Cambodia’s Beer Lovefest, Facebook Bushmeat Banned, Officials Deny Organ Harvesting
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, September 9, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
THE VERDICT: A French court will rule on defamation charges brought by Hun Sen against opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who accused the Strongman of orchestrating the deaths of Hok Lundy and Chea Vichea.
INSIDE STUFF: Human organ trafficking isn’t among the crimes committed by Chinese gangs in Cambodia, authorities said. Kidnapping, extortion, torture, online scams and drug dealing — yes. Organ harvesting — no.
GUZZLE UP: Cambodians drink an average of $67 worth of beer every year, and the beer market is expected to surpass $2 billion by 2025. The recent opening of two breweries pumped $300 million into the economy.
THE LEDE
Scam Racket
Cambodia played the victim card — about the only move it had left — to try and fend off skyrocketing regional concern over its brutal employment scams.
Officials improbably claimed that Chinese syndicates were too strong, and local law enforcement too weak, to stop so-called “boiler room” rackets. Regional media have detailed kidnappings, torture and debt-servitude across the Kingdom.
Missing are reports of police raids or arrests. Human-rights activists say many scam operations are protected by local tycoons with ties to the government.
Several Asian nations fear hundreds, and possibly thousands, of their citizens could be trapped.
Verdict Nears
A French court is expected to deliver a verdict next month in Hun Sen’s defamation suit against Sam Rainsy.
The two sides recently battled for five hours in front of a Paris judge over allegations that the Strongman ordered the deaths of Hok Lundy, a former national police chief, and Chea Vichea, a beloved labor leader.
The prime minister’s lawyers demanded evidence of Hun Sen’s involvement. Sam Rainsy provided none — but spoke at length about years of legal and physical assaults.
A favorable ruling would give Hun Sen bragging rights, but otherwise have little effect on the Kingdom’s political landscape, which is dominated by his ruling CPP.
Kulen Impasse
A defiant doomsday cult leader and about a thousand followers remained holed up at a farm on Kulen Mountain, waiting for the end of the world and resisting orders to return home.
The group’s leader said he and his followers had every right to remain. Officials agreed, but said people could not be held against their will and would act if anyone was found to be suffering.
The farm’s owner, a former cult member, pleaded with authorities to evict the group. The three sides remained at an uneasy impasse — at least for now.
TALKING POINTS
Big Shots
A former provincial governor who opened fire on a group of garment workers was promoted to the senior ranks of government. The move was decried by labor supporters, who accused officials of promoting violence and holding different standards for workers and authorities, who have a long history of harming protestors. In 2013, the former Bavet governor was sentenced to 18 months for shooting three Svay Rieng garment factory workers.
Off Limits
The Cambodian government reaffirmed that human organ trafficking was not among the crimes committed by Chinese gangs operating in Cambodia, saying their activities included only kidnapping, extortion, torture, online scams, drug dealing and drug manufacturing. Authorities were responding to allegations made by Hong Kong security officials, who said organ harvesting was a rising concern.
Unsocial Media
Phnom Penh authorities threatened at least six women with fines and arrest after they wrote about issues facing their community on social media. An NGO working with the group called it a rights violation, saying such censorship prevented the women from receiving help. The women have been banned from posting about community meetings and access to charitable donations, among other restrictions.
Cold Comfort
Health experts accused the government of ignoring alcohol’s dangerous social impacts in favor of its enlivening effects on tax receipts. The average Cambodian drinks more than $67 worth of beer every year, and researchers predicted the Kingdom’s beer market will surpass $2 billion by 2025. The recent opening of two breweries — into the country’s already crowded beer market — pumped $300 million into the economy.
Fighting Words
Two former CNRP members provoked a prison attack that left one with broken ribs. The melee reportedly started when the two men insulted a prison worker, leading to an escalation of words that led to blows. It was not clear if the attacker was charged with a crime.
White Light
“Last Night I Saw You Smiling,” directed by Kavich Neang, documents the final days of Phnom Penh’s iconic White Building. Released online today, the film follows three families, including Neang’s, as they pack up and try to move on.
Bushmeat Ban
The Ministry of Environment ordered social media users to stop posting images of meals made from endangered animals, calling the practice immoral and illegal. The government in March launched a six-month "zero-snaring" campaign aimed at eliminating poaching and trapping.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Phnom Voar Set to Protest Chhouk Rin Verdict
September 9, 2002
Disbelief was quickly followed by anger on Saturday morning among former Khmer Rouge members living in Phnom Voar over the Appeals Court of Phnom Penh sentence of life in prison for their former commander Chhouk Rin.
Gunmen Kill Opposition Party Activist
September 9, 2002
Three unknown assailants shot and killed a Sam Rainsy Party activist and human rights informant in Kompong Cham province on Friday, setting off concerns that this could be the first politically motivated killing since the run-up to the Feb 3 commune elections.
Accounts of Drama Teacher’s Arrest Conflict
September 9, 2002
Well-known drama teacher Saing Sosak, 55, will be charged in court today with confining and beating an anti-drug police officer during a drug raid, Heng Pov, municipal judicial police chief, said Sunday.
Photos: Kulen cult, Facebook. Sam Rainsy, via WikiMedia.
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