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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Malaysia's foreign minister said on Thursday that some Southeast Asian countries had reservations about last week's visit to Myanmar by Cambodia's leader, with concerns it could be seen as regional recognition of its ruling junta. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the new chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met last week with military ruler Min Aung Hlaing, the first such visit by a head of government to Myanmar since last year's coup, dealing a blow to international efforts to isolate the generals. read more Speaking to reporters late on Thursday, Saifuddin Abdullah said there were different opinions within ASEAN about Hun Sen's visit, with some of its 10 members concerned it could be seen as legitimising the coup-makers. "There are people who think that he should not have taken the visit because his visit has been construed or interpreted as a recognition of the military in Myanmar," he said. "Malaysia is of the opinion that he has the right to visit Myanmar as the head of government of Cambodia. However, we also feel that because he has already assumed the chair of ASEAN, he could have probably consulted the other ASEAN leaders and sought our views as to what he should do if he were to go to Myanmar." Asked if he thought Hun Sen's visit achieved anything, Saifuddin said: "No". Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, with the military using deadly force to quell protests and facing armed resistance on multiple fronts from opponents it calls "terrorists". Thousands have been arrested and ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 76, has been convicted of crimes including incitement and breaching coronavirus rules. ASEAN late last year took the unprecedented step of sidelining junta boss Min Aung Hlaing from its leaders' summit over his failure to implement a five-point peace plan to end hostilities and start inclusive dialogue, which he had agreed to with ASEAN. Saifuddin said it was unclear whether Cambodia, as ASEAN chair, would continue to exclude Myanmar's junta from ASEAN meetings until it showed progress, a position favoured by previous chair Brunei, which Malaysia backed. Cambodia's foreign minister Prak Sokhonn on Saturday said his country as ASEAN chair would take "different approaches" to the Myanmar crisis. read more According to Myanmar's state media, Min Aung Hlaing thanked Hun Sen for "standing with Myanmar". Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Hugh Lawson

Samraong Thom commune police chief Huot Seiha denied he had taken $3,500 from three detained people in exchange for their release, as he was removed from his post and demoted one rank over the allegation but allowed to stay in the force. Even before any questions were asked, Seiha started laughing when reached by phone. “I have nothing to elaborate, and my stance is that I did not extort money,” Seiha said. “I’ll just inform you this.” “You must know that when there are complaints, and I do not challenge it … they can do whatever they want to,” he continued. Asked why he didn’t challenge the complaint, Seiha said: “It’s fine since it is the way it is, and we can’t do anything about it.” “Smile and accept it,” he said. “I don’t feel resentful about it.” He concluded: “Let our brothers and sisters analyze it. I don’t dare to give my view on it.” On Wednesday, Kandal Provincial Police announced that following media allegations that Seiha had taken $3,500 from three youths in July to secure their release, Kandal police chief Chhoeun Socheat had launched an investigation. read more https://vodenglish.news/demoted-police-chief-denies-alleged-bribe-i-dont-dare-to-give-my-view/

“Why would you want to own something that was stolen?” said James H. Clark, who investigators said had been persuaded to buy dozens of looted items by a rogue dealer. Over a period of five years, James H. Clark, the internet pioneer whose Netscape browser once commanded that market, spent roughly $35 million, he recalled in an interview, to purchase dozens of Cambodian and Southeast Asian antiquities, many of which he used to furnish a penthouse in Miami Beach. On Tuesday, federal officials announced he had surrendered the collection of 35 items, now valued at much more than he paid, after investigators convinced him that they were all stolen and that he had been duped by a shady antiquities dealer. A bronze goddess of motherhood with four arms and elongated earlobes. A massive seated elephant deity in stone bearing a crown and an ornamented trunk. A boat prow with a depiction of a half-human bird of prey astride a mythic serpent. read more https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/12/arts/design/james-clark-cambodian-antiquities.html

The newly upgraded 84.74km stretch of Cambodia’s National Road 5 – from Battambang town north to Banteay Meanchey provincial capital Sisophon – will improve trade, tourism and investment between Cambodia and Thailand, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen. The leader made the comment at the inauguration ceremony of the road segment on January 10. Now 100 percent completed and inaugurated, the road will turn former “battlefields” into markets and places of production and tourism, make the lives of locals easier, and spur economic growth, he said. Last year, the trade volume between Cambodia and Thailand reached about $10 billion, more than $9 billion with Vietnam, and over $100 million with Laos, figures that are likely to continue to grow, Hun Sen said. He said the renovation project of the highway is considered to be about 90 percent completed, with the bulk of the remaining work being the removal of landmines and unexploded ordnances. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501006154/newly-upgraded-stretch-of-cambodias-national-road-to-boost-trade-with-thailand/

In an effort to contain the Omicron strain of Covid-19, the Health Ministry is looking into the possibility of requiring proof of booster shots status before allowing quarantine-free entry into Cambodia. This is to ensure the success of the Kingdom’s efforts to achieve herd immunity through more aggressive vaccination campaigns, including booster shots. Health Ministry spokesman Hok Kimcheng said yesterday that the ministry is considering to implement an additional quarantine-free entry requirement that all arrivals from other countries must have had booster shots after a maximum of six months from the time they were vaccinated with the second dose. “With the high vaccination rate and heading toward achieving the herd immunity target for people in the country, we can’t let outsiders come and upset the goal,” he said. “The booster shot requirement is being implemented because the highly infectious Omicron variant is circulating widely and is a global concern. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501005865/no-booster-no-entry-those-with-second-jab-validation-crossing-six-months-considered-omicron-risks/

UK Minister for Asia Amanda Milling has completed a two-day visit to the Kingdom to build closer ties with Asean Chair Cambodia. Milling is the first minister from an Asean Dialogue Partner nation to visit Cambodia since the country took over from Brunei as chair earlier this month. She is also the first UK minister to visit the country since her country secured Dialogue Partner status with Asean last year. Cambodia will be a vital partner for the UK in this year as we seek an ever-closer relationship with our Asean friends, she said on Tuesday. “Coming to Phnom Penh as my first visit of the year demonstrates our commitment to boosting ties and working with Cambodia to solve some of the region’s biggest challenges, from building back better from Covid-19 to resolving the crisis in Myanmar and climate change,” she added. The minister held talks with senior members of the government. She met Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sohhonn, who is also the proposed new Asean special envoy to Myanmar, for a discussion on forging closer cooperation on shared challenges and working together to further UK-Asean relations. Sokhonn said both sides exchanged fruitful discussion. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501005868/uks-minister-for-asia-builds-ties-with-new-asean-chair-cambodia/

A government spokesman cites 'difficulties' for top diplomats to attend in-person retreat next week. Cambodia on Wednesday postponed the first ASEAN meeting under its 2022 chairmanship, the government said, amid reports of differences among the bloc’s members over Prime Minister Hun Sen’s visit to Myanmar last week where he did not meet democracy leaders. An in-person foreign ministers’ retreat, scheduled for next week in Siem Reap, was postponed indefinitely because some top diplomats from member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had said they would find it difficult to travel, said Khieu Kanharith, the host country’s information minister. “The ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat (AMM Retreat) initially scheduled on Jan 18-19, 2022 in Siem Reap province has been postponed,” he said in a statement on Facebook, without announcing a fresh date for the meeting. The reason for the postponement is that “many ASEAN foreign have difficulties traveling to attend the meeting,” he added. The postponement effectively delays the official endorsement of Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn as ASEAN’s new special envoy for Myanmar. Radio Free Asia (RFA), with which BenarNews is affiliated, tried to contact Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan and Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Koung but did not immediately hear back from them on Wednesday. Divisions within ASEAN over Hun Sen’s trip to Naypyidaw and a potential invitation to the Myanmar junta’s foreign minister to attend the ASEAN diplomats’ retreat might be why some diplomats chose not to attend next week’s meeting, analysts said. ASEAN states who cited travel difficulties were likely being polite instead of saying outright that they didn’t want to go to Siem Reap, according to Sophal Ear, a Cambodia expert at Arizona State University in the U.S. “This is not officially a boycott, but [some members-states’ foreign ministers] came-up with some excuses as to why they cannot join the meeting. … The chickens are coming home to roost, it’s karma for Cambodia’s ‘Cowboy Diplomacy,’” Ear, an associate dean and professor at the university’s Thunderbird School of Management in Phoenix, told RFA. “When you do things others don’t want you to do, they don’t come to your party and have excuses … Be ready for a long list of reasons for why someone cannot show up,” he added. Another Southeast Asia analyst, Hunter Marston, said Cambodia’s chairmanship had got off to a “rocky start.” “Seems internal divisions over the chair’s invitation to the Myanmar military-appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin have created an impasse,” Marston, a doctoral student at ANU College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University, said on Twitter. ‘A non-political representative’ Hun Sen, the leader of Cambodia, which this year took over the revolving annual chairmanship of ASEAN, had said before going to Myanmar last week that he wanted the Burmese junta to be represented at the bloc’s meetings. Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had categorically said that if Burmese coup leader Min Aung Hlaing did not implement an earlier agreed upon five-point road map to democracy, then Myanmar should only be represented by a non-political individual at ASEAN meetings. A Malaysian foreign ministry spokesman, meanwhile, told BenarNews on Monday that Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah would attend the Siem Reap meeting only virtually. Critics said that Cambodia had undermined the regional bloc through Hun Sun’s meeting with the Burmese junta leader Min Aung Hlaing after he was disinvited from the ASEAN summit in late 2021 for reneging on his promises to implement the bloc’s five-point consensus. Back then, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore had backed shutting out the coup leader from the regional bloc’s top summit. By visiting Myanmar and meeting with Min Aung Hlaing, Hun Sen legitimized Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, pro-democracy activists in Myanmar said. The military leader who toppled the elected Burmese government last February had promised, among other things, to end violence and give an ASEAN special envoy access to all parties in the Myanmar political crisis. He did none of those things. Min Aung Hlaing refused to allow an ASEAN special envoy access to democracy leaders last year. Meanwhile, more than 1,400 mostly pro-democracy protesters have been killed by security forces since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup. And a day after Hun Sen left Myanmar, National League for Democracy Leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to four more years in prison over what many said were frivolous charges. Hun Sen would have divided the regional bloc because of what some describe as his cowboy diplomacy with Myanmar, causing more authoritarian member-states to be at odds with liberal democratic ones, analysts had said. ‘China appreciates Myanmar’s readiness’ In other developments, Japan on Tuesday “welcomed Cambodia’s active engagement as ASEAN Chair on the situation in Myanmar, and both ministers shared the view to coordinate closely,” the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement. Additionally, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said that ASEAN member-state Thailand’s top diplomat had sent a “congratulatory message” saying “he strongly supported the outcomes of the Cambodia-Myanmar joint press release,” local media reported. On Monday, China, Myanmar’s close ally, spoke in favor of Hun Sen and Cambodia, as well as Myanmar. “China appreciates Myanmar’s readiness to create favorable conditions for ASEAN’s special envoy to fulfill his duty, and works toward effective alignment between Myanmar’s five-point roadmap and ASEAN’s five-point consensus,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, told reporters. The two roadmaps have nothing in common. “China will fully support Cambodia, the rotating chair of ASEAN, in playing an active role and making [an] important contribution to properly managing the differences among parties of Myanmar.” Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, with additional reporting by RFA's Khmer Service. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/meeting-01122022170151.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ricky J. Patel, the Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security (“HSI”), announced today the filing of a civil complaint seeking forfeiture of 35 Cambodian and Southeast Asian antiquities from a private American collection for the purpose of returning the antiquities to their countries of origin. Antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford sold the collection to its present owner (the “Collector”) with false statements and fake provenance documents intended to hide the fact that the antiquities were the products of looting, and then imported the antiquities through lies on customs paperwork. The Collector has voluntarily relinquished possession of the antiquities. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This Office continues to trace and recover the many stolen cultural treasures that Douglas Latchford sold and scattered far from their home countries. Through this action, the United States reaffirms its commitment to redressing the wrongs committed by Latchford and other looters who would exploit and profit from the pain and disruption of war.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501005297/major-collection-of-cambodian-and-southeast-asian-antiquities-subject-of-forfeiture-action/

A Chinese businessman wanted a child in 2017 and paid a Chinese company to find him a surrogate. The surrogate, who was in Cambodia, gave birth to the child. But after the businessman arrived here to receive the baby, he was arrested for trafficking and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Now, Xu Wenjun is appealing a 2020 lower court decision, arguing that he was unaware when he started the process that the surrogate would be in Cambodia, and that surrogacy was outlawed in the country. The Appeal Court heard a motion this week from Xu, a Chinese national, contesting the 15-year sentence handed to him for attempting to traffic the child out of Cambodia. Xu maintains that he is innocent, the child is biologically his, and that he had consent from the mother to take the baby to China. read more https://vodenglish.news/chinese-businessman-in-jail-for-15-years-over-surrogate-child/

PHNOM PENH — Perched on a plastic chair under the shade of his warehouse at Heng Ly market, Shiek Chhai watches as the first shipping container of the day arrives packed with used bicycles — its open mouth gaping at the dirt courtyard already scattered with hundreds of unloaded bikes. A team of five young men carry the bicycles off one at a time, while another small team works to repair a portion of them in the corner, with another pile left “raw” for wholesale buyers to fix themselves or use for parts. Behind Shiek Chhai is the empire he’s been building since the late 1980s, although he says his 15,000-strong supply, separated over three warehouses, moves too often to let anything sit still long. During a visit to Phnom Penh in 1989, he saw other vendors selling used bicycles from Thailand, and he joined the four or five vendors in Orussey market. Two decades later, he moved to his new location in Heng Ly, where today he imports solely from Japan. A humorless negotiator, he cracks his first smile when asked what about his negotiating strategy. “If they want to buy the cheap one I tell them it’s not good,” he says. “I tell them that the expensive bike is still new and good quality." A small team helps to unload, wash, and repair 400 bikes from any damages caused in transit. (Kiana Duncan/VOA Khmer) One of Shiek Chhai's three warehouses contains around 5,000 bikes, from street to city to children's two wheelers. (Kiana Duncan/VOA Khmer) Cambodia’s used bicycle market has grown considerably since the late 1980s. Shohei Oikawa, the owner of Renuu Base, a recycled Japanese goods store, estimates that about half of Cambodia’s second-hand bikes come from Japan (others are imported from Taiwan, China, and Thailand). Nearly all 7 million of Japan’s yearly bicycle exports are used and earmarked for export to developing countries, destined to end up in markets resembling Heng Ly. While Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce reported a nearly 20% decrease in demand during 2020, vendors chalk the loss up to reduced need for transportation amid the pandemic, and report a recent increase in cycling interest of late, for safe transit and recreation. Last year, some $8.38 million worth of used bikes were imported to Cambodia overall, with $5.89 million worth coming from Japan. That was down from 2019, when Cambodia received $7.5 million in bikes from Japan (or about 400,000 units), making it the third highest recipient behind Myanmar and Ghana. Oikawa says that about 60% to 70% of Japan’s used bicycle exports come from those sold to secondhand and recycling shops, who then sell to companies specializing in vehicle exports. Others are abandoned on the streets of Japan’s bicycle-heavy cities or picked up by police and officials for parking infractions. Unable to sell them on the domestic market, entrepreneurs turned their gaze to secondhand goods buyers like Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Cambodia in the early 1990s. “Almost all secondhand bicycles, nobody knows where they come from, where they’re bought and who is selling to who,” Oikawa said of Cambodia’s market, where the unique “lump sum” trade policy allows for shipping containers to be brought in without accounting for the origin and cost of each individual bike. As Orussey, famous for its bicycle market, has shifted toward newer, unused models, Heng Ly — with the countless piles visible from the streets surrounding it — retains its reputation as the used supercenter of Cambodia. Some of Heng Ly’s imports end up being transported further inland to markets competing for size, such as Poipet or the Rong Kluea Market just across the border in Thailand. “There is a big second hand bicycle market and all Khmer people, they say it’s Heng Ly, it’s the older market,” Oikawa said. Warehouses are often so stacked that only narrow paths are left for customers to wander through. (Kiana Duncan/VOA Khmer) This seller specialized in racing and mountain bikes of higher value after finding the cheap city bikes a saturated and low-paying market. (Kiana Duncan/VOA Khmer) Diamonds in the rough Cambodia’s unique trade policy with Japan has provided it with a vast array of bikes, all with their own unknowable back stories. Tucked into mountains of cheap city bikes at Heng Ly’s nearly identical shop fronts, which give way to cavernous warehouses, are the more rare finds. Sitting in front of Shiek Chhai’s own shop is a cherry red Japanese postal bike, used to deliver mail in the country until being replaced by motorized scooters — yours for only $400, he says stonefaced. In another warehouse, a steel bike branded “Cove,” with the more jarring title “Hand Job” written sleekly above, might escape notice of all but the most educated buyer. This handmade Canadian steel frame is a rare find from a company whose production remains extremely limited, and is unsurprisingly in the same family as models “STD,” and “Stiffee.” Propped up next to it is the more G-rated Santa Cruz Chameleon, whose niche and sought-after 15-year-old frame alone would cost one upwards of $600. Sellers learn quickly from customers and the internet which brands are worth what, and often buyers will entrust shops to find them specific bikes and avoid counterfeits. Chhun Ra, who has worked at Heng Ly for five years, says he learned most of what he knows from his mother, who has sold new and used bikes at Orussey for the last 30 years. He says his operation has grown significantly since his first trip to Japan, when he was starting his solo importing career — rather than buying off the local shipping containers. “It's easy. There is an existing business. I know everything,” he explained. "I go there to see the bicycle and I know how much I can sell in Cambodia. I can estimate. I see the brand of bicycle, quality, and then I total tax and it’s clear and everything. In general, if I can compete on price with other competitors I bring it." Chhun Ra sells mostly wholesale to NGOs these days, but once in a while makes a sale of up to $1,000 for a racing or mountain bike. But many end up in Southeast Asia because they’ve been damaged. As teams of mechanics and cleaners swarm the frames to polish the wares for purchase, Chhun Ra notes the most common ways they meet their “expiration date”: broken spokes, cracked rims, or damage to the frame. Beyond that, anything salvageable is repurposed for its parts, and frames made of valuable metals are bought by industrial waste companies. While piles of mismatched pedals, decapitated seats, and discarded tires reveal a hodgepodge of quality, the process after delivery is mechanical in its execution. Upon arrival, bicycles are separated into three tiers, ranked by their quality. While some shops specialize in the cheap city bike, others have adopted a specialty-only approach, lining their entrance with racing and mountain bikes, juxtaposed against chickens and dust: Louis Gardeau, Cannondale, Trek. One specialty seller says her most expensive bikes are around $6,000. Em Savin stands outside his shipping container as his team wraps up loading and repairing bikes.(Kiana Duncan/VOA Khmer) Hot competition Market prices have been driven down as more and more vendors and importers try to carve out their place in the industry, and as increasingly savvy importers like Chhun Ra form their own relationships with Japan’s exporters. Oikawa says he’s watched Cambodia’s used bicycle market become increasingly saturated with each passing year, a sentiment echoed by Heng Ly’s vendors and importers. About six years ago, importer Em Savin joined the market after hearing about the profitable business of bicycle imports. After finding a business partner in Japan who could purchase the bikes at one of the many Tokyo-based companies exporting two-wheelers, he works with a shipping company to deliver his partner’s finds to the provinces as well as a smaller bicycle market in Orussey. Em Savin looks on as his crew hauls the 400 bikes out of a shipping container, pairing detached seats with their frame before being sat in the middle of the market. From here, he says, he’ll sell to the shops in the market. These “wholesale” bikes are individually bought by his partner in Japan, then snatched up by local vendors, individual customers, and NGOs at about $20 for a children’s bike, $30 for a city bike, and anywhere from $70 to $100 for a mountain bike. He normally brings in about three to four shipping containers a month, but among the dozens of importers up to three shipping containers arrive every day at Heng Ly. Em Savin says it’s a buyers market. “We do not make much profit because the market is competitive, not just us,” he said. " It’s not only us that have used bicycles, there are new bikes, so there are many options, so people have many choices. So if we sell for too much profit, they will not buy from us." Business shows no signs of slowing, as vendors and importers note a significant interest in cycling these days, especially as the country begins to return to a post-pandemic normal. Many believe it’s the result of less congested roadways during the pandemic, while others chalk it up to the greater affordability and safety bicycles provide as Cambodia’s road conditions improve. “I want our people to be interested in cycling,” Em Savin said. “It's good for the environment and affordable for people to buy and it's good for health." https://www.voacambodia.com/a/how-japan-s-throwaway-bicycles-became-a-booming-cambodian-industry/6390822.html

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Mine-sniffing hero rat Magawa, who won a gold medal for his mine-detection work in Cambodia, has died at the age of eight, charity Apopo said in a news release on Tuesday. "Hero rat Magawa passed away peacefully this weekend," the news release said. "Magawa was in good health and spent most of last week playing with his usual enthusiasm, but towards the weekend he started to slow down, napping more and showing less interest in food in his last days." During his five-year career, Magawa found over 100 landmines and other explosives, making him Apopo's most successful hero rat to date, it said. Apopo is a non-profit organization that trains African giant pouched rats to save lives by detecting landmines and tuberculosis. "His contribution allows communities in Cambodia to live, work, and play, without fear of losing life or limb," it added. In September 2020, Magawa was presented with a gold medal from British veterinary charity People's Dispensary for Sick Animals for his work detecting landmines in Cambodia before he retired in June last year. Magawa was born and trained in Tanzania by Apopo to detect the scent of the explosive chemicals used in landmines and point them out to his handlers. Regional and internal conflicts had left Cambodia as one of the most mine and explosive remnants of war-affected countries in the world. An estimated 4 to 6 million landmines and other munitions were left over from the almost three decades of conflicts. Landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) explosions killed 11 people and injured 33 others in Cambodia last year, a government report said, adding that from 1979 to 2021, landmines and UXO explosions had claimed a total of 19,808 lives and either injured or amputated 45,156 others. ■ http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/20220111/2557756c4d0045bfa9e04708112f8283/c.html

Observers say Hun Sen hopes to legitimize the regime, which has ignored ASEAN’s demands. Hun Sen’s visit to Myanmar will do little to help the country’s people amid an ongoing political crisis that has led to hundreds of civilian deaths and thousands of arrests, analysts said Monday. The Cambodian prime minister and chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Jan. 8 concluded a two-day trip to Myanmar, during which he met with junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to discuss international and regional issues. The visit marked the first by a foreign leader to the country since the military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup and came despite protests over what is seen as his support for the military regime and its repressive policies. Following the meeting, the two sides released a statement that sought to highlight that the inclusion of a special envoy in talks to deescalate “tension” in Myanmar was an important step in meeting ASEAN’s so-called five-point consensus. Min Aung Hlaing agreed to the conditions during an emergency ASEAN meeting on Myanmar’s political crisis held in April, but the junta has failed to implement any of the steps and ASEAN has declined to invite its delegations to several high-profile meetings, including its annual summit. On Monday, junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told RFA’s Myanmar Service that the junta had recently declared a year-long ceasefire with armed ethnic groups in the country’s remote border regions, and therefore “fulfilled the first of the five ASEAN recommendations,” which was to end all violence. “We also agreed to give participation to both Cambodia and the ASEAN chair in talks with the [ethnic armies],” he said. Since deposing the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) in February, junta forces have killed nearly 1,460 civilians and arrested more than 8,500 — mostly during nonviolent protests of military rule. The military also launched an offensive against armed ethnic groups and prodemocracy People’s Defense Forces militias in rural Myanmar, who the junta has labeled “terrorists.” When asked whether Hun Sen had met with any of Myanmar’s prodemocracy leaders, including jailed NLD chief Aung San Suu Kyi — another condition of the five-point consensus — Zaw Min Tun said that the prime minister had “only met with the government during his visit.” Political analyst Sai Kyi Zin Soe told RFA that Hun Sen only received the military’s side of the during his visit. “The fact that Cambodia, the current chair of ASEAN, has a story to tell the ASEAN community from the visit, gives the junta a chance to rejoin ASEAN,” he said. “On the other hand, our people did not get a chance to have their voices heard at a time when they are contesting with the military politically. This visit is not going to benefit the people of Myanmar at all, especially since it only involved the junta and not other parties or organizations that represent the people.” Ye Tun, a former member of Myanmar’s Parliament, said Hun Sen’s stated goal was to get the junta to implement the ASEAN agreement but that the visit only benefitted Min Aung Hlaing, who has been ostracized by much of the international community. “The conflict in Myanmar cannot be solved in a one-sided fashion — he must keep trying,” he said of Hun Sen. “Right now, [the junta] has profited politically. However, if there is no further progress, the ASEAN chair may be disappointed with [it].” Implications for ASEAN Kyaw Zaw Han, a political analyst, said Cambodia is likely to invite Myanmar to future ASEAN meetings following the visit. “[Cambodia] was proud to get word from the military that there will be a ceasefire for the whole of 2022,” he said. But he pointed out that the deal was inconsistent with the ASEAN five-point consensus as it appeared to only address conflict between the military and armed ethnic groups. “What the military might get [in return] is that Cambodia can give [the junta] a voice in ASEAN. It is possible that [the junta] will be able to attend [future meetings], especially the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for next month.” Kyaw Htwe, a member of the NLD’s Central Working Committee, told RFA that although ASEAN’s rare tough stance on Myanmar provided a shot in the arm for prodemocracy groups in the country, Hun Sen’s visit was a disappointment. “It is true that ASEAN’s stance on Myanmar over the past year has strengthened Myanmar's democracy, but it is hard to guess at this time what might come as we don’t know what Cambodia’s next move as ASEAN chair will be.” Prime Minister Hun Sen holds the ceremonial gavel in a virtual meeting as Cambodia takes over the ASEAN chairmanship from Brunei, Oct. 28, 2021. Courtesy: Samdech Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister, via Facebook Hun Sen lauds successful trip On Monday, Hun Sen declared his diplomatic efforts a success, saying he had obtained three major outcomes from the talks: a ceasefire, humanitarian aid to all parties, and the agreement to allow ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar Prasat Khun to join ceasefire talks between the military and armed ethnic groups. He said he had held a discussion with Min Aung Hlaing on the five-point consensus and the ASEAN Charter, governing the bloc’s jurisdiction over its 10 member nations. “That is the Bible for me — I didn’t go beyond [what was agreed upon by] ASEAN,” he said, during an inauguration ceremony in Cambodia’s Battambang province. Hun Sen vowed to continue to try to resolve Myanmar’s crisis. “I have advised Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn to make efforts to coordinate with ASEAN to create two mechanisms, namely on the ceasefire and on the humanitarian issue,” he said. He acknowledged that the crisis in Myanmar would not end during Cambodia’s term as the chair of ASEAN and that the responsibility to resolve it will likely fall to Indonesia when it takes over the post in 2023. Cambodian observers weigh in However, opposition activists in Cambodia dismissed Hun Sen’s visit as being part of a bid to legitimize the junta. Hay Vanna, the head of the youth movement for Cambodia’s dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party in Japan, told RFA’s Khmer Service that Hun Sen’s visit brought “shame” to his country by ignoring bids by ASEAN and the international community to hold Myanmar’s junta to account. He said the ceasefire was simply a ruse for Hun Sen to “protect the junta” because the prime minister had no intention of meeting the government’s opponents. “We have already seen that the junta regime led by Min Aung Hlaing has never complied with what ASEAN wants, which is the five-point consensus,” he said. Men Nath, a Norway-based representative of the Cambodia Watchdog Council, told RFA that Hun Sen is incapable of resolving the political crisis in his own country, let alone the multifaceted one in Myanmar. Hun Sen’s real intention is to lobby the international community to recognize and give legitimacy to Myanmar’s junta, but the plan would fail, Men Nath said. “The result … is the complete opposite from the ASEAN mechanism for resolving the Myanmar issue,” he said. “What he has done by referring to the ASEAN mechanism is merely causing ASEAN to fracture.” Asked whether Cambodia will invite Myanmar junta leaders or minister of foreign affairs to join the upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Cambodia on Jan. 17, Koy Koung, spokesman for Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry, told RFA to wait for an official ministry statement, which he said would be available “in days.” At the conclusion of Hun Sen’s visit, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights issued a statement calling his meeting with Min Aung Hlaing “a brazen and dangerous attempt to seize the initiative away from ASEAN’s collective approach to the crisis in Myanmar.” “These two coup makers are conducting another coup within ASEAN that threatens to split the organization itself,” the statement read, calling on the other eight members of the bloc to jointly demand that Cambodia adheres to the five-point consensus and works within the collective framework of ASEAN to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. Reported by RFA’s Myanmar Service and Khmer Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane and Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/visit-01102022184906.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Thailand’s pig farms has created serious concern among pig breeders in many provinces in Cambodia, with many calling for stricter border checks on the transportation of live pigs and their meat from the neighbouring country. The Thai government has already swung into action to inspect pig farms nationwide to prevent a major outbreak of the ASF after reports that the nation detected its first case in a pet hog. Pig breeders in Thailand have also expressed worry over the outbreak, especially with there being no vaccine to protect animals against the ASF. The US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service had announced in September that one of its ASF virus vaccine candidates had been shown to prevent and effectively protect both European and Asian bred swine against the current circulating Asian strain of the virus. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501004400/outbreak-of-asf-in-thailand-a-worrying-concern-in-cambodia/

The Ministry of Interior’s Penal Police together with the Phnom Penh Police are in the midst of reviewing closed-circuit camera footage to identify the gunman who shot dead a Chinese businessman on Sunday night in Por Senchey district. Police are hoping for a potential breakthrough in getting the identity of the suspect who was involved in the murder that took place about 11.30 pm on January 9 in front of the City Comfort Hotel in Phnom Penh’s Por Senchey district in Kakab II commune. Penal police chief Colonel Chamroeun Reaksmey said yesterday that they have stepped up investigation into the incident and were reviewing the CCTV footage to identify the suspect who is still at large. “The gunman had fled the scene by the time police arrived. However, we hope to arrest him with the help of the CCTV footage and hopefully with the help of eye-witnesses,” he added. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501004498/police-review-cctv-footage-for-gunman-who-fatally-shot-businessman-on-sunday/

NagaWorld employees will not join talks until their representatives are freed, they say. Striking workers at a casino and hotel in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh say they will not enter talks to end their protest until union leaders are released from jail, sources said on Monday. The strike at the NagaWorld casino and hotel, now in its 23rd day, has drawn hundreds of workers since Dec. 18 and the dismissal by managers of more than a thousand employees. The protesters are demanding that 365 of those laid off be rehired. In a petition submitted to Cambodia’s Labor Ministry on Monday, workers said that they would not participate in talks to resolve the dispute until eight union leaders were freed from jail. Among those now held is Chhim Sithar, leader of the union at the NagaWorld casino, who was taken into custody by police in plain clothes on Jan. 4. She was surrounded by police as she got out of a car at the protest site near Cambodia’s National Assembly building. Striking worker Men Sothy Wathanak, 30, told RFA that before their arrest that union representatives had repeatedly asked Cambodia’s Labor Ministry to provide them with the formula used to calculate workers’ compensation, but that ministry officials had failed to do so. However, after union leaders were arrested, the ministry reversed its position, admitted that compensation had not been fairly calculated in the past and invited workers to join them in talks to end the dispute, she said. “But we have now lost the union leaders who could speak for us in those talks,” she said. “We call on the authorities to first release our eight representatives so that we can return to negotiations.” While workers held a press conference on Monday to announce their petition, Ou Ratana — a ministry official in charge of resolving labor disputes — came out of the ministry building to invite workers inside for talks. “We need to sit face to face to resolve this dispute, not by staging strikes like this,” he said. Workers remained firm in demanding their representatives’ release, however. Khun Thao, a labor rights program manager for the workers’ advocacy group Central, blamed the ministry for its failure to resolve the NagaWorld strike now entering its fourth week. “I see that the Labor Ministry still wants to trick these workers, dividing them by considering their cases individually rather than as a collective dispute,” he said. “The ministry has yet to respond to the union’s demand for the reinstatement of its leaders, and is just focusing on the issue of the proper calculation of compensation. I think that this will only cause a deadlock, and the dispute won’t be resolved,” he said. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/demand-01102022175317.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A anti-tank mine leftover from Cambodia's civil war exploded on Monday killing three members of a local demining team as they carried out their work, their organization announced. The group Cambodia Self Help Demining said in a Facebook post that the team of experts had been responding to an alert in the northern province of Preah Vihear. The area saw combat between government forces and guerrillas of the communist Khmer Rouge in the 1990s. Almost three decades of civil war that ended in 1998 left Cambodia littered with land mines and other unexploded ordnance. An estimated 4 million to 6 million uncleared land mines and other pieces of unexploded ordnance remain in the country and continue to kill villagers who come upon them. read more https://money.yahoo.com/anti-tank-mine-kills-3-134850813.html

Maybank Cambodia was named the Best International Bank in Cambodia by Asiamoney Best Bank Awards for the second consecutive year, acknowledging the bank’s role in adopting sustainability into its business and community initiatives, including efforts in accelerating financial inclusion across borders. “We are humbled to be the winner of this prestigious award in spite of the challenging global market conditions arising from the pandemic since early 2020. This would not have been possible without strong support and trust from our customers, communities and stakeholders,” said Dato Mohd Hanif Suadi, CEO of Maybank Cambodia. “This accolade is a testament to our commitment and capability to leverage our leading position in the country to deliver value to our stakeholders through growth opportunities arising from our recovery and sustainability agenda, focusing on Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG).” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501003606/maybank-clinches-best-international-bank-in-cambodia-2021-award/

US automaker Ford, has decided to invest $21 million in an assembly line for the production of the Ford Ranger and Ford Everest. The assembly line is currently under construction and will begin production in April. It is located in Krakor Special Economic Zone, Pursat Province. Keo Rattanak, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister, Director General of Electricite du Cambodge and Chairman of the Royal Government Working Group for Krakor and Kandieng Districts, said: “With this investment, Ford USA will assemble, Ford Pick-Up, Station Wagon or Ford SUV’s and will start production in April before the Khmer New Year.” He added, “We are now trying to attract them to bring in more of their partners to produce components in the territory of Krakor district, which is the master plan of Krakor district, Kandieng district, in general and in particular, for Pursat province itself, and we will start the inauguration after the situation of Covid- 19 has eased. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501003779/ford-assembly-plant-in-pursat-province-to-start-from-april/

Hospitality group Accor is welcoming international visitors back to the country with a new campaign ‘For the Love of Captivating Cambodia’. Guests booking at Raffles and Sofitel hotels will be given $50 credit that can be spent on food, drink and spa treatments. The French company is the largest international hotel operator in Cambodia, with addresses under the Raffles, Sofitel, TRIBE and ibis Styles brands in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Key to being happy: Raffles Hotel d’Angkor Siem Reap Front Office Manager Rey Moraga. Supplied “Travel has been fundamentally altered by the pandemic. Now more than ever, people are in search of far more meaningful and purposeful travel, the slow experiential kind of journeys in safe, secluded and sustainable destinations, conscious of the impacts to the community. Siem Reap is a perfect match for all these reasons,” said Raffles Hotel d’Angkor Siem Reap Front Office Manager Rey Moraga in the short film ‘A Journey of Wonder’, which showcases the attractions of the city and province. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501003778/raffles-and-sofitel-greet-travellers-with-captivating-cambodia-campaign/

The Health Ministry announced that the first phase for the provision of the fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, comprising Pfizer, will be administered from January 14 onward. The campaign will begin with frontliners including leaders of the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, frontline doctors (both public and private), government officials, the army and police, local authorities and the elderly. Those eligible must fit the definition of a frontliner and be at least 60-years-old. Staff of embassies and both national and international organisations as well as journalists and celebrities are also invited to join the campaign. Those who have received a third dose of a vaccine will also be eligible for the fourth dose if it has been at least four months since their previous dose. The campaign will be rolled out and administered at national hospitals, including Calmette Hospital, Ang Duong Hospital, National Children’s Hospital, Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital and the National Maternal and Child Health Centre. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501003613/campaign-for-fourth-dose-of-vaccine-to-begin-on-jan-14/

The momentum for tourists flying into Cambodia continues to pick up, with the officials reporting that there is a recorded 750 to 1,000 passengers flying in to Cambodia, after the government announced that there is no required quarantine period. This was reported by the Undersecretary of State and Spokesman for Civil Aviation, Sin Chanserivutha, while speaking to local news on January 7. “After the full reopening on November 15, 2021, there is an increase of tourists from 200-300 people per day, to 750-1,000 people per day at the three airports of Cambodia,” the Undersecretary said. Undersecretary Chanserivutha also said that the momentum of air passengers entering and leaving Cambodia by the end of December 2021 has slowed down due to Thailand tightening measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501003062/air-passengers-to-cambodia-increases-with-750-to-1000-tourists-reported-daily/

Cambodia had reported only 1,903 dengue fever cases in 2021, a sharp decrease compared to 2020 when some 11,977 cases were recorded, a health official said on Thursday. Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted through the bite of an Aedes mosquito which is more active during the day. The virus killed eight people last year, down 50 percent from 16 deaths in the previous year, said Leang Rithea, program manager for the National Dengue Control Program at the Ministry of Health. “The decline in cases and fatalities last year was thanks to our people’s better awareness of how to prevent themselves and their children from being bitten by Aedes mosquitoes, and their participation in cleaning up the environment and eliminating mosquito sources,” he told Xinhua. Rithea said parents must bring their children to the nearest public hospitals within 48 hours if they suspect that their kids are infected with a dengue virus. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501002537/cambodia-reports-sharp-drop-in-dengue-fever-cases-in-2021/

It is estimated that there are at least 1,000 more Thais who remain in Cambodia as alleged forced workers and were in need of help. This was revealed by Assistant national police chief Surachate Hakparn kast Thursday after overseeing the rescue of some 500 Thai nationals from several parts of Cambodia, who had been duped into working for supposedly lucratively jobs advertised on social media, especially FaceBook. The Thai nationals rescued were mostly allegedly forced to work near the border with Trat province and others in Cambodia’s Pursat, Koh Kong, Sihanoukville and Poipet townships. Khmer Times has learned that they are scattered all over the country where such illegal activities are on going. While some Thai nationals were said to be working there on their own free will as their income was decent, based on investigations gathered over several months by Khmer Times, and as they managed to hit their targets, many others soon found out that the supposed lucrative income was similar to bonded labour and harsh working conditions. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501003148/an-estimated-1000-thai-nationals-in-clutches-of-online-gambling-syndicates-in-cambodia/

First visit by a head of gov't since army takeover Coup opponents fear trip gives junta legitimacy Hun Sen says he is pursuing peace plan Jan 7 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing on Friday amid criticism of the first visit by a head of government since the army seized power from an elected government last year. Hun Sen was greeted by an honour guard and red carpet when he arrived on Friday, just as protests by coup opponents broke out in other parts of the country over fears his trip will provide more legitimacy to the ruling junta. Myanmar state television later showed images of the two leaders bumping elbows and sitting down for talks in gilded chairs. Hun Sen's two-day visit was the first by a head of government since the army overthrew the civilian administration of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1 last year, sparking months of protests and a bloody crackdown. The Cambodian leader, who has been criticised over crackdowns on his political opponents at home, has said he was making the visit to press a Myanmar peace plan sponsored by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Cambodia is current chair of the 10-member ASEAN, which adopted a five-point "consensus" peace plan in April. Some other ASEAN countries including Indonesia have expressed frustration at the junta's failure to implement the plan, including allowing an envoy to meet Suu Kyi, who has been in detention since the coup. In Myanmar, opponents of military rule have said Hun Sen, who seized power in Phnom Penh in a 1997 coup, is backing the junta by making the trip. In Depayin, about 300 km (186 miles) north of the capital, Naypyidaw, protesters burned a poster of the Cambodian prime minister and chanted "Hun Sen don't come to Myanmar. We don't want dictator Hun Sen", photographs on social media showed. There were also reports of protests in the second city of Mandalay and the Tanintharyi and Monywa regions. In a speech on Wednesday before his trip, Hun Sen called for restraint from all sides in Myanmar and for the peace plan to be followed. "Brothers in Myanmar, do you want your country to fall into a real civil war or want it solved?" he said. After a phone call this week with Hun Sen, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in messages on Twitter if there was no significant progress on the peace plan, then only non-political representatives from Myanmar should be allowed at ASEAN meetings. HUMANITARIAN ACCESS In October, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was barred from attending an ASEAN summit for his failure to cease hostilities, allow humanitarian access and start dialogue, as agreed with ASEAN. But in a further sign of divisions in the 10-member bloc, Hun Sen last month said junta officials should be allowed to attend ASEAN meetings. Min Ko Naing, a leading activist in Myanmar, said in a social media post that Hun Sen would face massive protests over his visit, which would hurt ASEAN. Hun Sen is one of the world's longest serving leaders and Western countries and human rights groups have long condemned him for crackdowns on opponents, civil rights groups and the media in Cambodia. His party now holds all seats in parliament after a court banned the main opposition party ahead of a 2018 election. Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Research Emerlynne Gil said the trip risked sending mixed messages to Mynamar's military leader and Hun Sen should instead lead ASEAN to strong action to address the country’s "dire human rights situation". U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia cited a junta spokesman as saying Hun Sen would not meet Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the coup and is on trial, facing nearly a dozen cases that carry a combined maximum sentence of more than 100 years in prison. Reporting by Prak Chan Thul in PHNOM PENH and Reuters staff; Editing by Ed Davies, Michael Perry, William Maclean REUTERS

Researchers from the Fisheries Administration and WWF recently recorded the birth of 2021’s last Irrawaddy calf and the sixth born over all in the previous year. The calf was born in Kampi Village, Sambok Commune, Chit Borey District, Kratie. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the news of the sixth Irrawaddy calf born is exciting, especially for the Irrawaddy dolphin herd and the entire Mekong River system. According to a WWF report, in 2020, researches had recorded the birth of nine new dolphins. The population of the Irrawaddy dolphin in Cambodia remains small, with only 89 recorded. The existence of this species, one of the world’s unique species, is threatened by habitat loss. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501002133/six-irrawaddy-dolphin-calves-born-in-2021-while-conservation-efforts-continue-in-kratie/