Khmer Rouge Tribunal Wraps Up, Minimum Wage Raised to $200, Hun Sen Shares Leadership Secrets
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, September 23, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
BIG BROTHER: Chinese-made, mass-surveillance equipment and drones are being used to watch over Phnom Penh. Authorities have yet to inform the public about where the data goes, or how it is used.
BAD MARKS: Cambodia’s education system flunked the pandemic. The number of failing students jumped 20% nationwide, and in Phnom Penh a staggering 70%. Remote learning and closures are taking the hit.
STRONGMAN 101: Hun Sen will reveal the secrets of his success in a biography titled “Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Drawer of Cambodia’s Fate.” A must-read for any aspiring autocrat, the initial run is 50,000 copies.
THE LEDE
Case Closed
The Khmer Rouge Tribunal denied a final appeal by the regime’s former head of state, the 91-year-old Khieu Samphan, bringing an end to the controversial court’s 16-year, $337 million pursuit of justice.
The chamber pivots now to a three-year post-trial phase focused on document preservation, public outreach and victim support, among other initiatives. Experts say more than 5 million victims, roughly one-third of the country, have yet to interact with the court.
The tribunal, for all its efforts, convicted only three former leaders. Advocates said finding justice for the estimated 2 million dead was an impossible task, but ignoring accountability for such atrocities was similarly unconscionable.
Rainsy Rebuttal
The Kingdom’s brass-knuckle brand of politics appears to be softening as its longtime, hard-hitting Strongman makes way for the next generation of leaders.
In the latest skirmish, Hun Manet, the government’s heir apparent, responded to Sam Rainsy’s pledge to “liberate Cambodia” from the “Hun Sen clan” with even-handed deference. “Everyone has the right to talk and analyze,” he said. “But it is also my right to explain.”
Such diplomacy is a far cry from the thunder of his father, who once promised to “smash the teeth” of his opponents, and warned others to “prepare your coffin.”
No Dice
Notorious scam compounds went silent and police arrested hundreds of suspects in a nationwide crackdown on illegal gambling.
Police in Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh and Koh Kong raided fortified compounds and gambling dens big and small, arresting citizens from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and China.
International pressure to act had been building for months, as harrowing reports of torture and human trafficking piled up. Police said the raids would continue, but the masterminds behind the illegal gambling sites had yet to be identified.
TALKING POINTS
Wage Hike
Workers and labor unions said a modest $6 increase in the 2023 minimum wage was not nearly enough to offset the skyrocketing cost of living. The government increased base pay for factory workers and laborers from $194 to $200 per month. Unions wanted an increase to at least $206.
Watching You
A rapidly expanding network of Chinese-made, mass-monitoring equipment has activists increasingly under siege. More than 1,000 CCTV cameras keep watch over Phnom Penh, and police use drones to monitor labor strikes and political protests. No one claims to know who owns the data, where it goes, or how it is used.
Freedom Fight
A global human rights watchdog blasted the government’s yearslong campaign of repression and violence against critics, calling it a “systematic assault on fundamental freedoms.” The group, CIVICUS, cited a laundry list of alleged abuses and called for the U.N. Human Rights Council and the international community to demand accountability.
Premier Bio
Hun Sen promised to reveal the secrets of his leadership success in an upcoming biography, scheduled for release next month. Titled “Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Drawer of Cambodia’s Fate,” the book will be available in Khmer and English, with an initial publishing run of 50,000 copies.
Full Press
Two independent media groups called for the formation of a “Cambodia Media Council,” an independent body to oversee press-industry ethics and handle complaints. The move was widely seen as an attempt to steer complaints away from the courts and toward independent arbitration.
Rare species
The Ministry of Environment said research in two Kampot province protected areas is expected to reveal new species. The territory is home to remarkable biodiversity, including an array of mammals, reptiles and amphibians — and many are endangered.
Stalled Flights
An unnamed Chinese company responsible for constructing an $80 million airport in Mondulkiri province is reportedly broke, leaving the future of the project uncertain. The airport in one of the Kingdom’s least-visited provinces was expected to cover 300 hectares.
Education Fail
The Covid-19 pandemic and remote learning hit Cambodian students hard. Nationwide, the number of failing students jumped 20% over 2021, and in Phnom Penh a whopping 70%.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Hospital Funds Disappear
September 19, 2002
Ever since a fire — allegedly started by a man roasting a cat in his cottage — burned down about 100 houses here earlier this year, Sum Hoeurng says she has cried every night.
Nuon Chea Offers Assistance With Sam Bith’s Prosecution
September 19, 2002
Former top Khmer Rouge leader Nuon Chea said he will cooperate with a Battambang provincial court prosecutor who intends to question him about former Khmer Rouge commander Sam Bith’s alleged role in a deadly 1994 train attack in Kampot province.
Opinions Mixed on Reasons Behind Sex Arrests
September 23, 2002
Last week’s arrest of German national Andreas Glockner in Siem Reap on charges that he sexually assaulted five Angkor Wat souvenir sellers marks the fourth arrest of a Western man on sex-abuse charges in the last two months.
WEEKEND READING
16 Years, 3 Convictions: The Khmer Rouge Trials Come to an End
The last surviving leader of the regime that killed 1.7 million Cambodians lost his appeal on Thursday. Some victims think the long, expensive tribunal was a hollow exercise.
The kouprey: on the trail of Cambodia’s elusive wild cattle
Researchers hope a last-ditch effort to locate possible habitat could finally determine the status of Cambodia’s national mammal, and offer a ‘wake-up call’ for conservation.
Opinion: Prioritizing Cars Sabotages Phnom Penh’s Transportation Policy
When evening approaches, Phnom Penh’s citizens begin their arduous journey home.
Photos: Khieu Samphan, ECCC. Snake, via Ministry of Environment’s Facebook page.
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