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Four cosmetic surgeons were arrested by the Interior Ministry’s Anti-Counterfeit Products Committee police on Wednesday for allegedly performing botched cosmetic surgeries on their patients. The four, two women and two men, were employed at Romdoul Medical Cosmetology Center. Lieutenant Colonel Long Bunny, deputy chief of the Anti-Counterfeit Products office said yesterday that they were arrested around 7pm on Wednesday after police led by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court’s deputy prosecutor raided the centre in Daun Penh district’s Srah Chak commune. He said the raid was conducted after complaints were filed by many women who went to the centre for cosmetic surgeries and were subsequently traumatised by the alleged botched work performed on them. The women have filed a lawsuit against the surgeons they say performed the surgeries unprofessionally and with no skill. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501002439/four-cosmetic-surgeons-arrested-for-botched-surgeries/

Elders in the traditional art of Khmer kites, “Khleng Ek”, are concerned about losing the cultural kites as the younger generation pays less attention to the ancient tradition. Kite experts say as the world gets more modern, youth are overwhelmed so they are not interested in practicing this traditional art, thus are apprehensive about the kite’s extinction. In an exclusive interview, Culture Ministry’s Cultural Development Department deputy director Roeun Sareth said that few youth are aware of Khleng Ek even though he has promoted its conservation to prevent them from vanishing as they are an intangible culture. “The Cambodian Khleng Ek is specially equipped with a bamboo resonator that can produce several pitches and tones when it is up in the sky,” he said. “In past times, there was no modern technology like radio, television, or smartphones to access YouTube. People used Khleng Ek to play music and they flew the kites to show appreciation for receiving blessings,” he added. Sareth said: “It’s not that we shouldn’t, it is that we mustn’t forget about Khleng Ek.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501002516/khmer-kite-khleng-ek-tradition-in-danger-of-being-lost/

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Apsara National Authority (ANA) said Thursday it has been working to consolidate the central tower of Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat, which is also known as the Bakan tower. Hourn Sokcheat, technical officer of the ANA's department of conservation of monuments and preventive archaeology, said some stones in the Bakan tower had eroded and slid off their original locations at the edges due to age, water infiltration and plants' roots. "These have caused the laterite in the interior of the tower to erode, so the whole weight pressed on the sandstones, and the outer layer broke and slid out," he said in an ANA news release. Kheam Mony, head of the Bakan tower restoration project, said the restoration team has been consolidating the southwest corner since November 2021 and the work was scheduled to complete by April 2022. The Bakan tower had been restored once in the 1930s, the ANA said in the news release. Located in northwestern Siem Reap province, the 400 sq km Angkor Archeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the site received up to 2.2 million international tourists in 2019, earning a gross revenue of 99 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales. The ancient site welcomed only 9,488 foreign visitors in the first eleven months of 2021, down 97 percent year-on-year, the Angkor Enterprise said, adding that it earned gross revenue of 385,700 dollars from ticket sales during the January-November period last year, down 98 percent year-on-year. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/20220106/47b956b34ee743979939b27201cc1875/c.html

PHNOM PENH, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has pledged renewed support for a Myanmar peace plan and urged an end to violence ahead of a trip to the country that will include talks with military leaders. His visit from Friday will be the first by a head of government to Myanmar since the army overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1 last year, sparking months of protests and a bloody crackdown. Cambodia is current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has been leading diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis and 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 peace deal. In Myanmar, opponents of the military rulers have said Hun Sen is backing them by making the trip. In a speech on Wednesday, Hun Sen called for restraint from all sides in Myanmar and for the peace plan to be followed through. "Brothers in Myanmar, do you want your country to fall into a real civil war or want it solved?" he said. "The first point of the consensus is the patience, the cessation of violence. This is the goal that we want." After a phone call this week with Hun Sen, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in messages on Twitter if there was no significant progress in the peace plan only non-political representatives from Myanmar should be allowed at ASEAN meetings The General Strike Coordination Body, which pools more than 260 organisations opposed to the coup, denounced Hun Sen's visit on social media, accusing him of backing Myanmar's military rulers. Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Research Emerlynne Gil also said Hun Sen should cancel his trip and "lead ASEAN to strong action to address the country’s dire human rights situation". The Cambodian foreign ministry said Hun Sen will meet military leader Min Aung Hlaing, but made no reference about meeting Suu Kyi, who is on trial and faces nearly a dozen cases that carry a combined maximum sentences of more than 100 years in prison. Reporting by Prak Chan Thul Editing by Ed Davies and Frances Kerry

A 28-year-old Venezuelan woman’s plea for leniency over her 30-years in prison for smuggling almost 1.5 kilogrammes of cocaine in 2016 was turned down by the Supreme Court yesterday. In reading its verdict, Presiding Judge Soeung Panhavuth said: “Based on convict Adelys Paola Loupez Alviarez’s confession during her appeal hearing on December 29 as well as the evidence that police seized from her on the day of her arrest, the Judges’ Council of the Supreme Court finds her guilty as charged.” He added that the convict, who entered Cambodia as a tourist, was guilty of committing the offence at the Phnom Penh International Airport in 2016. Judge Panhavuth said that the Judges’ Council considered the 30-year jail sentence by the lower court was low when taking into account the amount of drugs seized from her. “The Judges’ Council is of the view that she should be punished with a life sentence,” he added. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501001569/venezuelan-woman-loses-bid-to-overturn-30-year-jail-term/

A former refugee has become the first Cambodian American mayor in the United States. Sokhary Chau was chosen Monday by a majority of city councilors in Lowell, Massachusetts, to serve in the city’s top position. He also became the city’s first Asian American mayor. The 49-year-old Chau is a federal government employee who works for the U.S. Social Security Administration. After being officially sworn in, Chau said, “God bless America, right? I was a refugee, now I’m mayor of a major city in Massachusetts.” He added, “I don’t know if that could happen anywhere else in the world. I’m still trying to absorb it.” He also spoke about his family’s efforts to escape Cambodia under the extreme rule of the communist Khmer Rouge. Chau said his father, who was a captain in the Cambodian army, was executed by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 during the country’s civil war. He said that his mother, who died last year, was able to keep her seven children alive for four years, surviving “landmines, jungles, hunger, sickness and uncertainty” in order to get them safely to the U.S. While living in refugee camps, Chau said his family imagined America as a nation with “streets paved with gold.” While this was not true, he said the U.S. is a land that makes democracy possible through a system of “checks and balances.” Chau said America also represents values such as fairness and equality. In this photo provided by Peg Shanahan, new Mayor Sokhary Chau, left, is applauded by councillors John Drinkwater, second from left, vice chair Erik Gitschier and Wayne Jenness during the Lowell City Council swearing-in ceremony, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Lowell, Massachusetts was an early center of America’s cloth industry. Many immigrants from Europe and Latin America came to the city over generations. Today, the city’s population of 115,000 is nearly 25 percent Asian. Lowell is also home to the nation’s second-largest Cambodian community after Long Beach, California. Chau is among a growing list of Cambodian American officeholders in Massachusetts. The state has at least two other city councilors, a school committee member and two state lawmakers. All of them are from Lowell. “As a proud Cambodian American, I am standing on the shoulders of many immigrants who came before me to build this city," Chau said. Chau’s family first settled in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was nine years old. They received assistance from the Catholic Church and this experience led the family to become Christians. His family arrived in Lowell in the mid-1980s and some of Chau’s older brothers and sisters got jobs in local factories. Chau decided to continue his studies and later earned a scholarship to attend school in nearby Andover. Later, he was accepted to Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he received another scholarship. He studied economics and political science. Before running for office, Chau worked mostly in the financial services industry. His election comes after Michelle Wu was sworn in as the mayor of Boston last November. Wu’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan. She is Boston's first woman and first person of color elected to the office. https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/first-cambodian-american-mayor-takes-office-in-massachusetts/6382509.html

ASEAN chair Hun Sen will undermine regional bloc if he does not meet with jailed politicians, analysts say. The Myanmar junta’s spokesman indicated Tuesday that the Burmese regime would not allow Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to meet with detained pro-democracy leaders during his visit to the country later this week. Analysts, however, said Hun Sen would undermine efforts by the ASEAN bloc to press the Burmese junta into putting Myanmar back on a democratic path, if he failed to meet pro-democracy leaders on his Jan. 7-8 trip – the first by a foreign leader since the military coup last February. “[O]nly those who represent political parties would be able to meet and discuss, but there are limitations for those who are still facing legal charges,” junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told RFA, with which BenarNews is affiliated. He was referring to charges, among others, of importing walkie-talkies, inciting dissent and breaking COVID-19 rules against State Counselor and National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi as well as ousted President Win Myint. The junta had similarly not allowed the former ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar to meet with democracy leaders last year. Zaw Min Tun did not elaborate on whether Hun Sen had asked to meet with top NLD leaders, including Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi. And when RFA asked him about it, Koy Koung, the spokesman for Cambodia’s foreign ministry, said he did not have information about whether Hun Sen would meet with Aung San Suu Kyi. ‘He must not endorse what is happening in Myanmar’ Hun Sen’s visit comes only two months after ASEAN shut out the Burmese junta from its main summit in 2021 for reneging on a promise to allow access to all parties in the current political impasse. Many pro-democracy Burmese are outraged that Hun Sen is visiting the junta and, according to them, conferring legitimacy on the country’s military chief, whose forces stand accused of committing widespread atrocities since the coup. Khit Thit Media, one of the five major independent news media outlets that were banned by the junta last March, posted photographs of Burmese stomping on pictures of Hun Sen. Other outlets posted photos of protesters with a message on placards for Hun Sen: “Don’t Support the Killing Fields in Myanmar.” They were alluding to the Cambodian genocide when as many as 1.7 million people died under the rule of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, according to researchers at Yale University. Meanwhile, a joint statement issued on Tuesday by close to 200 civil society groups in Myanmar and abroad condemned Hun Sen for his planned visit. ASEAN and the United Nations General Assembly have backed the Five-Point Consensus, and “must ensure that Hun Sen does not act alone in 2022 – lending legitimacy to the Myanmar military junta and further emboldening them to cause more harm to the people,” the groups said. “This would be an insult to the people of Myanmar and Cambodia and further jeopardizing ASEAN’s already-diminishing credibility during the Cambodia tenure as chair of ASEAN in 2022.” Engagement with Myanmar should involve “making contact with all relevant actors,” including the National Unity Government – the parallel civilian government body – said Muhammad Arif, a lecturer in international relations at the University of Indonesia. “What ASEAN is aiming with its policy to isolate the junta diplomatically is to inflict some political cost on the junta,” Arif told BenarNews about the bloc headquartered in Jakarta. “If Hun Sen engages exclusively with the junta, it would only undo this effort.” In Malaysia, a former foreign minister said it was imperative that Hun Sen makes clear that what is happening in Myanmar is not acceptable to ASEAN. He was referring to the Feb. 1, 2021 military coup and the nearly 1,400 people – mostly pro-democracy protesters – killed by Burmese security forces since then. “He must not endorse what is happening in Myanmar as its own internal and domestic affairs,” Syed Hamid Albar, also a former envoy to Myanmar from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, told BenarNews. “It is important that Hun Sen in his engagement with Myanmar reflect both the ASEAN and international sentiments on what is happening in Myanmar. … His visit must not undermine ASEAN’s collective position vis-à-vis the coup,” he said. Hun Sen: under-the-table negotiations ‘are best’ Hun Sen has said nothing about the post-coup killings in Myanmar so far. Last week, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn told Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, the new United Nations special envoy on Myanmar, that Phnom Penh was committed to taking “a practical step-by-step approach toward achieving progress on the implementation of the ASEAN five-point consensus.” Last April, Burmese junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and leaders of ASEAN member-states reached a five-point consensus that aimed to set Myanmar back on the path to democracy. The consensus called for an end to violence, the appointment of a special ASEAN envoy to Myanmar and access to all sides in the conflict to that envoy. Myanmar has reneged on all these points. In late 2021, the 10-member bloc barred Min Aung Hlaing from attending its annual summit in October for not living up to his promises. Since then, Myanmar has been absent from two other top-level meetings. Hun Sen, at first, said Myanmar was to blame for being excluded from the ASEAN summit. But he changed his rhetoric soon after he received the ceremonial gavel for the revolving chairmanship of ASEAN. “It is not up to ASEAN to resolve this issue. ASEAN is here to help, but Myanmar needs to solve its own problems by itself,” the Cambodian PM said on Dec. 15. “It is important for me to meet Myanmar’s [military] leaders, but under-the-table negotiations are the best and most fruitful approach for us to take. Don’t disturb me, just give me time,” he said. News of two bombs exploding near the Cambodian embassy in Naypyidaw on Dec. 31 also has not fazed Hun Sen, with the foreign ministry spokesman saying the visit would go ahead as planned. Some critics had expected no less of the strongman who, they said, had used ASEAN to legitimize his authoritarian government. They noted that the pro-China leader had, as ASEAN chairman in 2012, been accused of siding with Beijing and preventing the bloc from reaching an agreement on the disputed South China Sea. Still, according to Arif of the University of Indonesia, through this upcoming trip to Myanmar, Hun Sen may be trying to erase the memory of Cambodia’s 2012 chairmanship. “Apparently Hun Sen doesn’t want to repeat the same mistake and wants to make his mark this time. Cambodia’s engagement with Myanmar can be seen in this context. But he should not depart too far from ASEAN’s collective stance,” Arif said. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen gestures as he speaks during an event at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, in Phnom Penh, Sept. 12, 2021. [Reuters] According to an ASEAN parliamentarian from Malaysia, many of the bloc’s member-states would be unhappy with Hun Sen’s plan to visit Myanmar. “If [Hun Sen] is going there representing ASEAN, he should inform all the ASEAN countries and get [their] endorsement but until now all the countries have not been informed or even endorse[d] his visit,” Charles Santiago, chairman of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, told BenarNews. Government officials from the Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand – all founding members of ASEAN – declined to comment for this report. As far as political analyst Dinna Prapto Raharja is concerned, Hun Sen is indeed going to Naypyidaw as an ASEAN representative, because Cambodia is the new holder of the rotating ASEAN chair and Myanmar is a member of the 54-year-old bloc. “The key is who will Hun Sen meet? I’m almost certain he’ll meet with the military junta,” Dinna, founder of Indonesian think-tank Synergy Policies, told BenarNews. “If Hun Sen meets with the military junta and not with the representatives of NUG, he’d send the wrong message to the Myanmar junta on ASEAN’s intent and the five-point consensus agreed on.” The ASEAN parliamentarians group is not confident that Hun Sen will represent ASEAN sentiments. “Cambodian PM Hun Sen is willing to split ASEAN like he did in 2012. This time over legitimizing accused war criminals [the] Myanmar junta,” APHR said in a tweet on Tuesday. “Is this the beginning of the end for ASEAN?” This story has been updated to correct the dates of the visit, which had been incorrectly given as Jan. 8-9 by the Cambodian prime minister. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Radio Free Asia’s Myanmar and Khmer services contributed to this report. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/meet-01042022163254.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The joint project, which has been under discussion since February 2020, was mentioned by Park Heung-kyeong, South Korea’s ambassador to Cambodia, during a groundbreaking ceremony for an upgrade to National Road 48, the country’s coastal highway. He said a South Korean company was undertaking a study of the scheme and the aim was to construct a “beautiful” bridge that would be a tourist attraction. He said: “I believe the Cambodia-Korea Friendship bridge will not only help to solve the traffic congestion problem at the centre of Phnom Penh … it will also become a tourist site attracting visitors to the capital.” In response, Cambodian president Hun Sen thanked the South Korean government for agreeing to help Cambodia build the bridge, which he said would contribute to developments in Arey Ksat in Lvea Aem district. https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/south-korea-aims-to-help-cambodia-build-friendship-bridge-over-the-mekong/

PHNOM PENH, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Cambodia said on Tuesday it was concerned by police action against workers protesting layoffs at a casino run by a Hong-Kong listed firm after a union leader was taken away in the latest series of detentions. Thousands of workers have been on strike since last month in front of Nagacorp Ltd's (3918.HK) hotel and casino complex in Phnom Penh, demanding the reinstatement of 365 employees who were let go in April. Chhim Sithar, president of Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld (LRSU), was arrested as she stepped out of her car to join the strike, witnesses said. "It's a brutal arrest against such a young brave lady," Chak Sopheap, executive director of Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), told Reuters. On Monday, 15 workers were picked up in addition to nine detained on New Year's Day who have been charged with endangering social security. In a tweet on Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh said it was concerned by attempts to suppress the protests. "We are following closely the troubling arrests of @NagaWorld union members for their peaceful expression and urge authorities to hear citizens, not silence them. Freedoms of speech, assembly & association are guaranteed in the Cambodian constitution." Phnom Penh police have named Chhim Sithar as the ringleader of the strike and accused her of ties to foreign organisations trying to destabilise the casino operations, the biggest in the country. Police have previously said the strike is illegal and urged the workers to end the agitation. The company says that it was implementing a "mutual separation plan" for employees as part of efforts to improve cost efficiency because of disruptions caused by COVID-19.

A 35-year old man who was high on drugs killed his 16-month-old daughter by slitting her neck using a machete on Monday in Ratanakiri province. However, his attempt to kill his wife turned futile when she fled from the scene. The brutal murder took place about 12.30pm on Monday at a cashew plantation in Lumphat district’s Lbaing I commune. District deputy police chief Major Pen Theng identified the suspect as Long Kosal, a cashew worker from Kampong Cham province’s Prey Chhour district. The child was identified as Long Sreyvouch and the mother as Mean Mom, 33. Maj Theng said the suspect and his wife had been working as cashew workers at the plantation since 2020. According to Mom, he added the suspect was high on drugs when he got into an argument with her and blamed her for his drug addiction. During the heated argument, he said, the suspect took out a machete and chased after his wife with the intention of killing her but she managed to escape into the cashew plantation. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501000660/father-slits-infants-neck-with-machete/

Prime Minister Hun Sen held phone talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on December 5, discussing cooperation under the ASEAN framework and Myanmar’s political situation, Cambodia’s foreign ministry said. During the call, President Joko warmly congratulated Cambodia for assuming the role as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair for 2022, the ministry said in a statement, adding that he reiterated Indonesia’s full support for Cambodia’s successful chairmanship, which he believed would contribute to Indonesia’s successful chairmanship of ASEAN in 2023. In response, Hun Sen expressed his high appreciation to the Indonesian president for supporting Cambodia’s ASEAN chairmanship this year, it said. The Cambodian leader also praised Indonesia for its many initiatives contributing to the ASEAN community building process. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501000999/cambodian-indonesian-leaders-hold-phone-talks-on-myanmar-and-asean-cooperation/

The Cambodian economy in 2022 is projected to achieve a growth rate of around 4.8 percent, making the gross domestic product (GDP) current value of around 124 162 billion riels, equivalent to approximately $30.544 billion, while per capita GDP is expected to reach $1,842, compared to $1,730 in 2021. According to the 2022 Management Report of the Law on Finance, this growth is supported by the continued growth of key economic sectors such as: Industry; The industrial sector is projected to grow at a rate of 7.7% by 2022; Services: The services sector is projected to continue to grow at 4.1% due to the recovery of the hotel, restaurant and other tourism sectors; Agriculture; The agricultural sector is projected to grow at a slower pace of 1.1% by 2022, with the expectation of continued good growth in the crop and livestock sub-sectors. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501001042/cambodias-per-capita-income-in-2022-expected-to-increase-to-1842/

NagaWorld union leader Chhim Sithar, now in hiding from police, vows strike will continue. Cambodian police on Monday arrested 14 striking casino workers demanding the release of colleagues detained last week by police after they called for workers laid off last month to be rehired. Pregnant women were among those arrested, and all were taken by truck to the headquarters of Phnom Penh municipal police, sources told RFA. The strike at the NagaWorld casino and hotel in Phnom Penh has drawn hundreds of workers since Dec. 18 following managers’ dismissal of more than a thousand workers, with protesters demanding that 365 of those laid off be rehired. On Dec. 31, authorities detained nine protesters and a motor-tricycle driver, holding six in custody and charging them on Monday in municipal court with incitement to cause serious social unrest, sources said. NagaWorld union leader Chhim Sithar, also charged with incitement and now being sought by police, told RFA on Monday that the arrests of protesters will only provoke more anger and prolong the dispute with the casino. “The authorities are using the judiciary to arrest union leaders after accusing them of leading unlawful strikes and inciting workers,” she said. “But the role of workers’ representatives is to negotiate to resolve the workers’ problems, and when union leaders are arrested, those problems have not been solved. “How will this end the strike?” she asked. Chhim Sithar called on authorities to immediately release those arrested and charged in the dispute. “NagaWorld must come to the negotiating table and speak honestly with our union,” she said. “NagaWorld has more than $3 billion worth of assets in their building. How can they not easily rehire 365 workers?” Riot police deployed NagaWorld restaurant worker Nop Tit Boravy said that authorities on Monday had deployed hundreds of riot police equipped with shields, clubs and a water-cannon to suppress the strike in front of NagaWorld buildings near the National Assembly. Government authorities have not taken a neutral position to help resolve labor disputes between companies and their workers, she said. “This is very unfair, because this is a dispute between NagaWorld and its workers, and the authorities have disobeyed the law by siding with the company and cracking down on our workers, who have been striking peacefully. “If no solution comes from this, we will continue until we find one,” Nop Tit Boravy said. Attempts to reach Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Ey Rin and Phnom Penh Police Commission spokesman San Sok Seiha for comment were unsuccessful Monday. 'A good choice' Am Sam Ath, deputy director of the Cambodia-based rights group Licadho, said that the government should try to resolve the NagaWorld dispute peacefully and in accordance with the law instead of arresting striking workers. “NagaWorld and the authorities should return to negotiate a solution following the standards of national and international labor law to end the dispute. This would be a good choice that wouldn’t harm either side,” he said. Khun Tharo, labor program manager for Cambodian workers’ advocacy group Central, called the charges filed against the NagaWorld union leaders unfair, as their strike has been conducted peacefully. The strike is not a violation of the law as authorities allege, he said. “If the court is really independent, they should drop the charges. The workers are the victims here, and the authorities should protect them by finding a solution,” he said. “But using detentions and prosecutions is a threat to their basic rights, which are guaranteed by the law.” Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Richard Finney. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/arrest-01032022182633.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

The Ministry of Tourism has reported that that the three days of the Global New Year holiday and weekend from December 31, 2021 to January 2, 2022 brought 2,002,298 domestic tourists out to traverse the country and take in the tourism sites of Cambodia. Among these tourists were close to 12,000 foreign tourists. The Minister of Tourism, Dr. Thong Khon revealed the daily statistics as follows: December 31, 2021 (New Year’s Eve): Total number of guests 1,145,141 January 1, 2022: Total number of guests 565,029 January 2, 2022: A total of 292,128 guests The main tourist destinations for the three days include: Phnom Penh 608,855 people Siem Reap Province 287 837 people Preah Sihanouk Province 156 753 people Kampot Province 150,601 people Battambang Province 122,037 people Kep Province 114 222 people read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501000354/more-than-two-million-tourists-traversed-the-country-during-the-new-year-weekend/

Kampong Thom provincial authorities are investigating the lynching of a man who had been arrested for murdering his wife and her uncle in Baray district. Provincial court deputy prosecutor and spokesman Say Veasna told Khmer Times yesterday they are searching for a group of villagers who took the law into their own hands because they were angry over the brutal deaths of the two and the serious injuries of three others who tried to intervene. Veasna said that around 7.30 pm on Saturday, the suspect identified as Pol La, 33, a farmer, became drunk and argued with his wife before beheading her with an axe. He said that while La was attacking his wife Yon Toeu, 34, her uncle Pich Hun, 56, who is a neighbour, tried to rescue his niece. La killed him and also attacked other three people causing serious injuries, Veasna said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501000031/man-killed-by-mob-after-murdering-wife-and-relative/

The United Nations has translated a key human rights’ document into the Tumpoun indigenous peoples’ language so they can understand their right to participate in the development of their community. It is the first time that such documents have been translated into a Cambodian indigenous language. The seminal Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a charter of human rights’ standards adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 that enshrines the “foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”, has been translated into Tumpoun with support from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI Cambodia). RWI Cambodia director Ali Al Nasani said the country’s 30,000 Tumpoun speakers did not have much knowledge of the UDHR. The translation, which has also been made into an audio file, has been published in booklets that will be distributed in areas of Tumpoun speakers through a network of lawyers. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50999924/un-translates-human-rights-info-for-indigenous-peoples/

Cambodia recorded more new Omicron cases, bringing the total to 69 cases of the new variant. Todays official daily new COVID case total (diagnosed by PCR test) was 3, bringing the COVID case total to 120,510 cases. Fears of a ‘local’ Omicron outbreak in Cambodia are rising with the escalating Omicron situation in direct neighbour Thailand – where foreign ‘super-spreaders’ have been held responsible for at least 350 Omicron cases and total new variant cases have surged to at least 1000. However, despite detecting over 60 cases of the Omicron variant so far, the government says it will not impose a lockdown or work from home precaution like Thailand. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50999064/new-year-new-variant-omicron-cases-in-cambodia-rise-to-69/

Kampot fish sauce producers are preparing to produce fish sauce in accordance with sanitary standards for export to the international market, while the Ministry of Commerce is currently studying the possibility of registering Kampot fish sauce as a Geographical Indications (GI) product. Oknha Chan Sitha, General Director of Ech Ngov Heng Kampot Fish Sauce Company, told local media that while the Ministry of Commerce plans to register Kampot fish sauce products as a geographical indication for fish sauce products in the province, the move will lead to greater recognition as well as ease of export, prompting his company to prepare in advance both production methods and quantities to meet hygiene standards for future export to international markets. He added that after the inclusion of GI products, there will be a wider promotion, which will make it easier to export Cambodian products to foreign markets. He added that at present, fish sauce production has not been exported to foreign markets because it is still produced naturally, with an annual production of between 100,000 to 200,000 liters. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50998931/kampot-fish-sauce-to-be-registered-as-a-geographical-indication-gi-product/

The first regular commercial international flight operated by Vietnam Airlines in nearly two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic landed safely at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport in Hồ Chí Minh City at 6:45pm on January 1. The flight number VN852 from Phnom Penh (Cambodia) to HCM City carried 121 passengers. A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that this flight officially marked the period of opening regular international transport, restoring the bridge connecting Việt Nam’s aviation with the world and opening up prospects for a strong recovery of aviation and tourism after the pandemic. The flight is part of a plan to restore regular international flights with high safety factors, starting from January 1, 2022, which has been approved by the Government. This policy aims to restore international passenger transport activities; promoting the process of economic recovery, tourism as well as creating conditions for Vietnamese citizens to return home to celebrate the Lunar New Year. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50999477/first-regular-commercial-international-flights-after-nearly-two-years-arrive-in-viet-nam-from-cambodia/

Cambodian analysts and diplomats expressed their belief that two bomb blasts near the Cambodian Embassy in Myanmar on Friday will not affect the upcoming official visit of Prime Minister Hun Sen this Friday. Kin Phea, director-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute said he is optimistic that these bomb blasts will further enhance more security restrictions in Myanmar but will not affect the Prime Minister’s visit. “I do not think it will affect our Prime Minister’s visit to Myanmar. I remain optimistic that our Prime Minister will still travel there but nonetheless, I believe security issues may be tightened during that upcoming visit,” he said yesterday. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50999144/bomb-blasts-will-not-affect-pms-visit-to-myanmar-this-week/

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a directive on the implementation of solutions to cope with drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta, which is forecast to be harsh in the coming dry season. 2022 is forecast to be a year of water shortage in the Mekong River basin. Reports from the ministry show that the flood water in the Mekong River Delta is currently at approximately the average level of many years. Tonle Sap in Cambodia, an important source of additional water for the Mekong Delta in the dry season, is now at a level lower than the average of many years in the same period of about three billion cubic metres. The average total water storage capacity of upstream hydropower reservoirs is currently at 80 per cent of design capacity. The ministry said it was likely that reservoirs upstream would limit water discharge during the first months of this dry season. Therefore, the flow on the main part of the Mekong River would decrease rapidly. The amount of water entering the Mekong Delta in the first months of the dry season in 2021-22 was likely to be lower than the average level and change according to the operation of hydropower reservoirs upstream. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50998910/vietnam-urges-mekong-delta-countries-to-take-measures-to-cope-with-drought-and-salt-intrusion-tonle-sap-in-cambodia-in-danger/

Seven more red headed vultures and five red junglefowls have been found at Sre Pok wildlife sanctuary. The update was shared on Dec. 31 by an official of the Mondulkiri Provincial Department of Environment. This is the first time that this species of red headed vultures has been spotted after its two-year absence. The additional birds increased the number of the animal from only 5 to 6 birds previously. Red headed vulture, also known as the Asian king vulture, has dark hair on its body with a bare reddish head and red two-side panels like ear on its cheeks. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50998786/seven-red-headed-vultures-found-at-sre-pok-wildlife-sanctuary/

Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman told local media that there were 2 bomb blasts reported near the Cambodian embassy at Myanmar. No injuries or damage was reported. Myanmar authorities have now identified the bomb as improvised explosive devices (IED), making it loud, and are investigating. Myanmar authorities have also stepped up security measures at the Cambodian embassy in Myanmar. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50998654/mofa-confirms-that-there-were-two-bomb-blasts-near-the-cambodian-embassy-in-myanmar/

Around 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, striking casino workers began holding each other’s hands as they faced down a team of an estimated 100 uniformed police officers. Already, eight workers, including senior union leaders, had been arrested that evening from their union offices. The protesters were now being prevented from leaving an area to the west of the casinos to go home, as authorities attempted to make further arrests. “We are holding each other’s hands to prevent them from [more] arrests,” said Re Thearath. “They’re in pursuit of arresting people who have held the microphones.” Around 9:30 p.m., police arrested a ninth worker, Touch Sereymeas, from in front of NagaWorld 2. Sereymeas had previously been misidentified as a Japanese agent in an anonymous Facebook page widely shared through government-aligned media channels. About 150 workers remained near the Chuon Nath roundabout. read more https://vodenglish.news/riot-police-further-arrest-in-new-years-eve-nagaworld-strike-crackdown/

Police in the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Drug Department yesterday arrested nine Chinese nationals and sent them to Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning for allegedly possessing and smuggling nearly 350 kilogrammes of crystal meth in the capital. An Anti-Drug Department report identified the suspects identified as Huang Rui Ming, 58; Li Yin Man, 38; Sun Liang, 42; Sun Hai Tao, 41; Liu Wei Cheng, 52; Cheng Zhi Quan, 66; Wang Lei, 31; Wang Yue, 38; and Zhu Xiao Fei, 39. Ministry of Interior anti-drug police officer Major Nuon Phalla told Khmer Times that the nine men are suspected to be part of a cross-border drug trafficking gang. Maj Phalla said that they were arrested on December 24 night at different places in Phnom Penh, a Chinese-owned-restaurant in Prampi Makara district’s Veal Vong commune and at a twin villa in Chbar Ampov district’s Nirot commune. He added that the anti-drug police knew about their identities and their activities through cooperation and a report from the Chinese police. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50997356/nine-arrested-with-over-300kg-of-ice/