Hun Manet Seeks Parliament Post, Donors Raise Election Doubts, Khmer Robot Charms Crowds
Good morning, Cambodia. It’s Friday, April 7, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
AIR STRIKE: The Kingdom is beefing up its military posture on the coast with air-defense systems and naval radar. Experts said the equipment looked more suited to China’s needs than Cambodia’s.
COUNTER WATCH: July’s elections will fail the free-and-fair test, donors said, ending the U.N.’s experiment in democracy building. Cambodia is now in uncharted waters, as longtime partners re-evaluate their support.
LEATHER FACE: Factories for Nike, Puma and other top brands have been accused of union busting. Advocates said factories routinely fire labor organizers while the Ministry of Labor looks the other way.
THE LEDE
Moving Up
Hun Manet will run for parliament in the July election, removing the final barrier to becoming the Kingdom’s first new prime minister in nearly 40 years.
The Strongman’s son was named the CPP’s top candidate for Phnom Penh. He is expected to resign from the military by May 8, the deadline for candidate registration. The constitution forbids military members from holding political office and requires the prime minister to be a sitting National Assembly member.
A victory will allow Hun Manet to succeed his father at any time. His candidacy is the strongest sign yet that the dynastic succession is steamrolling ahead quicker than anyone expected.
Top Gun
Cambodia will more than double its military footprint on the coast with air-defense and radar installations near Ream Naval Base.
The planned outpost covers nearly 200 hectares of Ream National Park, and its size and capabilities are sure to deepen suspicions of China’s military influence in the Kingdom.
Experts said the base served little purpose, since Cambodia faced few external threats, and could possibly bolster China’s intelligence gathering efforts. Cambodia defended the upgrades as national security and said China was not involved.
Long Talks
Hun Sen called for greater cross-border efforts to protect the Mekong River, as regional leaders wrestled to save Southeast Asia’s most important waterway from what appears to be an increasingly dire future.
A record-breaking 600 experts and officials attended the annual Mekong River Commission Summit. Almost none addressed the river’s most entrenched challenges — hydropower dams and unsustainable sand mining — or pointed fingers at the culprits.
The MRC — an NGO, not a regulatory body — defended the approach, saying open dialogue was preferable to confrontation. Environmentalists said it was long past time for talking.
TALKING POINTS
Rising Tide
The ADB predicted economic growth at a healthy 5.5% this year, led by a strong rebound in tourism and expansion in the services sector. The bank estimated 7% growth in the travel sector, making up for stagnation in construction and agriculture. The economy should strengthen further into 2024, the bank said, with annual growth hitting 6%.
Democracy Fail
Cambodia will hold national elections in July without the presence of electoral monitors from several key countries, dealing a significant blow to the poll’s legitimacy and further complicating the planned transition of power. The U.S., E.U., France and Japan said conditions were not in place for a free-and-fair vote.
Timber Thieves
Environmental activists documented nearly 200 forest crimes during a four-day patrol of the Preah Roka Wildlife Sanctuary. Members of the Prey Lang Community Network blamed corrupt local officials and demanded action against rampant illegal logging in protected areas.
Tech Stars
University researchers unveiled the Kingdom’s first Khmer-speaking, AI-powered robot, named Sok. Built with Japanese spare parts by a team from the Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology, the droid greets visitors and answers basic questions. Sok’s next generation successor, already under development, will have better language skills and environmental awareness.
Fashion Sense
Manufacturers supplying Nike, Puma and other global brands stand accused of illegally firing workers for unionizing. Advocates said three factories dismissed at least 20 union organizers, in one case refusing a Ministry of Labor order to rehire unfairly laid-off workers.
Safe House
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rescued nearly 8,000 Cambodians from overseas human traffickers last year. Labor advocates called on authorities to clamp down on porous borders and investigate shady recruitment agencies.
Bombs Away
Demining officials certified Kampot Province mine-free, making it the 12th jurisdiction to earn the designation. Cambodia has spent 30 years and $260 million on mine-clearing efforts. It needs about $80 million more to reach its goal of declaring all 25 provinces mine-free by 2025.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
King Reacts to ‘Absent Cambodians’ Slight
April 5, 2003
In an apparent reaction to comments by Prime Minister Hun Sen regarding Cambodians who maintain homes overseas, King Norodom Sihanouk said on Friday he takes no joy in traveling to China for medical treatment.
Official: Ex-KR Eager to Vote
April 4, 2003
After two rounds of legislative elections, most former Khmer Rouge loyalists have decided they favor democracy and are looking forward to voting in July’s poll, Mei Makk, Pailin Cabinet chief and Municipal Election Committee director, said Thursday.
Cambodia Linked to Big Heroin Haul
April 4, 2003
Landing Australia’s largest heroin haul in the past 12 months, customs officers in Sydney uncovered 24 kg of heroin inside a consignment of fish paste from Cambodia, anti-narcotics police said Thursday.
WEEKEND READING
Cambodia sells research monkeys to the world. It’s not all legal, US says.
As COVID-19 sends demand for research macaques soaring, a U.S. court case is raising questions about their origins.
Photos: Hun Manet, Facebook. Preah Roka, Facebook.
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