Hun Manet Steps Up, Imprisoned Activists Soldier On, Chinese Crime Brings in Billions
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, July 15, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
CRIME WAVE: Chinese crime is so bad the Chinese Embassy warned its citizens, citing dodgy tour operators and get-rich-quick scams. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam have also issued warnings.
BEHIND BARS: Dozens of jailed activists remain in pre-trial detention, well past the allowed limit of 18 months. Most were charged with incitement, conspiracy or treason — but have yet to get their day in court.
CULTURE CLASH: A Thai archaeologist claims a statue of King Jayavarman VI at the Metropolitan Museum of Art originates from a temple in northeast Thailand. The Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture is unconvinced.
THE LEDE
Handover Helper
Hun Manet has traded his general’s stars for custom-tailored suits. Hun Sen’s eldest son is expected to play a leading role this year at the ASEAN and East Asia summits in Phnom Penh.
The public has noticed. Locals embroiled in a land dispute at the new Phnom Penh airport were seen carrying portraits of the heir apparent, underscoring the street-level implications of the change.
The government now plans to amend the Constitution to alter rules on how interim prime ministers are appointed, likely cementing the legal framework for Prime Minister Hun Sen to appoint Hun Manet as the next leader.
In subtle and obvious ways, the transfer of Cambodian power is already well underway.
Election Reboot
An alliance of five opposition parties led by the Candlelight party is pushing for major election reforms ahead of next year’s national poll.
The suggested overhaul is an attempt to level the CPP-dominated playing field. The opposition wants a constitutional guarantee that the National Election Committee remains politically neutral and nonpartisan. Other measures include an end to voter intimidation, full transparency in ballot counting, and a better complaint process.
Democracy advocates, backed by the U.S., have also urged the ruling party to ease up on its opponents and allow open political dialogue ahead of 2023 elections.
The CPP has dismissed their concerns.
Crime Spikes
Chinese crime gangs are smashing it: pulling in billions through illegal drug manufacturing, kidnapping, extortion and a range of lucrative online cons.
Police recently arrested 11 suspects and seized nearly 300 tons of ketamine and precursor chemicals in a massive, record-breaking bust. Authorities discovered industrial-level operations spread across several provinces, with the drugs intended for Taiwan and Australia.
Civil society groups say the crime syndicates are fueling a local surge in narcotics use and crime. More than half the inmates in Cambodia’s prison system are there on drug-related offenses.
TALKING POINTS
Locked Down
Dozens of former officials and activists linked to the outlawed CNRP are languishing in pre-trial detention beyond the legally allowed limit of 18 months, and many others are approaching that threshold. Most have been charged under broadly defined statutes — incitement, conspiracy, treason — that critics say are vague by design and used to keep the ruling party’s rivals in check.
Frequent Flier
Son Chhay, the Candlelight Party’s No. 2, appears in court today to fight a $1 million defamation suit filed by the CPP. The complaint stems from comments he made to The Cambodia Daily about irregularities and vote stealing in June’s commune elections. It will be his second court appearance this week.
Red Alert
Cambodia’s Chinese gang problem is so bad that state media and the Chinese Embassy are warning of the Kingdom’s dangers. The embassy said visiting Cambodia should only be done through legal channels and advised against get-rich-quick scams. The announcement followed media reports and warnings from other nations, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Sailors Adrift
Maritime officials in Sihanoukville rescued four sailors who abandoned ship as their cargo vessel crashed on the rocks off the coast of far-flung Koh Tang. The ship was forced aground by stormy seas on its way from China to Thailand. The sailors confessed to jumping overboard.
Power Lines
A coalition of 21 NGOs and civil society groups joined the NagaWorld workers union in calling for Hun Sen’s intervention into the casino giant’s year-old labor dispute. Dozens of national worker groups last week agreed to support nationwide protests, upping the pressure on the government to find a solution. The NagaWorld casino reportedly has close links to Hun Manet. Hun Sen has not commented.
Border Skirmish
A cultural showdown is shaping up over the provenance of a King Jayavarman VI statue on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. A Thai archaeologist says the relic originates from a temple in northeastern Thailand, making it a Thai cultural artifact. The Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture is investigating.
Covid Creep
Highly contagious omicron sub variants BA.4 and BA.5 are driving a new wave of Covid-19 infections after nearly two months without a case. The numbers are small, with less than 100 active cases, and no deaths have been reported.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Spooky Sihanoukville Hotel to Get Face-Lift
July 15, 2002
Sihanoukville’s boarded-up Independence Hotel—thought by many locals to be haunted by ghosts—has been leased to Canadia Bank and is being renovated to the standard of a three-star hotel, Sihanoukville Tourism Office Director Teng Huy said.
For the Second Time, Experts Are Trying to Put Angkor’s Second Largest Temple Back Together
July 13, 2002
It’s 1970 in Siem Reap: War is spreading and moving closer to the Angkor temples. Bernard-Philippe Groslier, Angkor conservator, realized that restoration work on the Baphuon temple may have to be abandoned.
Rules of Romance Changing for City Women
July 12, 2002
Kath Sarom’s sister got married a few years ago, to a man picked out by her parents. At first, it was a happy marriage. But before long the husband and wife were arguing every day.
Research: Angkor Was Largest Ancient City
July 9, 2002
Stretching over more than 1,000 square km and inhabited by as many as 1 million people, the medieval civilization of Angkor was by far the largest city of the pre-modern era, new evidence appears to show.
WEEKEND READING
In Cambodia, a Networscuing Trafficked Chinese Teens Is Unraveling
Cyber criminals rely on forced labor. A recent scandal spurred authorities to crack down — not just on the gangs, but also on those trying to set their victims free.
Report details abuses in Cambodian microfinance
German study is the first by an institutional investor to document thousands of land sales in the Kingdom fueled by debt
Photos: Hun Manet, Hean Socheata/VOA, via Wikimedia. King Jayavarman VI, public domain.
Send comments to editor@cambodiadaily.com.