Crime Wave Goes Viral, Kingdom Targets Fake News, Rithy Panh Eyes Oscar
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, September 6, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
MUZZLED UP: The CPP-led government’s stranglehold on the opposition keeps getting tighter, with the jailing of rivals and silencing of critics. More than 100 opposition supporters have been arrested this year.
RARE EARTH: Cambodia was named Asia’s top cultural destination in a travel survey — that’s the good news. The unfortunate facts are that the tourism sector is still struggling and many business owners are barely scraping by.
PAPER JAM: Cambodians aren’t speaking to reporters, scared that their quotes could get them arrested, exiled or sued — usually by the government. What’s left of the Kingdom’s free press is fading fast.
THE LEDE
Spin Cycle
Hun Manet is barreling forward with a controversial plan to build infrastructure in undeveloped areas along the border with Laos and Vietnam.
Resistance to the so-called Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area has emerged as the prime minister’s first real political challenge, and how he handles it will set the tone for his administration for years to come.
He has appealed for public support, promised $200 million in roads and development, and offered free overnight trips to the area. When those efforts haven’t worked, his government has turned to old-school repression, aggressively jailing critics — some as young as 16 — in what rights groups are calling a relentless attack on civil society.
Wild West
Open gun battles between rival gangs, violent street fights, brazen kidnappings — it’s just another week in the current crime wave gripping Cambodia.
The latest outburst, much of it going viral on social media (here, here and here), has prompted fresh calls for tighter gun control and better law enforcement. Authorities say more than 1,200 Chinese nationals have been deported since January. Diplomats say the violence is scaring away investors.
The bloodshed has left scores injured and at least one Cambodian police officer dead. China and the Philippines have vowed to bolster local efforts in the fight. Cambodia could sure use the help.
Short Circuit
The government is preparing for a full-on offensive against fake news.
It has established two committees dedicated to stopping social media’s never-ceasing firehose of conspiracy theories, misinformation and lies, while the Information Ministry will soon launch a nationwide campaign titled “Say No to Fake News!” — with expectations that the media, content creators and the public will get on board, or else.
Authorities already track and categorize cases of misinformation, having documented more than 1,700 cases this year. Violators could face jail or fines.
Critics called the move a blatant fear campaign aimed at silencing what’s left of free speech in the Kingdom.
TALKING POINTS
Fast Track
The courts are jailing opposition leaders so fast it's hard to keep count. Chin Bunnaroth, a high-ranking official with the NPP in Takeo, is at least the fourth party official jailed this year. Meach Sovannara, president of the NGP, is apparently next. More than 100 dissidents have been arrested since January, and more are expected as authorities drop the hammer on critics.
Present Tense
The Cambodian navy will take ownership of two Chinese-made warships as early as next year, the Defense Ministry said, describing the corvettes as gifts from Beijing. Officials say the vessels will be used to beef up the Kingdom’s defenses and support aid projects. Washington claims they are part of a secret deal that gives China a permanent foothold in the Gulf of Thailand.
Top Down
Cambodia was named Asia’s Leading Cultural Destination by the World Travel Awards. It’s little consolation to the battered tourism industry, which continues to face growing financial challenges, even as international arrivals and visits to Angkor Wat rise.
Inside Job
The Ministry of Labor blasted a report by The Cambodia Daily Khmer alleging bribe-taking and other financial irregularities. The Daily, citing numerous ministry officials, reported that suppliers were paying up to $30,000 in exchange for contracts. The ministry, even as it dismissed the allegations as false, said it would review the procedures for agreements with outside parties.
Scare Tactics
How bad is Cambodia’s free press situation? Camboja reports that most sources are afraid to talk, fearing lawsuits, arrests or worse. “We see more and more accusations against those who dare to express their opinion,” said one rights campaigner. “That is why some of us are worried when we give our views.”
Old Guard
Kong Sam Ol, the longtime minister of the Royal Palace and a dependable CPP loyalist who served as minister of agriculture from 1986 to 1989, died of natural causes at 94. He is to be replaced as Royal Palace minister by Kuy Sophal.
Oscar Fame
“Meeting with Pol Pot,” the latest film from Rithy Panh, will represent Cambodia at the 2025 Academy Awards in the category of Best International Feature Film. Winners will be announced in March.
WEEKEND READING
Mining company tied to Cambodian military officials grabs community forest
A mining company affiliated with a powerful Cambodian family has carved out a chunk of a community forest in the country’s northeast. Community members say the company, Lin Vatey, is logging the area, and residents who complain face persecution by the authorities.
Photos: Rithy Panh, Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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