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As Prime Minister Hun Sen dramatically suspended Pchum Ben ceremonies across the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Cambodia’s new COVID daily cases surged to their highest level since July the 25th. The move came after the PM expressed concern over the possible rise of COVID-19 infections after the Pchum Ben festival, following a number of COVID outbreaks in Phnom Penh pagodas. Today’s official daily new COVID case total was 822, bringing the COVID case total to 107,441 cases. The total number of Community Cases is now 89,008 with 18,433 cases being imported. Unfortunately, the ongoing policy to stop releasing any provincial figures has meant that it is now difficult to gauge the true spread of COVID in Cambodia. News that the ‘Delta’ variant of SARS-CoV-2 has infected a total of 6,503 people, compared with 5,751 detected – a jump of over 700 cases – as of September 19 will raise red flags in The Kingdom. Certainly, there seems to be a general upwards trend in The Kingdom – as illustrated in the graph (please note results are 2 days behind) below: read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50941271/as-pchum-ben-is-suspended-cambodias-daily-case-total-surges-to-highest-level-for-2-months/

The report titled “Cambodia Forest Cover 2018” defined forest cover as natural and planted trees so when excluding rubber and palm oil plantations, 43.62% of Cambodia’s area qualifies for the REDD+ carbon credit scheme. At the time of the report, 46.86% of Cambodia’s area was defined as forest cover for a total of 8,510,807 hectares and only 115,797 hectares were lost from 2016 to 2018. The ministry has projected that over the next two years forest cover loss could be further reduced depending on the effectiveness of the government’s reform of Protected Area management and conservation as well as the participation of local communities, the armed forces and authorities at all levels. Collaboration between the ministry and development partners, agencies and relevant stakeholders was identified as a key factor for natural resource protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Obstacles occur when various human activity, like the conversion of forest cover into agriculture land, causes deforestation, the report said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50940922/report-shows-slowdown-of-forest-loss-in-recent-years/

Three Chinese and a Thai men were arrested by the police today in Preah Sihanouk province for smuggling in 36 Thai nationals including 10 women who were caught living and working illegally in the Kingdom. Preah Sihanouk Provincial police chief Major General Chuon Narin said they were arrested after a police team raided the Golden World Casino in Sihanoukville’s Bei commune. Following the arrest, he added the provincial hospital doctors conducted the Covid-19 Rapid Test and found five out of the 36 infected with the coronavirus. The four men and a woman were all infected with the Delta variant. He said those infected are admitted at a hotel which has been converted as a designated Covid-19 treatment centre while the others are undergoing the mandatory 14 day quarantine at another health centre in the province. All the 36 Thai nationals will be referred to the provincial court for questioning once they complete the 14 days of quarantine and treatment. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50941518/four-arrested-for-smuggling-in-36-thai-nationals-of-whom-five-infected-with-delta-variant/

USAID/Cambodia announced an additional $5 million grant to improve the conditions of the health of Khmer Rouge survivors through a project entitled, “Advancing the Rights and Improving the Conditions of the Health of Khmer Rouge Survivors” which will be managed by the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam). The additional grant brings the activity’s total value to $6.5 million. “We are proud to support this project. The U.S. government has a long-standing commitment to promoting peace and national reconciliation through Khmer Rouge historical remembrance,” said U.S. Ambassador Patrick W. Murphy. “The project will help provide access for Khmer Rouge survivors to health care and document health conditions and concerns, socio-economic conditions, and the experiences during the Khmer Rouge period.” The new activity will conduct field research on survivor welfare conditions and translate the findings into public awareness campaigns. It will conduct activities that improve the health, welfare, and wellbeing of Khmer Rouge survivors, nationwide. “The tragedy and injustice suffered by the Cambodian people under the Khmer Rouge regime was so great that nothing can truly replace or compensate them; however, this effort is one significant step forward in truly helping and supporting the survivors of genocide,” said Youk Chhang, DC-Cam Executive Director. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50941585/usaid-announces-new-grant-to-improve-khmer-rouge-survivor-health/

Qorvis has agreed to “provide strategic communications and media relations services in support of increasing public awareness along with travel and tourism for the Kingdom of Cambodia.” In an attempt to burnish its tarnished reputation in Washington, Cambodia’s government has agreed to pay $70,000 a month to a U.S. lobbying firm known for representing some of the world’s most notorious regimes, according to papers lodged with the U.S. Justice Department. Cambodia’s ambassador to the United States, Chum Sounry, signed a contract on Sept. 15 with Qorvis Communications, according to a filing made two days later and viewable on a website that records the registration of agents who represent foreign governments in the U.S. In exchange for a $69,300 monthly retainer, Qorvis has agreed to “provide strategic communications and media relations services in support of increasing public awareness along with travel and tourism for the Kingdom of Cambodia.” Phnom Penh’s international reputation has plummeted in recent years. In response to increasingly autocratic governance and human rights violations, the European Union has stripped Cambodia of its preferential trade status and the U.S. government has imposed sanctions on powerful figures within Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government. In response, Cambodia has gone on a lobbying spending spree, signing contracts with two agencies in 2019 alone. One of those agencies, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, lobbied State Department employees not to pursue further sanctions against Cambodian officials, according to a source familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. Many foreign governments hire lobbying firms to help press their case in the halls of power in Washington. But Dr Sophal Ear, author of Aid Dependence in Cambodia, said that as the latest firm to be signed up, Qorvis “should be ashamed of itself” for taking on the Cambodian government as a client. “It’s absolutely disheartening to see that $70,000 per month is being spent on public relations to defend human rights abuses, destruction of democracy and un-freedom,” Ear told RFA. “Cambodia is now engaged in the purchase of coal-generated electricity, the clear-cutting of the last of its precious forests, sand-dredging, and so on. All of this should give Qorvis pause, but instead they look only at their balance sheet and profit and loss.” Qorvis did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article on Thursday. The firm was one of the few lobbyists not to drop Saudi Arabia as a client in the wake of the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. For roughly a decade Qorvis has represented Equatorial Guinea, which since 1979 has been subject to the deadly rule of its President Teodoro Obiang, whose son was made the subject of a travel ban and asset freeze by the United Kingdom this summer over allegations he embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds. But filings with the Justice Department show that Qorvis also provides services to the office of the prime minister of Japan and the Republic of Fiji. However, it also serviced the latter while it was in the throes of a military government roughly a decade ago. It remains to be seen precisely what services Qorvis will perform for Cambodia and for how long. The contract signed with Cambodia earlier this month stipulates that it can be terminated by either party at 30 days’ notice, and that the government may “adjust or otherwise fine tune the Services in accordance with [its] priorities as they may evolve over time.” https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/washington-lobbyist-09232021180513.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

CHINESE tourists may be the first foreign visitors to return Cambodia as the government prepares to reopen the tourism sector. Prime Minister Hun Sen indicated this last week, saying the country could open its doors to international holidaymakers vaccinated against Covid-19 – starting with guests from China. The Phnom Penh Post reports him saying that he was keen to allow all businesses to reopen soon if the Covid-19 situation shows significant signs of improvement. "No one wants to see closures like this, our people want to go out. I first want to reopen the education sector, followed by the service industry … [including] domestic tourism – our people want to travel on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays," he said, indicating that international tourism would follow soon after. However, he stopped short of abolishing quarantine requirements, at least in the near term. read more https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2021/09/729885/chinese-tourists-may-be-first-cambodia-when-tourism-reopens

The Supreme Court yesterday held a trial in absentia of two South Koreans who were sentenced by the Siem Reap Provincial Court on October 1 last year to two years in jail each for attempting to bring into Cambodia $2,200,000 in cash in July 2019. The seized cash was ordered to be put in the State budget together with the $15,000 fine each imposed by the lower court. Judge Chaing Sinath identified the two accused as Song Hyunhoo, 46; and Yoon Wongi, 34; both South Koreans working in a Korean company based in South Korea. Both men were charged with “laundry” under Articles 23 and 27 of the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Financing. The two accused could not attend their trial due to the Covid-19 lockdown in Siem Reap and were represented by their lawyer Hun Piseth who told the court that the seized money belonged to a Korean company named “CNC Co LTD” based in South Korea. He said both the accused were employees of the company. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50940919/lawyer-tells-court-that-seized-2-2-mil-belonged-to-south-korean-company/

Fruit transporters yesterday staged a protest at the Customs checkpoint office in Oda village, Oda commune, Kamrieng district Battambang province over the sudden exorbitant tax imposed for the transportation of fruits from Thailand into Cambodia. More than 60 mini-van drivers were taken aback when they were ordered to pay $50 instead of the usual $12 for bringing in fruits from Thailand into the Kingdom. The protest at the Doung International checkpoint was to get the customs officials to lower the tax for each vehicle for the transportation of fruits between Thailand and Cambodia as with the new rate they would hardly be making any money. Chun Phal, a fruit transporter who joined the protest told Khmer Times yesterday that the customs officer demanded $50 from each driver which is very unreasonable. “We don’t mind if it is only $12 but $50 is too much,” he added. Another driver Mao Sok said the amount is not reasonable as he has to pay for petrol, food, family expenses, bank loan taken to purchase the minivan, and also keep aside money for vehicles tear and wear and breakdown expenditures. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50940923/fruit-transporters-protest-over-exorbitant-tax-at-customs-checkpoint/

Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for all traditional ceremonies related to Dak Ben and Pchum Ben in pagodas nationwide to be reconsidered or suspended following Covid-19 cases detected among Buddhist worshippers in some temples over the past three days. In an audio message posted on his Facebook page yesterday, Mr Hun Sen expressed concern about a surge in coronavirus cases if people are allowed to go to pagodas. He said the discovery of Covid-19 cases among the temple-goers was a bad sign in the management and control of the pandemic as ‘We are still not out of the woods yet’ with cases still surging in provinces. He added that if a decision is not taken, it may lead to another wave of a new community outbreak, which will be disruptive to all the efforts taken by the government to bring the cases down. “I am really worried that after the Pchum Ben festival, the cases might just skyrocket causing many people to be infected and die. This is serious and not good for the nation,” he said. Mr Hun Sen has instructed the Economy and Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth, Health Minister Mam Bun Heng, Minister of Cults and Religion Chhit Sokhon, and other relevant authorities to seriously consider this matter and make an immediate decision. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50940793/pm-calls-for-festival-celebrations-to-be-reconsidered-or-suspended/

Some of the roughly quarter million Cambodian migrant laborers who flooded home from Thailand over the past 18 months when the coronavirus pandemic killed their jobs are desperate enough for work that they are risking arrest and COVID-19 infection to sneak back across the Thai border to do menial labor, workers and NGOs say. Unable to find work to support themselves in Cambodia, which has been under a serious of lockdowns to fight rising infections, they are making risky illegal border crossings and working as scavengers and scrap collectors in Thailand. “I crossed the border illegally,” migrant worker Pen Vin told RFA’s Khmer Service in Bangkok. She and three others spent an entire day trekking through a forest to get to Thailand and was once arrested in Cambodia for trying to sneak across the border and sent home, before heading to the border again. “I didn’t have money to buy food, so I decided to return. I don’t have any rice fields. I have nothing to do,” said Pen Vin, who has joined legions of trash pickers who sift through rubbish and collect plastic and other items that can be sold. Yat Nem, an unemployed migrant from Cambodia’s Pursat province who lives 20 km (12 miles) outside of Bangkok in a town called Chachoengsao, told RFA that she is unemployed and scavenging to make a living. She said that four of her fellow jobless migrant workers have just recovered from the coronavirus. The 41-year-old woman, who earns about U.S. $50 every two weeks selling what she finds, said she does not want to return home during the health crisis and will continue to scour trash, collect plastic, fish, or clean houses in hopes of landing a job in Thailand so she can save money before returning to Cambodia. Other migrant workers said they took many risks to reenter Thailand without official documents — paying traffickers to help them cross the border. Another laborer, Y Pring, who is still in Cambodia, said he wants to go back to Thailand because he hasn’t been able to find a job months after returning home.The 32-year-old said he would prefer having a decent job in Cambodia to going to another country for work, but local jobs do not pay enough to support his family and pay off debt. “I want to return [to Thailand],” he said. “I don’t have a job in Cambodia. I want to work there for two more years so I can save to start a business.” Made jobless by COVID More than 2 million Cambodians — about half of them undocumented — are thought to be working in Thailand, where per capita GDP is U.S. $7,300, about five times that of Cambodia. They work mostly in the agriculture, fisheries, and construction sectors, where they are vulnerable to human slavery and labor abuse. Made jobless by economic shutdowns to combat coronavirus, nearly 240,000 returned from Thailand from March 2020 through Sept. 8, according to the International Organization for Migration in Cambodia. As of mid-August, about 1,000 Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand had contracted the virus as case numbers climbed in the region because of the highly contagious Delta variant. On Wednesday, Cambodia recorded nearly 106,000 confirmed coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, including 637 new ones, and 2,154 total related fatalities, including 14 new deaths, according to the Health Ministry. The situation has been more serious in neighboring Thailand, a nation of 70 million people, with more than 1.5 million total confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 11,252 new ones, and nearly 15,800 deaths, recorded on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Public Health. Sun Seiha, president of the Cambodian Migrant Workers Foundation, said many laborers in the country have called other migrant workers still in Thailand, trying to land jobs through their contacts so that they can return. He urged the Cambodian government to create more local jobs rather placing restrictions on border crossings between the country and Thailand. “The government should speed up its vaccination program and open up its borders,” he told RFA. “The government also need to prepare legal documents for workers to avoid being cheated by traffickers and breaching [Thai] immigration law.” RFA has not been able to determine how many Cambodian migrants have made a U-turn back to Thailand after repatriating during the pandemic. Cambodian Ministry of Labor spokesman Heng Sour could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen recently ordered Economy and Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth to invest U.S. $5 million to help local workers and migrant workers get agriculture and fish-farming jobs. Most workers would rather find better-paying local jobs than work in Thailand, said Dy Thehoya, senior program officer at the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights. While some have found work farming and raising livestock in Cambodia, their incomes are not enough for them to eke out a living and make debt payments, forcing many to return to Thailand, he said. “The government should invest in vocational training so that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the migrant workers can find jobs locally,” he said. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/migrant-laborers-09222021184759.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Pagodas filled with Buddhist followers yesterday honoured their ancestors and also followed the government’s health measures as advised by Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Premier yesterday posted on his Facebook page reminding people to safely implement the Health Ministry’s guidelines when visiting pagodas. Yesterday was the first of 15 days that Khmer Buddhists observe the Pchum Ben festival. During this period, Cambodians try to visit as many pagodas as possible to give offerings as credit for their ancestors in the afterlife, which not only feeds deceased family members but also earns merit for those who are living. Mr Hun Sen pointed out that Pchum Ben is a traditional Khmer festival that has existed since ancient times bringing the opportunity for family members to reunite at the pagodas for prayers. “Let people continue to participate in preventing the spread of Covid-19 and always implement the 3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts preventive measures,” he said. “I wish all my people happiness and prosperity.” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50940145/devotees-follow-health-measures-on-the-first-day-of-pchum-ben/

Phnom Penh municipal administration’s decision to extend its administrative measures for another 14 days, until October 7, even as the prime minister had called for tourism to resume, especially from China, is seen to be counter productive though essential in combatting and preventing the spread of COVID-19, especially the Delta variant. According to the new directive issued last evening, the same category of businesses have been ordered shut for a further two weeks with no options provided for some activities to resume such as cinemas and outcall massage therapy, given the fact that Phnom Penh’s vaccination has reached more than a 100 percent. Private gatherings of over 15 people will also be banned for the same period, but with some exceptions, it added. But it did not state the exceptions as gatherings above 15 for example, conferences with social distancing in place, five to a table, or well spread out sittings should be allowed. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50939980/phnom-penh-authorities-continued-administrative-measures-against-covid-19-raises-ire/

The discovery of eight hatchlings of the critically endangered Siamese crocodile in the Srepok wilderness has raised excitement and hopes for the Ministry of Environment and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of its global conservation. The Ministry and WWF’s wildlife research team confirmed on September 9 that they discovered the hatchlings following their regular field survey in the Srepok wilderness during the nesting and hatching seasons. The survey is part of a Siamese crocodile research programme under the Ministry led CAMPAS project funded by GEF-5/UNEP, and with the additional funding from WWF-Belgium. The reptile hatchlings currently remain safe in their wild habitat under strict protection by the rangers of the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province. One of the research team members Sothea Bun said that during this hatching season, the research team conducts regular field monitoring with them spending four nights scouting the crocodile habitat locations, from 7pm until past midnight around 2am, to observe the animals. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50939296/siamese-crocodile-hatchlings-find-raises-hope-for-conservation/

Prey Veng provincial authorities are cooperating with the Ministry of Culture to conserve and preserve two ancient temples built in the 6th century amid a decline in interest from local tourists. The pre-Angkorian and 400 ancient mounds are being prepared for cleaning and restoration in order to attract more tourists, post Covid-19. Provincial Department of Culture director Ouk Seryvuth said yesterday that the whole province is blessed with very old temples but some of the foundation structures have disappeared. Two temples that remain are Preah Vihear Chan and Prasat Chong Srok, which were constructed in the pre-Angkor period. “Seventy to eighty percent remain of each of the two temples, which date from the 1st to 6th centuries”, said Sreyvuth. Preah Vihear Chan Temple is located in Rong Domri village, Ba Phnom district’s Choeung Phnom commune. This temple was made from a sandstone structure mixed with laterite stone, said Sereyuth. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50938634/ancient-temples-in-prey-veng-to-be-restored-to-woo-tourists/

Prince Norodom Ravichak, a nephew of King Norodom Sihamoni, has a public image of a businessman and philanthropist. The Cambodian royal family has made headlines in France with the news that Prince Norodom Ravichak has made a €100 million ($117 million) offer to purchase top-flight French soccer club Saint-Étienne. The bid may be marred, however, by the prince’s business partners in Phnom Penh and Paris having been linked to an alleged bribe paid to a top official from FIFA, the sport’s international governing body, RFA can reveal. Ravichak is a nephew of King Norodom Sihamoni. His public image is of a businessman and philanthropist, and French broadcaster France24 reported on Tuesday that the prince's business network straddles Europe, the Middle East and China, including close relationships with state-owned enterprises and investment funds. In 2015, Ravichak registered Cambodia Consulting Group with the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce along with his brother Norodom Narithipong and two Qatar-based French nationals: brothers Ahmed and Abdelkader Bessedik. The following year, Ravichak and Ahmed also set up shop in Paris with another company named B&N Conseil et Stratégie, seemingly named for the initials of partners’ family names. Business records in France and Cambodia indicate that the Bessedik brothers are the only co-owners of Ravichak’s companies who are not members of the Cambodian royal family, suggesting that their relationship is a close one. His transnational ties to the Bessediks may prove problematic in light of his attempt to purchase Saint-Étienne, one of France’s best-known soccer clubs. While Saint-Etienne's glory days were in the 1960s and 70s, when it dominated French soccer, the club continues to play in Ligue 1, the country's top division, and has a sprinkling of international stars on its squad. RFA has learned that around the time that Cambodia Consulting Group and B&N Conseil et Stratégie were being established, the Bessediks featured in a corruption investigation by Swiss law enforcement into Qatari media tycoon Nasser Al Khelaifi, who has been president of Paris Saint-Germain – another top flight French soccer club -- since it was acquired by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund in 2011. The investigation examined allegations that former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke had accepted a bribe from Al Khelaifi in return for the broadcasting rights to the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. The 2026 World Cup will be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The venue for the 2030 has yet to be announced. The alleged bribe came in the form of 18 months exclusive use of a Sardinian villa, saving Valcke an estimated €1.8 million ($2.1 million) in rent. In return, prosecutors alleged that Valcke had given Al Khelaifi’s BeIn media group (where Ahmed Bessedik was a senior executive) preferential treatment in awarding it the World Cup broadcasting rights. Both Valcke and Al Khelaifi consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with the case, and in October 2020, a Swiss court found that neither were guilty of a criminal offense in connection with the villa – a ruling Swiss prosecutors have vowed to appeal. Confusingly, however, the court also found that the pair had nonetheless entered into a “corruptive arrangement” with regard to the villa and that they had “adopted unfair and unlawful behavior.” According to the written judgement viewed by RFA, the court found that in December 2013, Al Khelaifi had purchased the villa via a Qatari company in which he and Abdelkader were shareholders that has been identified in media reports as Golden Home Real Estate. Exchange of favors He had done so, according to the court’s judgement, at the request of Valcke, who had put down a €500,000 ($587,000) deposit to purchase the property earlier in 2013, but had subsequently found himself without the means to complete the purchase. Unless the villa was bought by Dec. 31, 2013, Valcke would forfeit the sizeable deposit. The court found that in exchange for this favor, and the rent-free use of the villa, Valcke “undertook to [Al Khelaifi] to use his discretion” as secretary general of FIFA to “promote and support the candidacy” of BeIn for the World Cup broadcasting rights. Described in media reports as a close friend of Al Khelaifi, Abdeldader Bessedik is alleged to have played a key role in the transaction. On Dec. 9, 2013, Al Khelaifi incorporated a Qatari company “for the sole purpose of acquiring” the villa, the court found. Three days later, he granted Abdelkader a general power of attorney over the company. When the transaction was completed on Dec. 31, 2013, it was Abdelkader that signed on behalf of the Qatari company. Al Khelaifi and Abdelkader claimed in their statements to the court that Abdelkader had in fact been the intended purchaser of the villa. However, the court concluded that Al Khelaifi had been the true orchestrator of the purchase all along. The news that Saint-Étienne may soon be owned by someone with extensive business ties to individuals alleged to have played a role in corrupting a top FIFA official will no doubt be troubling for fans of the club. However, fans’ distaste may not be enough to prevent the sale going ahead if management decide the prince’s offer is the best available. Prince Ravichak is the son of Norodom Chakrapong, the half-brother of Cambodia’s King Sihamoni. Chakrapong was once a member of the ruling Cambodian People's Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen, but fell afoul of its leadership and was forced to flee the country during a 1997 coup. He has since returned to Cambodia and quit politics. Saint-Étienne president Bernard Caiazzo declined an interview request to RFA, citing non-disclosure agreements signed by the club and all parties bidding for it. Neither Cambodia Consulting Group, Ravichak nor his representatives responded to detailed requests for comment. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prince-fifa-09212021193304.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.

Political analysts urge wariness about promises from Hun Sen. An academic living in Thailand who was told last week by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen “you will be shot” over a political analysis he posted on Facebook received a reprieve on Monday, when the strongman called the work “reasonable and acceptable” and cancelled an arrest warrant for the scholar. In a Facebook post Monday, Hun Sen said a Cambodia Daily interview with Bangkok-based professor Seng Sary had clarified that a July Facebook post about forming a national reconciliation government was hypothetical, and not a call to form a rival power center. “I appeal to the court to consider cancelling the arrest warrant for Dr. Seng Sary. In the meantime, I encourage Dr. Seng Sary to continue to perform social issues analysis for the study and research benefits of the social science. I also appeal to Dr. Seng Sary’s wife, children and parents to stop worrying about this,” Hun Sen said. On Friday Hun Sen had ordered Seng Sary arrested for writing the Facebook comment in which he described forces that could lead to change in the political landscape in Cambodia, which has been ruled by Hun Sen since 1985. The alignment of the six forces—opposition party supporters, voters and victims of social injustice, youth, internal issues in the ruling party, the support of the armed forces, and the support of the international community—could bring about a national reconciliation government, Seng Sary wrote. “There is an arrest warrant for Dr. Seng Sary because you support six conditions to establish a shadow government overseas,” an angry Hun Sen said Friday, likening the idea to the National Unity Government that has risen in Myanmar to counter the military regime that took power in a February coup. “The court has already issued the warrant. I am telling you if you are involved with an armed force, or overseas government, you must be arrested,” he said and urged Seng Sary to remove the post. “We need to ask him about the six points to establish an overseas government. You have encouraged people to form it. You will be jailed. Not only will you be jailed for this so-called rebel movement, you will be shot. If they see you, you will be shot,” Hun Sen said. Seng Sary. who had clarified that he does not support forming a government in exile but merely laid out hypothetical conditions for one, told RFA’s Khmer Service Monday it was a good sign that Hun Sen is listening to the opinions of analysts and intellectuals, but he did not feel completely safe yet. “I have not seen the court drop my case yet, so it is difficult for me to decide whether I should return to Cambodia, because it has to do with my safety,” Seng Sary said. “I hope I can get my charges dropped soon,” he said. Seng Sary said he was fortunate to be in Thailand when Hun Sen ordered his arrest. Otherwise, he would never have been able to escape or explain to Hun Sen the meaning of his analysis. “I hope that in the future, the head of government will more carefully consider posts on social media… Let the government have a high understanding of contradictory views or political views that people want express.” Political analyst Kim Sok, who lives in exile in Finland, said that Seng Sary is right to remain in Thailand and act with caution about anything Hun Sen says. “He did request that the court revoke Seng Sary’s arrest warrant, but who knows? When Seng Sary returns to Cambodia and if he is arrested, Hun Sen could say he only made the request to cancel the arrest order, but it is up to the court because the court is independent. So be careful with this game,” Kim Sok said. RFA was unable to reach Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin for comment on Hun Sen's stance. The spokesman for the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Plang Sophal was also not available. Chak Sopheap, the Executive Director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, welcomed the suspension of the arrest warrant and urged the government to be more open to intellectuals and political analysts. “There must be a guarantee of full freedom of expression, and there should be no indictment or arrest just because citizens are expressing their opinions,” she said. Some Facebook users wrote in support of Hun Sen’s change of heart, while others pointed out that the Cambodian leader has broken promises to activists in exile, saying they could return to the country without fear of arrest, but arresting them anyway. The exchange with Seng Sary came a little than a week after Hun Sen Hun Sen crashed a Zoom strategy session of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, which Hun Sen had banned in 2017. “I wanted to send a clear message to the rebels that there are people of Hun Sen everywhere,” the prime minister said of his intervention in the Zoom call. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/seng_sary-09202021203541.html Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

PHNOM PENH, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Inspired at first by a desire to beat their city's notorious traffic, a group of Cambodian students have designed a prototype drone that they hope can eventually be used to ferry people around Phnom Penh and even help fight fires. With eight propellers and using a school chair for the pilot's seat, the drone was developed by students at the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia (NPIC) on the outskirts of the capital. "The drone, when we see it flying without a pilot, there is a lot of shaking but when I sit on it and fly... it becomes more stable and I feel so excited," said Lonh Vannsith, 21, the pilot of the drone. "We wanted to solve some problems for our society by making a taxi drone and... inventing drones for firefighters," he said, noting how, for example, they hoped it could reach the upper floors of a building to bring a hose where a fire truck could not reach. <>The prototype can carry a pilot weighing up to 60 kg (132 pounds) and fly for about 10 minutes for a distance of 1 km (0.6 miles). It took three years of research and development and cost around $20,000 to build. While the team hopes it will eventually fly far higher, when manned the drone currently only rises to as much as 4 metres (13.1 feet). read more https://www.reuters.com/world/buckle-up-cambodian-students-build-manned-drone-aid-community-2021-09-21/

The Ministry of the Royal Palace has issued a statement clarifying that Cambodia has no crown prince and therefore it is impossible for ‘Cambodia’s Crown Prince’ to be considering the purchase of a French football club. The statement reads: “Referring to the National Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Law on the Organisation and Functioning of the Crown Council of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Ministry of the Royal Palace reaffirms that there is no Article stated on the appointment of the Crown Prince and there is neither national institution nor anyone who has the priority right to designate the Crown Prince,” read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50938492/ministry-of-the-royal-palace-says-no-crown-prince-in-cambodia-to-clarify-french-football-club-purchase-story/

The government is working to rescue a citizen who claims she was beaten by her husband in China. According to her TikTok’s video, the victim described her name as Ath Sopheak from Kampong Speu province’s Samraong Tong district, and her mother is Phi and father is Ol. She appealled to Prime Minister Hun Sen help to her get back to Cambodia. “I came here three to four years ago. I cannot contact my family in Cambodia. Please Samdech, help me get back,” she said in video on TikTok. Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department chief Lieutenant General Chiv Phally told Khmer Times yesterday that the department already collected information from officials at the Foreign Affairs Ministry to have a basis to cooperate with the authorities “of the target country” to seek intervention to help the victim. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50938637/cambodian-woman-in-china-pleads-for-help-on-tiktok/

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has boasted of barging uninvited into a video conference call hosted by his political opponents. An enthusiastic user of social media, Hun Sen said Friday he intruded into the Zoom call to warn his opponents that he and his spies were keeping a close eye on them. The Sept. 9 call was held by former members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which a court dissolved in 2017. Cambodia's courts are widely seen as doing the bidding of Hun Sen's government, in this case eliminating the sole credible opposition party ahead of the 2018 election. The party had been expected to present a strong challenge to Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party, which instead swept the parliamentary polls. Clips of part of Hun Sen's sudden intrusion on the video call have been circulating on social media. They show Hun Sen holding a 12-minute conversation with Long Ry, a former opposition lawmaker. In their chat, Hun Sen complained that members of the former opposition party insulted him personally even though, he claimed, he had tried to promote a “culture of dialogue.” A spokesman for Hun Sen’s party, Sok Eysan, initially denied that the intrusion and exchange had taken place, saying the video clip was a fabrication. Hun Sen, however, during a live television broadcast Friday opening a COVID-19 vaccination campaign for children, acknowledged the exchange and said he had listened in on about 20 previous calls of his opponents without revealing his presence or showing his face. He also wrote on his Facebook page about his exploit, stressing that he had not been reaching out to negotiate, but to warn them against disruptive activities. U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia quoted Long Ry as saying that Hun Sen was able to join the Zoom meeting because one of his team members shared the meeting link or password with others so they could listen. He said he would be happy to invite Hun Sen to future meetings to discuss national issues. “But morally, when people sneak a peek into our affairs, we are not happy,” it quoted Long Ry as saying. “In politics, I think we should employ honest and straightforward methods, and not take advantage of others by secretly sneaking into their affairs.” Most senior members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party fled into exile after the party was dissolved. Hun Sen has been in power for more than 36 years and said repeatedly he has no intention of stepping down soon. Human rights groups and Western nations accuse his government of suppressing democratic and human rights. Crashing other people's Zoom conferences became a small fad last year when the use of the application skyrocketed during the pandemic as many people began working at home. It is usually accomplished by obtaining a password, which is often casually circulated to invitees. https://www.voacambodia.com/a/cambodian-leader-boasts-he-barged-into-opposition-video-call/6235719.html

STUNG TRENG, Cambodia, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Researchers are collecting samples from bats in northern Cambodia in a bid to understand the coronavirus pandemic, returning to a region where a very similar virus was found in the animals a decade ago. Two samples from horseshoe bats were collected in 2010 in Stung Treng province near Laos and kept in freezers at the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC) in Phnom Penh. Tests done on them last year revealed a close relative to the coronavirus that has killed more than 4.6 million people worldwide. An eight-member IPC research team has been collecting samples from bats and logging their species, sex, age and other details for a week. Similar research is going on in the Philippines. "We hope that the result from this study can help the world to have a better understanding about COVID-19," field coordinator Thavry Hoem told Reuters, as she held a net to catch bats. Host species such as bats typically display no symptoms of pathogens, but these can be devastating if transmitted to humans or other animals. read more https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/cambodia-bat-researchers-mission-track-origin-covid-19-2021-09-20/

Cambodia has vaccinated a total of 11,826,416 people against COVID-19 with at least one dose of the vaccine. These comprise 9,821,667 adults aged 18 and above, 1,727,063 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and 276,686 children aged six to 12 since the first campaign involving adults started on February 10, the second campaign starting on August 1 and the third campaign starting on September 17. The fourth phase which started in early August and involving a third booster dose of the vaccine for the front line workers and selected segment of the population and now slated to be open for the general public in October has seen a total of 823,836 receiving the booster dose. The campaign for providing booster doses for the general public will kick off in October and will begin with Phnom Penh and the province of Kandal and then to other provinces, Prime Minister Hun Sen last Friday. The World Health Organization has in August asked countries to hold off on boosters until at least the end of September, by which time it hopes at least 10 percent of every country’s population will be vaccinated. However, individual countries weighed their own options and decisions to administer the third booster dose was driven by realities on the ground. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50937747/cambodia-has-vaccinated-73-91-percent-of-its-16-million-population-against-covid-19/

Cambodian migrant workers in quarantine camps and testing areas at the borders have told Khmer Times in mid August that could be a deluge of Cambodian migrant workers returning from Thailand to Cambodia to celebrate the Pchum Ben festival, which officially falls on October 5 to 7. The workers when spoken to at the holding area said many Cambodians are stuck in faraway provinces in Thailand as the internal regulations, poverty and lack of ability to travel to the border as well as the fear of the 21 days quarantine has discouraged them. “However, they were making plans to return to Cambodia through illegal rat holes, by trying to evade security forces and border patrols on both sides of the border and trying to find their way home with pre arranged transport waiting at designated spots instead of seeking private taxis and busses. “There are more than 1.5 million Cambodians (their estimate, CENTRAL estimates two million) still in Thailand. Many of them have no jobs while others who have jobs are fearful of leaving as they want to ensure their jobs are secure when they returned back to Thailand,” one returnee, identified only as Srey Ni, 36, said. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50937875/pchum-ben-holidays-in-early-october-may-see-another-influx-of-cambodian-migrant-workers-returning/

An Australian man who sexually abused several young girls in Cambodia and kept a collection of child abuse material has been sentenced to nine years and six months in jail by the South Australian Adelaide District Court on Friday, September 17. The 47-year-old Geoffrey William Moyle pleaded guilty last year to 12 offences after an extensive investigation by the South Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (SA JACET). Officers from SA JACET, which comprises Australian Federal Police (AFP) and South Australia Police, arrested the man in May 2019. SA JACET and AFP liaison officers worked closely with partners in Cambodia to gather evidence for a prosecution and mount a strong case against the offender. AFP officers based in Cambodia received significant assistance from the Cambodian National Police and other non-government organisations to identify victims, provide welfare support and legal representation. NGOs included APLE Cambodia, which works to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation, and the Legal Impact Hub led by the Armin Law and Remedy Project in Cambodia. read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50937981/australian-jailed-for-sexually-abusing-children-in-cambodia/

A US$54 million World Bank initiative is helping develop eco-tourism sites, improve access and train local communities to handle visitors The plan, which includes the Cardamom Mountains – Southeast Asia’s largest intact rainforest – aims to ensure the benefits of eco-tourism flow to villagers Tourism operators in Cambodia, the second-most vaccinated country in Southeast Asia (after Singapore), are putting pressure on the government to reopen borders to fully inoculated international tourists as soon as November. When they return, those tourists will be visiting a newly emerging eco-tourism destination. “Eco-tourism is moving forward globally and is very important in Cambodia,” says Nick Ray, tourism consultant for the Cambodia Sustainable Landscape and Eco-tourism Project (CSLEP), a multimillion-dollar initiative that is spearheading a change in focus for the industry. “The pandemic has changed this even more as people seek open spaces, nature, meaningful and engaging experiences and sustainable travel.” The US$54 million CSLEP represents the World Bank’s largest tourism investment in Cambodia. The five-year initiative will span seven provinces, taking in the Cardamom Mountains – Southeast Asia’s largest intact rainforest – the Tonle Sap Lake’s flooded forests and sacred Phnom Kulen in Siem Reap. read more https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3149094/emphasis-will-be-eco-tourism-when-cambodia-reopens