Kem Sokha’s Trial, Myanmar Reversal and Welcome to Win-Win Day
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, January 21, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
STIFF REBUKE: Corruption, violence and persecution are some of the ways the government keeps control of the country, says the latest Human Rights Watch report. The government dismissed the report as a smear campaign.
RECORD LOWS: Tonle Sap lake was at only 30% of its average level in 2020. Now, dry season crops, traditional farms and life-sustaining fish catches are all under threat unless the government steps in to help.
NAME GAME: Victory Over Genocide Day will no longer be celebrated each year on Jan 7. A new day, Dec. 29, will now be honored as Win-Win Policy Day, a tribute to the peace-making prowess of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
THE LEDE
Trial Tactics
Plead guilty or die. Those were the two options government prosecutors gave Kem Sokha, the former CNRP president, if he wanted a quick end to his treason trial.
Experts say a guilty verdict is a forgone conclusion — the questions are how long the trial takes and what happens to Kem Sokha?
The court could allow Kem Sokha to retire from politics or force him to lead a plaint opposition. It could send him to prison for decades — or it could just keep stalling, as it has done for the last 52 months, until elections have passed and Kem Sokha is too old to run for prime minister.
In any case, a speedy resolution appears low on the court’s priority list.
Strike Force
NagaWorld workers took their dispute to the world stage, petitioning embassies in Phnom Penh and garnering the support of global labor players, including the International Trade Union Confederation, with 200 million workers worldwide.
A Malaysian union said it would file a complaint against the Cambodian government with the ILO. Other Malaysia groups promised to pressure NagaWorld CEO Chen Lip Keong, a Malaysian national.
Casino workers have protested daily since going on strike in December. Authorities jailed union president Chhim Sithar in early January and charged her with incitement. Union members promised to continue protesting until their demands are met.
Myanmar U-Turn
Cambodia’s plan for rapprochement with Myanmar is in shambles.
Prime Minister Hun Sen beamed after negotiating a cease-fire agreement with the junta following his visit to Naypyidaw earlier this month. The ruling generals maybe didn’t get the message.
Soon after Hun Sen left, the junta slapped another four years in prison on Aung San Suu Kyi, the ousted civilian leader and erstwhile peace icon. It tortured journalists, jailed dissidents, ramped up airstrikes against adversaries and joined forces with the military of Iran.
Cold reality may have given Cambodia pause. The Kingdom has gone quiet on Myanmar in recent days and walked back statements portraying Hun Sen as a master peacemaker. The government also called for an end to violence in the country.
TALKING POINTS
Low Water
Upstream dams, deforestation and climate change have pushed Tonle Sap water levels to historic lows, imperiling farmers and fisherman who depend on Southeast Asia’s biggest lake. In 2020, the Great Lake was a mere one-third of its average. The lack of water has decimated dry-season crops and ruined traditional farmers. Fishermen report dwindling catches. Without government help, experts say, problems will only get worse.
Lake Land
The filling of Boeng Tamok continues apace, with new land often going to well-connected friends of the government. In the latest handout, 122 hectares went to the children of an assistant in Hun Sen’s inner circle and 70 hectares went to the wife of a general in the prime minister’s bodyguard unit. The filling of the 3,200-hectare lake, which began in 2018, now appears at least 50% complete. The government has dealt harshly with critics of its handling of the situation.
Win-Win Day
January 7 will no longer be celebrated as Victory Over Genocide Day. To take its place, Dec. 29 will be honored as Win-Win Policy Day, a handpicked choice by Hun Sen. Government ministries will be required to hang banners praising the prime minister's negotiating prowess. Approved slogans include “Thanks Peace,” “Thanks Win-Win Policy” and “Gratitude to the Founders, Guides and Victorious Officials Who Bring Peace and National Unity!”
Labor Lost
Saturday marks the 18th anniversary of the murder of Chea Vichea, the outspoken labor leader who was gunned down at a Phnom Penh newsstand in 2004. Two men charged with the murder were later acquitted. Family and critics say the government never held a credible investigation.
Bad Grades
Officials slammed Human Rights Watch’s 2021 Cambodia report as a hit job, saying the group failed to understand Cambodian law and only wanted to insult the government. The report was unflattering: “The ruling Cambodian People’s Party maintains power through violent attacks, politically motivated prosecutions, draconian laws, and corruption.”
Temple Woes
Think Biotech is in big trouble with the Steang indigenous community. The company was accused of razing two pre-Angkorian temples in Kratie province and destroying 1,000-year-old artifacts. The Steang complained to the Ministry of Culture months ago, but nothing was done. Forestry groups have linked the company to illegal logging, and the company has long been a bad neighbor. The ministry said it’s still investigating.
Angry Words
Cambodia’s indigenous Bunong community wants its honor back. The group is suing cosmetics tycoon Try Dana for blaming the behavior of her gun-toting, wife-beating husband on his ethnicity. “This bastard is Bunong,” she said in a video posted to Facebook. The group wants the tycoon to make a personal apology, but she has so far refused.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Former Khmer Rouge Leader Ponders Cambodia’s Future and Talks About His Past
January 19, 2002
An old man stands at the gate in front of his modest three-room wood stilt house. It’s a cold morning in the foothills north of Pailin, and he is wearing a heavy long-sleeve shirt, a sweater vest, and a powder blue windbreaker with an English-language logo that reads: “Bad Boy.” He grabs a visitor’s hand warmly. “Welcome to my home,” says Nuon Chea.
UN Report Sharply Criticizes Election Violence
January 16, 2002
A critical UN report released Tuesday says the government has failed to enforce both criminal and election laws that have been violated during a wave of killings and political intimidation tied to the Feb 3 commune council elections.
Protesters Ask for Justice in Political Killings
January 14, 2002
More than 100 people representing 40 NGOs marched Sunday to demand a non-violent election and to protest the recent killings of three female political hopefuls.
WEEKEND READS
Cambodia’s Internet May Soon Be Like China’s: State-Controlled
Under a new decree, all web traffic will be routed through a government portal. Rights groups say a crackdown on digital expression is about to get worse.
Cambodian whistleblowers are exposing corruption and exposed to persecution
Whistleblowers who raise alarms about misconduct and crime can become targets without strong legal protection
Photo: Kem Sokha, Maina Kiai, via Flickr.