Hun Manet Gets ‘Baby Dictator’ Tag, Prince Group in Crosshairs, Child Marriage Draws Concern
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, February 9, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
DOWN DRAFT: January’s foreign arrivals matched pre-pandemic levels, but something is still off in the tourism sector. At Angkor Wat, ticket sales were $5.5 million, compared to $11.8 million in January 2019.
LAST CALL: A drunk driving epidemic has infuriated the government, sparking threats but little action. A wealthy youngster has since walked free and a foreigner who killed two children only paid $50,000 in amends.
TOO SOON: The Ministry of Women’s Affairs is working to reduce the Kingdom’s unusually high rate of child marriage: Nearly 20% of Cambodian women are married before 18, and almost 2% before 16.
THE LEDE
Tongue Thai’d
Hun Manet's first official trip to Thailand was a diplomatic dud: Plans to silence political protests backfired and critics stole the spotlight.
At the visiting prime minister’s request, Thai authorities detained at least half a dozen Cambodian dissidents ahead of Wednesday’s visit. The arrests were an epic fail: rather than removing the critics from public view, they prompted international outrage, with one media outlet calling Hun Sen’s son a “baby dictator.”
After assuming power in August, democratic nations have so far given Hun Manet a pass on the Kingdom’s human rights record, which continues to degenerate. How long will they wait?
Vice Lords
The Prince Group, one of Cambodia’s largest conglomerates, is a multimillion-dollar front for illegal gambling, according to RFA and Chinese court documents, which describe the company as a transnational “criminal group.”
RFA identified at least $1.5 billion in assets held by the company. Its chief executive, Chen Zhi, is an advisor to Hun Manet and a former advisor to Hun Sen.
Multiple Chinese courts have convicted low-ranking Prince employees of money laundering and gambling crimes, but Chen and other senior figures have so far escaped judgment, apparently too connected to jail.
Prince denies the charges, saying it’s all a case of mistaken identity.
Common Disaster
Government promises to get tough on deadly drunk drivers lasted about a minute.
In the most visible case, the 23-year-old son of a prominent lawyer walked free after the victim’s family accepted $95,000 and agreed to drop charges. In another case, a Chinese driver paid $50,000 after plowing down a motorist and two children, aged 7 and 2.
The growing string of deadly drunk-driving accidents has sparked outrage across social media and prompted leaders to demand stronger legal action, although hopes are fading fast for meaningful action.
The prime minister called for stricter regulations on alcohol advertising, a move critics labeled inadequate.
TALKING POINTS
Black Gold
Cambodia and Thailand agreed to open talks on oil exploration in contested waters in the Gulf of Thailand, where the two countries share overlapping claims to about 26,000skm of territory. Boundary disputes have stymied discussions in the past, and will likely remain a key sticking point.
Uneven Waters
The IMF predicted 6.1% economic growth for 2024 but warned of significant risks, specifically surging private debt, rising global interest rates and lingering economic uncertainty in China. The IMF urged Cambodia to speed up governance and anti-corruption reforms — key measures for attracting new investment and sustaining high growth.
Tourist Trap
International arrivals inched up for a 13th straight month in January, matching pre-pandemic levels of 690,000 visitors. Even so, only 115,000 visited Angkor Wat, and ticket sales totaled just $5.5 million, far below the $11.8 million generated in January 2019.
Foreign Remit
Overseas workers sent home nearly $3 billion in 2023. Officials estimate around 1.3 million Cambodians work abroad, the majority in Thailand, with smaller numbers in South Korea, Malaysia and Japan.
Tight Knit
More than 100 employees protested the sacking of union leaders at a Chinese-owned garment factory that supplies European fashion brands. Workers accused management of interfering with attempts to organize and have filed a complaint with the Ministry of Labor.
Money Trees
Tensions are high in Preah Vihear province, where residents say armed conservation groups are using aggressive tactics to patrol the forests. Villagers with few options beyond poaching and logging are clashing with these “militarized” groups, and many are now serving prison terms for minor infractions.
Young Brides
The rate of child marriage remains far too high, says the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which is working on policies to improve the situation. About 19% of women are married before 18, and nearly 2% before 16.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Film Star Minnie Driver Sows Fairness for Garment Workers
February 9, 2004
After garment workers sang tearful songs and strutted down a catwalk in a fashion show at Oxfam’s riverfront headquarters on Sunday, British actress Minnie Driver urged multinationals to change their buying practices so poor workers could have better lives.
Legal Stakes Rise Over 1997 Grenade Attack
February 9, 2004
Prime Minister Hun Sen will launch a new lawsuit against Sam Rainsy if the courts dismiss the opposition leader’s complaint that Hun Sen masterminded the 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally in Phnom Penh, an adviser to the premier said Sunday.
At Least 1 Bodyguard Killed at Hun Sen Home
February 9, 2004
At least one bodyguard of Prime Minister Hun Sen was killed Saturday night in a shooting at the premier’s residence near Independence Monument, witnesses and police said.
WEEKEND READING
Cambodia Needs a Genocide Museum
Establishing the Sleuk Rith Institute would meet this need, and more.
Photos: Waving goodbye, Hun Manet’s Facebook. Fabric seller, Flickr.
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