Kingdom’s Green Dream Dissipates, Washington Goes ‘Holistic,’ Top Brands Blast Brick Industry
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, December 22, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
WORKED UP: Thousands of migrant workers are pushed into the hands of unscrupulous labor brokers, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. A new study calls on the government to take a stand.
STREET BATTLE: More than 100 residents clashed with police in a Phnom Penh neighborhood after authorities destroyed food stalls, which sellers said were they’re only source of income.
PUBLIC OPINION: Social media outrage forced the Minister of Justice to order the arrest of the 23-year-old son of a prominent family who killed a motorist while drunk. He had offered $1,000 in compensation.
THE LEDE
Sign Waves
More than 100 banner-carrying Cambodians protested Hun Manet’s visit to Japan, calling him a “fake” leader and shouting “Free Cambodia,” in a rare act of dissent against the new premier.
Opposition party chiefs urged Tokyo’s leaders to reject the Cambodian government’s legitimacy. Undeterred, Hun Manet met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and a number of corporate heavyweights. The two leaders signed deals on a range of interests, including digital governance and rural aid, and agreed to high-level defense talks.
Japan, eager to offset China’s rising regional influence, vowed to ramp up trade and political ties.
Green Screen
The government’s plan to increase renewable-energy usage to 70% by 2030 is beginning to look like a ruse for massive giveaways to entrenched interests.
The widely applauded goal relies heavily on hydropower, a form of energy that has historically resulted in widespread deforestation and massive profits in illicit timber sales, making it anything but environmentally friendly.
The Kingdom’s next two dams will be built inside Cardamom National Park by Senator Kok An, a controversial tycoon with close ties to Hun Sen and reportedly one of the 10 richest men in the country.
Unfortunate Son
A deadly drunk-driving accident involving the adult child of a prominent lawyer has Ministry of Justice officials in the firing line.
The case involves Prohm Vichet Sosakda, the 23-year-old son of Prohm Vichetsophea, who killed a motorist after a late-night binge. The motorist’s family was initially offered $1,000 to settle out of court — a common practice long decried by victims' rights advocates.
The offer sparked massive social media outrage and forced Justice Minister Keut Rith to take the extremely rare move of ordering the driver’s arrest. He has until Jan. 9 to turn himself in.
TALKING POINTS
Full Steam
Rights abuses and the unjust jailing of a U.S. citizen will not derail Washington’s commitment to stronger commercial and political ties with the Kingdom, said Melissa Brown, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Southeast Asia. Washington is committed to a “holistic” approach, officials said, and will continue to press for improvements in all areas.
Return Tour
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will return 14 prized Angkorean artifacts, including a 10th century goddess sandstone statue and a larger-than-life Buddha head from the 7th century. Several other Khmer statues will remain on display while museum officials arrange for their return.
Power Plan
Oil talks top the agenda when Hun Manet visits Thailand in February. The two countries have competing claims on energy-rich waters in the Gulf of Thailand — but have agreed to sideline boundary issues in favor of a joint development deal.
Access Denied
The government rejected a request from 18 U.S. lawmakers to free Theary Seng, the Cambodian-American lawyer and activist serving a six-year sentence for treason. Washington considers her a political prisoner. Cambodia insists her conviction was in accordance with national laws.
Fashion Fire
A major U.S. clothing group called on Cambodia to clamp down on abuse in the brick-making industry. The American Apparel and Footwear Association urged officials to investigate complaints of child labor and the use of garment waste to fuel kilns. The government has denied all allegations of abuse.
Work Reform
Rights activists called on the government to reform the labor migration system. Complicated paperwork and high fees force migrants into the hands of unscrupulous brokers, CENTRAL said, and workers seldom understand their rights, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.
Dry Heat
Police clashed violently with residents at Tamok Lake in Phnom Penh, with authorities destroying food and vegetable stalls. More than 100 neighbors intervened, battling at least 20 district guards and officials. Sellers complained the stalls were their only source of income since the government filled the nearby lake with sand.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Adoption Agent Charged in Baby-Buying Case
December 22, 2003
An agent who has arranged hundreds of adoptions is facing charges in a US federal court for allegedly buying Cambodian babies from their families and presenting them as orphans eligible for adoption overseas.
Ex-KR Leaders Incredulous at Hussein’s Fate
December 16, 2003
Former Khmer Rouge soldiers in Pailin on Monday expressed surprise over the US’ arrest of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, saying such an arrest would not have happened to their leaders.
NGOs Condemn World Bank’s Forestry Loans
December 16, 2003
The World Bank is considering a $15 million loan disbursal that has hinged, for 18 months now, upon the government fulfilling conditions in forestry reform — conditions that some argue have not been met.
WEEKEND READING
Human Rights and Protecting Cambodia’s Rainforests
Luke Hunt interviews Suwanna Gauntlett from the environmental group Wildlife Alliance.
Photos: Hun Manet, Prime Minister’s Office of Japan. Buddha head, The Met.
Send comments to editor@cambodiadaily.com