. She was suspended by NagaWorld on the night of Sept. 20, 2019, after she pressed management for an explanation as to why it ordered company security guards to inspect an employee’s bag. During the bag check, guards confiscated a T-shirt saying, “Decent wages for workers bring about the company’s growth.” The company accused Chhim Sithar of being behind the T-shirt campaign. She was not reinstated until Cambodia was hit hard by the COVID-19 virus in early 2021 and NagaWorld needed workers. NagaWorld also sued Chhim Sithar for U.S. $1.7 million for leading what it said were illegal strikes in 2013 that damaged the company’s interests. The lawsuit has yet to be heard by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, but in the meantime, Chhim Sithar filed an appeal against the court’s procedures for trying to turn the collective labor dispute into personal dispute targeting her. “I am happy to see that she dares to devote her work to her colleagues for the sake of labor rights,” Chhim Yiek, Chhim Sithar’s elder brother, told RFA. “She is well-loved by her colleagues and team for the fact that she effortlessly advocates for them.” Chhim Yiek said he supported his sister’s education in Phnom Penh, and that she attained the highest level of education of any member of the family. He said his sister never wanted to marry, but instead had devoted herself to her fight for labor rights up to the day she was arrested. Ou Tephalin, president of Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation and a close friend of Chhim Sithar, described the union leader as resolute and willing to risk her personal freedom for the sake of her coworkers . She isn’t paid for her union work, Ou Tephalin said. “Wherever Sithar has gone, she has never forgotten to talk about social issues, even though it could be holiday time when we normally don't want to talk about negative or stressful things,” she said. “Sithar remains outspoken.” People gather in front of NagaWorld hotel and casino during a strike by Cambodian workers calling for higher pay and better working conditions, in Phnom Penh, Jan. 10, 2020. Credit: AFP Examining the root causes Ou Tephalin said that Cambodian authorities have sided with casino management by arresting and detaining the eight union leaders. The goal, she said, is to break up the union. “This is not the first time that NagaWorld has fired union leaders,” she said. “The first union leader was fired by the company before and the company continued its ongoing efforts to persecute the second union leader, including Miss Chhim Sithar.” “If we examine the root causes, it is about the fact that the company itself is trying to obliterate leaders and their union from the company,” Ou Tephalin said. “The real intention of the workers is to protect the existence of the union to represent them within the company.” NagaWorld casino is a subsidiary of NagaCorp Ltd., a Hong Kong exchange-listed company and one of the world’s most profitable gaming outfits. It claims to be the largest gaming entertainment company in the Mekong Region. According to the company’s website, NagaWorld owns, manages, and operates Phnom Penh’s only integrated hotel-casino entertainment complex and enjoys a monopoly within a 200-kilometer (124-mile) radius of the capital until 2045. A 2017 leaked text message by Chen Lip Keong, NagaCrp's chief executive officer, revealed to his close business ties with the wife and children of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the sons of Sok An, the late deputy prime minister. None of the parties confirmed or denied the leaked information. Despite lockdown conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic, the company reported that it generated U.S. $173 million in profit during the first half of 2020 and U.S. $74.7 million dollars during the same period in 2021. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/chhim-sithar-01132022174210.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. 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