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Sihanoukville officials take aim at Chinese-owned businesses in the beach resort town. Authorities in Cambodia’s coastal city Sihanoukville have threatened to take legal action against casinos and other businesses that force staff to work during the pandemic, after employees accused a Chinese-owned casino of forcing people infected with the coronavirus to keep working. After one of the sick laborers at The Century Casino died, her family asked authorities to order the Chinese owner to pay them compensation for forcing the woman to continue working while ill, said Ros Leng, cousin of worker Hean Sreynich. A doctor told the family that the women who died Thursday at the casino had contracted the COVID-19 virus five days earlier and had died of food poisoning and dehydration, he told RFA. The casino did not inform the family about Hean Sreynich’s death or offer to pay them her salary, he said. The family learned about her death from her coworkers, Ros Leng said. “We should like the casino to resolve the issue and to give us compensation,” he said. RFA could not reach the casino’s human resources manager to comment on the matter. News that some of the casino’s 437 workers had contracted the virus spread after a group of employees livestreamed videos on Facebook on Thursday. They said they were forced to perform their jobs, including managing online gambling platforms, while they were ill and that they had been forced to remain inside the building since March without any treatment. On Sept. 25, the workers called on the provincial labor department to order the casino operator to stop forcing them to work. Authorities banned the casino from asking employees to work while they were in quarantine, with provincial governor Kouch Chamroeun on Monday warning hotels and casinos not to use forced labor. “To avoid labor disputes and to avoid forced labor that leads to human trafficking and prostitution and to exploited labor, Sihanoukville provincial authorities have issued strict measures banning forced labor, employing workers in exchange for paying off their debs, fake marriages, producing pornography, and illegal detention,” the governor said in a statement. “Provincial authorities will take action against any casinos or hotels that detain or force workers to work or [engage in] illegal trafficking,” he said. Authorities would shut down any business that violates the directive, prosecute the owners, and revoke their operating licenses, Kouch Chamroeun added. A casino employee who declined to be named out of fear of retribution said the authorities sent two nurses to the casino to distribute medicine after the Facebook video the workers made went viral. “The treatment we received is acceptable, but we don’t know if this will change in the future. Right now authorities are paying attention to us. There is some improvement needed, but it is acceptable,” she said. Yow Khemara, director of the Department of Labor and Vocational Training in Preah Sihanouk province, told RFA that medical professionals have provided treatment and medicine to the more than 200 workers who have the COVID-19 virus. He also confirmed that one employee had died. “Right now, we have doctors stationed there during the day because casino employees have complained,” he said. “We also are giving them four meals daily.” Chinese investment has flowed into Sihanoukville in recent years, bringing dozens of Chinese-owned casinos and other businesses. While the businesses create jobs for Cambodians, many complain about what they see as unscrupulous business practices, criminal activities, and unbecoming behavior by Chinese businessmen, residents, and tourists alike. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/sihanoukville-casino-10012021172308.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the sham justice to which a local reporter in southwestern Cambodia’s Koh Kong province was subjected at the ruling party’s behest in a blatant political reprisal after he reported that the authorities were seizing land from people who had farmed it for years. It is hard to imagine a more summary form of justice. After being taken in for questioning by police on 28 September, Koh Kong Hot News publisher Youn Chhiv was tried by a provincial court yesterday, just two days later, without being defended by a lawyer, and was sentenced to a year in prison and a fine of 2 million riels (420 euros) on a charge of “incitement to disturb social security.” By way of incitement, Youn Chhiv reported that in villages and plantations in Kiri Sakor, the district where he lives, land was being seized in violation of the prime minister’s declared policy. He blamed this on the province’s deputy governor, Sok Sothy, saying he “is cruel and abuses citizens.” It was on these words that the prosecution based its entire case. read more https://rsf.org/en/news/cambodian-reporter-sentenced-year-prison-two-days-after-being-arrested

Banteay Meanchey’s authorities reported that the impact of the flood and the spread of its reach have increased with more than 18,000 families affected and more than 1,100 evacuated. Rain, rising water levels, and flood runoff from Thailand contributed and is continuing to contribute to the flooding situation in Banteay Meanchey. As of the evening of September 29, it was reported that the deluge has spread to 9 districts. The districts affected by the flood are Mongkul Borei, Serey Saophoan, O’Chrov, Poipet, Malai Phnom, Preah Net Preah, Svay Chek and Thmor Puok. According to the data of the Provincial Administration and the Secretariat of the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Disaster Management Committee, as of the evening of the September 29 the flood impacted 38 communes in the aforementioned districts and 18,715 families equal to 79,828 people, including 40,529 females. 1,150 families were also evacuated from severely flooded areas. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50944915/update-more-than-18000-families-throughout-banteay-meanchey-affected-by-floods/

Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to open a new border crossing soon, linking Stung Bot village in Poipet town with Ban Nong Ian village of the Thai province of Sa Kaeo, in the hopes of encouraging cross-border trade. Thai Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit on September 29 confirmed that Thailand had agreed to open the crossing ahead of schedule, even though construction on its checkpoint remains unfinished, local media The Nation Thailand reported. He said, however, that the border gate would be open exclusively for container trade for the time being. read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/cambodia-thailand-agree-open-new-border-point

The bill if signed into law would sanction Cambodian officials deemed responsible for suppressing democracy in the authoritarian Southeast Asian country. U.S. lawmakers and Cambodian opposition figures welcomed the bipartisan passage Tuesday of legislation calling for sanctions on Cambodian officials found responsible for suppressing political opposition in the authoritarian Southeast Asian country. Titled the Cambodia Democracy Act of 2021, H.R.4686 would bar entry to the United States by senior Cambodian officials deemed responsible by the U.S. president for having “directly and substantially undermined democracy in Cambodia.” The bill if signed into law by the U.S. president would also restrict financial transactions and freeze assets held by targeted officials in the United States, California Congressman and co-chair of the Congressional Cambodia Caucus Alan Lowenthal said in a Sept. 28 press release. “Despite repeated actions taken by both the United States and the international community, the authoritarian regime of Prime Minister Hun Sen continues to reject the democratic promises and processes he agreed to in the 1991 Paris Peace Accords,” Lowenthal said, referring to an agreement marking the end of the war with Vietnam that ousted Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge. “From shuttering or co-opting the free press, to banishing political opponents, to eliminating free and fair elections and then repeatedly declaring himself the people’s choice, the Hun Sen regime continues to do everything in its power to destroy any hope of democracy in Cambodia.” Sanctions under the Cambodia Democracy Act, which would go into effect within 180 days of the bill being signed into law, “are the price Hun Sen and his regime must pay for their relentless assault on the freedoms of the Cambodian people,” Lowenthal said. Speaking to RFA on Wednesday, Mu Sochua—deputy president of Cambodia’s banned opposition group the Cambodia National Rescue Party—said she hopes that Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 35 years, will reconsider his efforts to block democratic progress in Cambodia before the bill is signed into law by President Biden. “This gives time for Hun Sen to think again about his abuses and iron-fist rule, which the international community has condemned,” she said, adding, “The government needs to understand what the people need.” “They want real peace, independent courts, and freedom,” Mu Sochua said, calling on Hun Sen to stop Cambodia’s ongoing arrests of opposition politicians, environmental activists, and other dissenting figures. “Hope is being destroyed,” she said. 'An unjust bill' Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan lashed out at the proposed legislation in a posting on his Facebook page on Wednesday, calling the bill unjust. “This discriminates against Cambodia, which is committed to democracy and is working hard to build a rule of law,” he said. “The bill may not be signed into law by President Biden, though,” Phay Siphan said, adding that a June visit to Cambodia by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman had been meant to strengthen cooperation between the two countries for their mutual benefit. However, the State Department said following her visit that Sherman had urged Cambodia’s government to drop “politically motivated” court cases against its critics, and had expressed concern over Hun Sen’s broader crackdown on the country's political opposition and civil society. Global sanctions regime In a separate action on Dec. 8, the European Union announced that it had adopted a global human rights sanctions regime that would allow for travel bans and the freezing of assets of individuals or entities deemed responsible for acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, and other serious human rights abuses. The regime, which could be used to counter political repression in Cambodia, marks the first time the bloc has put in place such measures targeting international actors, and is based on the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, a U.S. law named for a Russian corruption whistleblower who died in prison. The EU had earlier stripped Cambodia of its preferential trade terms following the arrest of CNRP president Kem Sokha in September 2017 and the Supreme Court’s decision two months later to ban his party for its role in an alleged plot to topple the government. The ban, along with a wider crackdown on NGOs and the independent media, paved the way for Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the country’s July 2018 general election. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/legislation-09292021203916.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Government demands extradition from Indonesia where ship has been seized PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia has asked Indonesia to extradite the crew of a tanker who it accuses of stealing $21 million worth of crude pumped from the country's first commercialized oil field. The ship's manager said earlier this week that the vessel's captain acted to protect the crew's welfare after the company that chartered the tanker failed to resupply it and terminated the charter agreement. In a statement on Thursday, Cambodia's Ministry of Mines and Energy said "various" criminal charges have been laid in Cambodia against the crew of the Strovolos, including stealing the ship's cargo. "The theft and/or misappropriation of the crude oil by the owners, managers and the crew of the MT Strovolos, and their accomplices constitute criminal acts pursuant to the relevant Cambodian laws." The Bahamas-flagged tanker was chartered by Singapore-traded KrisEnergy to store crude extracted from Cambodia's Block A concession, which KrisEnergy operated. When production began last December, the public-private venture that operated the field became the mainland Southeast Asian country's first commercial oil concern. read more https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Commodities/Cambodia-charges-tanker-crew-with-theft-of-crude-oil

PHNOM PENH, Sept 30 (Reuters) - A Cambodian court on Thursday sentenced the owner of a news website to a year in prison for incitement to cause a felony, a prosecutor said, for posting disinformation about a land dispute at a national park. Youn Chhiv, who ran the Koh Kong Hot News website, had "posted comments to cause confusion" on Facebook, said Vey Phearom, deputy prosecutor at the provincial court in Koh Kong. The journalist, he said, had admitted to falsely claiming that a Sept. 3 eviction by police of villagers from national park land was unlawful and the land had been awarded to them by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Vey Phearom told Reuters the judge started the trial the moment Youn Chhiv reported for a summons, in a case that was initiated at the order of Defence Minister Tea Banh, a Koh Kong native. Neither Tea Banh nor Youn Chhiv's lawyer could be reached for comment on Thursday. Staff of the news site were not immediately available for comment. The imprisonment comes at a time when human rights groups have accused the government of using the judiciary to discourage dissent through harsh punishments. read more https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/cambodia-jails-news-site-owner-1-year-over-false-posts-2021-09-30/

The Andong Kraloeng forestry community is up and arms over 100 hectares of forest land inside Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary being cleared illegally with no intervention and action taken by the provincial environment department. Andong Kraloeng community member and forest protection activist Sok Khathot told Khmer Times yesterday that he had seen the illegally cleared land in Keo Seima wildlife sanctuary in Andong Kraloeng village, Sen Monorom commune, O’reang district, Mondulkiri province. “When I was patrolling with my team in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, I saw the bulldozers clearing the forest with a few workers,” he said, adding that if the illegal land grabbing continues, it will affect the livelihood of the people in that area. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50944346/100-ha-of-land-illegally-cleared-in-keo-seima-wildlife-sanctuary/

Cambodia is just 1.1 percent away from gaining 100 vaccination for adults aged 18 and above, whose vaccination campaign began on February 10. AS of September 29, a total of 9,898,651 in this target segment have received at least one dose of the vaccine while 72,126 were deemed ineligible. This brought to the total vaccination in this segment close to the 99 percent with 98.99 vaccinated. Of this, a total of 9,406,034 have been fully vaccinated with both doses of the vaccine, ensuring that 94 percent in the adult group have received two doses and starting from October 11 in Phnom Penh, would start receiving their third dose. For the whole country and the three segments of people to be vaccinated, a total of 13,328,064 have received at least one dose of the vaccination. This includes: From 18 years old: 9,898,651 people or 98.99 percent From 12 to 18 years 1,758,557 people or 89.41 percent From 06 to 12 years 1,670,856 people or 88.06 percent The total percentage vaccinated nationwide and in all three segments is at 83.30 percent. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50944612/close-to-99-percent-of-adults-in-cambodia-vaccinated-against-covid-19/

At least five Cambodian artefacts handed over by the family of the late antique collector Douglas Latchford will be returned to Cambodia yesterday, Ministry of Culture and Fine arts said. In a statement issued today, the ministry said “In this initial stage, five Khmer masterpieces, including a stone sculpture of Shiva and Skanda, originally from Koh Ker, a half male half female statue and a bronze boat prow will be returned from the United Kingdom to their homeland Cambodia on 29 September 2021.” Earlier this year, the ministry said over 100 Khmer cultural objects in stone, as well as numerous other Khmer cultural properties, will be shipped to Cambodia following the parties having signed an agreement on September 18 last year. After three years of negotiations, the family of Latchford decided to give his entire extraordinary collection of Cambodian antiquities back to the Kingdom. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50944605/at-least-five-cambodian-artefacts-from-england-returned-to-cambodia/

World Bank’s new forecast analysis show that Cambodia’s economic growth this year will go down to 2.2 percent, but will recover to 4.5 percent next year, and 5.5 percent in 2023. Cambodia is experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases which has slowed the recovery, especially of the service, construction, and real estate sectors. The growth projection for 2021 is now revised down to 2.2 percent, despite strong export performance supported by improved external demand conditions. “Cambodia’s outlook remains highly uncertain and risks are tilted to the downside. Despite accelerated vaccination progress, risks of a protracted outbreak and further disruption remain high, given continued high numbers of infections and deaths,” it underlined. World Bank said Cambodia is experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, caused by the more transmissible Delta variant. Infections and deaths have risen quickly. The outbreak which has lingered since the second quarter of 2021 has slowed the recovery, especially of the service, construction, and real estate sectors. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50944272/world-bank-forecasts-cambodias-economic-growth-down-to-2-2-percent/

After sitting two years in a Cambodian prison under rough conditions Danish Sejr Gundel has now returned to his mom in Denmark, BT writes. The Dane was locked up in 2019 after he was arrested by the Cambodian police with 0,1 grams of Methamphetamine in what Sejr Gundel claims were a setup. Sejr, who at the time was living in Thailand where he managed a restaurant with his wife, had gone to Cambodia to renew his visa. It was during this visit that Sejr made the mistake of taking a tiny bag of drugs to his guesthouse room where he was arrested. “It was a setup. While I was drunk I was persuaded into taking the bag for free and then told to go to my guesthouse room with it. A few minutes later cops were pouring in. This mistake cost me everything in a matter of two seconds,” Sejr says and adds. “An Argentine and three others were also arrested at the same time. That’s the way that police, lawyers, and others earn a lot of money down there.” read more https://scandasia.com/danish-man-released-after-two-years-in-cambodian-prison/

The Ministry of Labour yesterday instructed all factories and enterprises nationwide to conduct Covid-19 rapid tests on employees when they return to work after the Pchum Ben holidays. According to a statement issued by Minister of Labor Ith Samheng yesterday, the move is to ensure the smooth flow of business activities and prevent the large-scale spread of Covid-19, especially the Delta variant. He said the employers must ensure they have enough rapid test kits to cover all employees.He added that all workers must participate in the Covid-19 rapid test prepared by owners. Any worker who refuses to undergo rapid testing will be deemed to have violated the rules on security and hygiene discipline as stipulated in Article 83 of the Labour Law and existing regulations which allow the employer to dismiss the workers. Workers have also been told they must notify the Ministry of Labour via Telegram if the employer fails to conduct Covid-19 rapid tests after the Pchum Ben holidays. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50943623/c-19-tests-at-workplaces-after-holidays/

Cambodia has enough COVID-19 vaccines to provide for people as booster doses, affirmed Dr. Yuok Sambath, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Health, while welcoming the arrival of 3 million more doses of Sinovac vaccine Cambodia has ordered from China, at Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday. “Last week, we received 3 million doses, and another 3 million doses today, therefore we have 6 million doses in stock for booster doses,” she said. With the newly arrived vaccines, Cambodia has now some 35.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from purchases and donations: 7.8 million doses of Sinopharm, 25 million doses of Sinovac, 1,739,000 doses of AstraZeneca, and 1,064,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Sambath added that Cambodia will get 3 million doses as bilateral donation from China and some more from other friendly via COVAX Facility. “In short, Cambodia will not lack vaccines for the vaccination of children aged from to 6 to under 12 years old and the 3rd dose or booster dose,” she stressed. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50943846/cambodia-has-enough-vaccines-for-booster-doses-says-ministry-of-health-official/

A 73-year old Japanese man’s appeal to overturn his 25 years in prison for attempting to transport almost two kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamines from Cambodia to Japan turned futile when the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal yesterday upheld the lower court’s sentencing on October 22 last year. Nonaka Shunichi, a Japanese tourist, was charged with “drug possession and transport” under Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control. Presiding Judge Pov Phousun in reading out his verdict said Shunichi was sentenced on October 22 last year by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of committing the offence and he appealed against the sentencing. “Based on Nonaka Shunichi’s confession during the trial on September 15 and the pieces of evidence produced in court, the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal finds him guilty as charged,” he added. He said seeing the amount of drugs seized from the accused, he should have been sentenced to prison for life but the lower court reduced it to only 25 years due to his old age. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50943616/appeal-court-upholds-25-years-in-prison-for-japanese-tourist/

The raise is inadequate to address workers' needs as they face crowded transportation, high rent for housing, and the costs of meals, workers and labor advocates say. Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor has increased the minimum wage for garment and footwear workers by only $2 for next year, with workers and labor advocates calling the raise inadequate to meet workers’ needs. The raise from $192 to $194 per month will take effect Jan. 1, 2022, and other benefits allowed under Cambodia’s labor laws will remain the same as those in force this year, ministry officials said in an announcement on Tuesday. One Cambodian trade union official called the raise too low, noting that the government has recently reduced paid leaves for workers and that inflation has hit the country hard. “Our labor law says that a minimum wage must allow workers to have a decent life,” said Yang Sophorn, president of the Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions, adding that workers now struggle every day with overcrowded transportation and housing, and must pay almost $1 every day for each meal. Unions had argued for a minimum wage of $204 for next year, and will now consult with their members to see if they can use the law to force a higher wage, she said. Attempts by RFA to reach Minister of Labor spokesperson Heng Sour for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful. Kong Athit, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union, said that some union members of the Labor Advisory Committee that voted on the new minimum wage had cast their votes in favor of the interests of manufacturers and Cambodia’s government. The government’s Labor Advisory Committee consists of 17 members representing the labor unions, the government, and the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, he said. “But this morning, only four union members voted in favor of a new $204 minimum wage for the workers.” The $2 raise is too small and of no real help to workers’ lives, he said. Garment worker Douk Sarann said she too was disappointed with the wage increase announced on Tuesday. “The government's increase of $2 shows that it has no concern for the difficulties and risks workers face during the COVID-19 pandemic so that employers can make profits and strengthen the country’s economy,” she said. Her new monthly salary of only $194 won’t help her to cope with inflation, loans, and the cost of rent and utilities, she said. Ath Thun, president of the Cambodian Labor Confederation, said that workers will be upset with the new minimum wage and may decide someday to protest, adding that when workers showed unity in their protests in the past, the government responded with a fair wage. “Protests would help to [redefine the minimum wage] and would close loopholes in the law,” he said. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/wage-09282021185111.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

With Lucky supermarket advertising for more construction workers to build more stores, is this the start of the battle of the supermarkets? Lucky supermarket is advertising for contractors to carry out construction work on new stores being built in the Kingdom. According to its Facebook page, it has 15 stores throughout Cambodia with that number sure to grow, given the advertisement. This comes after Thai-owned 7-Eleven has being introduced to the Cambodian market opening its first store in the Chroy Changvaa District of Phnom Penh, the Thai retail conglomerate CP All Plc opened the first store on Aug 30 as part of the company’s plans to grow across ASEAN. Big C was the first Thai-owned retail superpower to be introduced to Cambodia with the Big C Supercentre in Poipet in 2019 and the first store in Phnom Penh opened on Sept 6 . This was part of Big C’s expansion drive and it plans to spend close to $250 million on expanding the business. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50941030/lucky-supermarket-to-open-new-branch-but-is-tesco-lotus-coming-to-cambodia/

An archaeological excavation team discovered the bottom portion of the head of a Deva statue near Takav Gate. The four-faced Deva statue was discovered near the northeast corner of the Takav Gate, reported the APSARA National Authority. According to the team, they tried to match the unearthed relic to a previously discovered body of a Deva statue. The new part of the statue matched the body of the statue. After the match was made, the team re-assembled the two parts. The incomplete statue is currently at the site and will be kept there for further restoration. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50942733/head-of-four-faced-deva-statue-unearthed-at-takav-gate/

It appears that the ‘pagoda outbreaks’ – previously centred on Phnom Penh – have spread further into Cambodia with the news that 58 out of 135 monks tested at a Battambang pagoda have tested positive for COVID. In addition to the cases in Khnachormeas pagoda, 42 people in the Khnachormeas village in Bavel district also tested positive today. Authorities said that in addition to the monks, residents in Khnachormeas Market and students at Khnachormeas Secondary School also tested positive. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50942748/43-of-monks-tested-are-positive-for-covid-at-battambang-pagoda/

More than 50 families travelled to Stung Treng provincial hall yesterday to file complaints about withdrawn ID Poor Cards. The villagers came from Anlong Phe commune, Thala Borivat district, in Stung Treng. Local villager, Un Phaly , told Khmer Times yesterday that she joined the protest to ask for intervention from provincial authories to get back the cards that were withdrawn. She confirmed that the ID Poor is very important for her family, and that she has used the card for medical treatment four times since she received it almost one year ago. Another villager, Choeun Keun, said that he didn’t know why the commune chief confiscated the cards, because the commune authorities did not tell them beforehand. Anlong Phe commune chief Eun Khen said that about 100 people in the commune have the cards, and that he was following up on instructions from the provincial governor to confiscate some of them. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50943006/concerns-over-id-poor-card-confiscations/

The Royal Government’s audacious strategy to vaccinate Cambodia has reaped dividends, with the Kingdom now showing one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Figures from https://ourworldindata.org/ show that Cambodia not only has a much higher vaccination rate than it’s immediate neighbours of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam – but that it has now overtaken almost every major country in the world – including France, the UK, the USA, and Germany – and is equalling China and Canada. Only the island state of Singapore has a higher vaccination rate than The Kingdom. Not only has the Royal Government’s strategy worked to ensure the safety of Cambodians, but it also means that The Kingdom is far more likely to be able to open tourism before it’s ASEAN neighbours. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50941988/cambodias-vaccination-miracle-sees-higher-levels-of-vaccination-than-western-countries-and-asean-neighbours/

In Phnom Penh, the COVID-19 tests results of the monks and laypeople at all pagodas showed that almost half of them was infected after the celebration of the 15-day traditional Pchum Ben festival. PHNOM PENH, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Saturday that the COVID-19 has hit almost half of the Buddhist pagodas here in the capital city. "Yesterday, medical teams took samples from Buddhist monks and laypeople at all the pagodas in Phnom Penh for testing. As a result, COVID-19 cases had been found in almost half of the pagodas," he said in a voice message released publicly. There are 151 Buddhist pagodas in the capital city, according to the Ministry of Cults and Religions. Hun Sen said the Southeast Asian nation has more than 4,000 pagodas across the country and the samples of monks and laypeople outside Phnom Penh have not yet been collected for COVID-19 testing. COVID-19 outbreaks at pagodas occurred after Buddhists began to celebrate the 15-day traditional Pchum Ben festival, or honoring-the-dead festival, on Wednesday. In a bid to contain the spread of the virus, the government on Friday decided to suspend the festival, warning that any large gatherings at pagodas could put the country at high risk of a large-scale outbreak of COVID-19, particularly its highly contagious Delta variant. read more http://www.news.cn/english/2021-09/26/c_1310210155.htm

A foreign national, wanted by South Korean police in connection with a murder committed over 20 years ago, has been apprehended in Cambodia. Kim Kisu had been sought by South Korean police in connection with a murder that took place in in South Korea on November 5, 1999. It is believed that he fled to Cambodia after the crime and has been living ‘under the radar’ for almost 22 years. Major General Sithi Loh, Commissioner of Banteay Meanchey Provincial Police said that the suspect was arrested by the police force of Banteay Meanchey provincial police in Serei Sophorn while driving from Poipet to Phnom Penh. He also highlighted the cooperation between South Korean and Cambodian police that had brought the man to justice after so many years. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50942109/foreign-murder-suspect-arrested-in-cambodia-after-22-years-on-the-run/

Two human traffickers who were responsible for a 15-year old girl’s misery in China were finally caught up with the long arm of the law on Friday in Preah Vihear province. The National Police in collaboration with the Preah Vihear provincial police managed to track down the two brokers identified as Kheng Hon, 52, and Voeung Phorn, 4, both residing in the province’s Tbeng Meanchey district who are now in custody by the provincial court investigating judge. On September 21, the National Police’s Quick Reaction Team noticed a social media posting on March 4 which read “A 15-year-old girl named Oun Sok Chi requested Prime Minister Hun Sen, for helping rescued her from China because she was cheated by a broker and was living in misery”. This posting was reposted on the social media. Upon receiving the information, the Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department team swung into action and the victim’s mother Duch Im, 52, who lives in Preah Vihear city confirmed it was her daughter. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50942224/two-human-traffickers-arrested-over-girls-misery/

From September 17, when the fourth phase of the campaign to safeguard Cambodia’s population against COVID-19 to September 24, in eight days, a total of 70.21 percent of the targeted age group of six to 12 have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while many countries are still debating the necessity for vaccination of this age group. Cambodia has within the week, vaccinated 1,332,083 children out of the identified total of 1,897,362 children, leaving just slightly more than 550,000 children remaining to be vaccinated with the first dose. One of the main factors driving this rapid growth in vaccinated numbers is due to the desire or children wanting to get back to school for in class learning after more than a year of online studying and on-off shutting of schools due to the virus. Of the total vaccinated in the age group of six to 12, 668,186 are females while a mere 65, of whom 31 are females were deemed ineligible to receive the vaccines. Currently four phases of vaccinations are running concurrently in Cambodia. The vaccination of adults aged 18 and above for which, under 60,000 reman unvaccinated, vaccination of adolescents aged 12 to 17, vaccination of children aged six to 12 and administration of the 3rd or booster dose of the vaccine to get the population better protection against mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50941609/in-eight-days-cambodia-has-vaccinated-7021-percent-of-its-children-aged-six-to-12-against-covid-19/