ASEAN Summit Overturns Water Festival, No ‘Micro’ in Microfinance, More Mass Opposition Trials
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, September 16, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
WHO’S LEFT? The fifth mass trial of opposition figures is underway in Phnom Penh, this time against Mu Sochua and her supporters. Imprisonment and exile have left the CPP with few opponents.
MICRO WAVES: There’s nothing “pro-poor” about Cambodia’s lucrative microfinance sector, according to a German report, with an average loan of over $5,000 and more than 150,000 families forced to sell land.
POLITICAL RIPPLE: The Water Festival was canceled for the third straight year, but only partly because of the lingering pandemic. It’s also within days of the ASEAN Summit, and global power players are expected.
THE LEDE
Life Rule
Hun Sen assured voters that parliamentary democracy in Cambodia was robust and effective — in fact, just as strong as the United Kingdom. He then promised to keep personal control of the government even after retiring and handing power to his son.
The Strongman is president of the ruling CPP, a role that allows him to sack any party member — including any future prime minister. He is nearly certain to hold the position for life.
The announcement confirmed what many have long suspected — the forthcoming generational shift in leadership will not occur when Hun Sen retires, but when he passes away.
CPP Control
The Phnom Penh court opened the fifth mass trial against opposition members, this time against a former CNRP vice president and three dozen supporters. The constant stream of partisan court cases are already throwing a shadow over next year’s national elections.
The charges stem from Mu Sochua’s failed 2021 return home to face incitement charges. The international community has urged Cambodia to release political prisoners and restore multiparty democracy. The government has blasted such suggestions as attacks on its sovereignty.
The CPP faces a fragmented opposition whose leadership is either imprisoned or in exile. Expect the ruling party to run the table for the foreseeable future.
Bad Money
A German investigation into Cambodia’s microfinance sector discovered the industry was neither “micro” nor aimed at alleviating poverty — and said taxpayer euros were better spent elsewhere.
The report, funded by the German government, found nearly 30% of borrowers struggled to repay loans. It said aggressive lending and questionable repayment practices forced more than 150,000 families to sell family land over the past five years.
The study called for an end of predatory practices, aggressive marketing and door-to-door sales — and urged the German government to forgive loans made to Cambodia’s poor.
TALKING POINTS
Capital Flow
Hun Sen clapped back on rumors he canceled the Phnom Penh Water Festival because the country was broke. The suspension, he said, was caused by a crowded diplomatic calendar and lingering concerns over Covid-19. Phnom Penh will host the 2022 ASEAN Summit from November 10 to 13. The festival was scheduled for November 7 to 9. Cities across the Kingdom will still celebrate.
Slow Justice
The Extraordinary Chambers will next week announce its final decision on an appeal by Khieu Samphan, the last living Khmer Rouge leader at the tribunal. The former KR head of state was convicted of genocide and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions in 2018 and sentenced to life in prison.
Misplaced Priorities
A range of horrified regional politicians called on ASEAN to enact “extraordinary” measures to tackle Cambodia’s human-trafficking crisis. Cambodia, still smarting over a Thai woman’s fabricated claims of organ harvesting, threatened legal action against anyone found spreading misleading human-trafficking news.
Labor Protests
Police beat two labor activists unconscious and injured others as they marched to the Council of Ministers. More than 400 NagaWorld union supporters demanded action over alleged abuses, including unfair dismissals, violence against union protesters, and widespread attempts at union-busting.
Kulen Cult
Leaders of a Kulen doomsday cult shouted down suggestions they were Hun Sen’s stooges, saying supporters had gathered at a rural farm — and pumped millions into its coffers — in the spirit of unity. Police have blocked travel to and from the compound and cut internet service in a bid to empty the camp.
Clean Money
Cambodia next month faces a momentous evaluation of its ability to battle money laundering, with heavy penalties should it fall short. An August review by a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog gave Cambodia promising marks. The government remains optimistic.
Culture Watch
“Treasures,” a photo exhibit by Neak Sophal documenting the lives of family farmers, opens Saturday at FT Gallery. The Department of Performing Arts hosts the country’s first Bassac Theater Festival in early October.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Battambang Court To Question Nuon Chea
September 13, 2002
Battambang Provincial Court will question former Khmer Rouge leader Nuon Chea regarding guerrilla commander Sam Bith’s role in the 1994 slaying of three Western tourists, officials said Thursday.
Street Children Speak Out at NGO Forum
September 12, 2002
When Chan Somaly’s friend was shot to death in a gang fight, he went to police for help. But the police only looked at him with contempt, he said, for he and his friends were street children. They told him no one would investigate his case.
Memorial for 1998 Protest Victims Canceled
September 9, 2002
The ceremony honoring the victims of the 1998 protest that left at least 30 people dead or missing and more than one hundred wounded has been canceled because one of the ceremony’s organizers was allegedly threatened.
WEEKEND READING
Human ficking’s Newest Abuse: Forcing Victims Into Cyberscamming
Tens of thousands of people from across Asia have been coerced into defrauding people in America and around the world out of millions of dollars. Those who resist face beatings, food deprivation or worse.
Cambodian mega dam’s resurrection on the Mekong ‘the beginning of the end’
Cambodian authorities have greenlit studies for a major hydropower dam on the Mekong River in Stung Treng province, despite a ban on dam building on the river that’s been in place since 2020.
Conservationists hope global recognition will safeguard Cambodia’s landscapes
As the Cambodian government prepares first-time submissions for natural world heritage and global geopark status, some fear UN support alone may not be enough.
Photos: Hun Sen, via Hun Sen’s Facebook page. Water Festival, public domain.
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