Koh Rong Airport Underway, Hun Manet Upgrades Military, Drunk Drivers Under Fire
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, January 26, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
FULL CIRCLE: Microfinance is in default. What started as small loans for poor farmers has now morphed into a “macro” problem across the Kingdom. In a study, only 13% of borrowers said the industry improved their lives.
BUSTED UP: More than 1.5 tons of meth and ketamine was smuggled into Cambodia in small shipments and stored in hideouts before an intended ocean voyage to Taiwan. Authorities blamed corrupt officials.
ROAD TESTS: Over 1,500 people died in road accidents last year, and 20 fatalities were recorded in the first week of 2024. Officials from Hun Manet down blame drunk driving. Expect tougher laws and checkpoints.
THE LEDE
Fire Power
Hun Manet assured his regional counterparts that a beefed-up Cambodian military posed no danger to the region, saying the Kingdom had no intention to invade its neighbors.
The armed forces would stay focused on top internal threats like transnational crime, drug trafficking and “color revolutions.”
Modernizing the military ranks high on the prime minister’s agenda. China, the Kingdom’s chief political patron, recently led four weeks of military training at Ream Naval Base — where more than $1 billion in upgrades are underway — and more war games are expected as Beijing’s involvement at the outpost deepens.
Fish Wrap
Another state-controlled “news” outlet is the last thing the Cambodian media needs — but that’s what it’s getting.
The Ministry of Information will relaunch Kampuchea in English and Khmer, with plans for a French edition. The newspaper, first published in January 1979, ceased printing in 2007.
The revival comes as the government defends its measures to control the media. A draft law on access to information, which includes updates to the national press law, is expected to pass this year.
Reporters Without Borders ranks Cambodia 147 out of 180 countries for press freedom. Experts predict the new regulations will only make matters worse.
Road Rage
A wave of deadly drunk-driving accidents prompted renewed calls for tighter regulation of the alcohol industry, as road collisions surpassed landmines on the list of the country’s most prolific killers.
The prime minister ordered police to ramp up sobriety checkpoints, and called on television stations to reduce screen time for alcohol. The Interior Ministry is studying plans for a drunk-driver blacklist.
Cambodia is a rare country without a minimum drinking age, and a draft law governing the industry has languished since 2015, held up by powerful industry interests.
Critics have called the situation shameful.
TALKING POINTS
Balancing Act
Cambodia elevated diplomatic ties with Japan and France to the level of “strategic partnership,” moves experts say are enhancing connections with the West while moderating China’s influence. In addition to economic exchanges, the two nations signaled interests in more military links — alliances that could ruffle feathers in Beijing.
Dirty Money
Australia blamed “bad actors” from Cambodia for scrapping its so-called golden visa program, which allowed wealthy foreign investors to live in the country. A number of Phnom Penh officials have purchased flashy luxury homes in Sydney and Melbourne, and Australian officials suspect the houses were paid for with ill-gotten gains.
Mine Shaft
A 28,000-hectare mining concession inside the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary was awarded to a company owned by Try Pheap, the former Hun Sen adviser and notorious timber tycoon. The move blows a hole in the government’s November ban on mining in the protected area. In recent months, the same company has cleared more than 135 hectares of forest.
Lost Cause
The promise of microfinance has died in Cambodia. Once touted as a means to end poverty, the industry has made mountains of profit with little evidence showing it helps borrowers escape the ranks of the poor. In a survey of 3,262 households compiled by a leading microfinance ratings agency, only 13% said borrowing improved their lives.
Sunk Costs
Phnom Penh authorities jailed the CEO of Agribee Cambodia for a Facebook post linking Preap Kol, the ex-director of Transparency International Cambodia, to a troubled investment company. The detained executive had accused the former NGO boss of embezzling millions from investors.
Flight Times
Work has started on a $300 million international airport on Koh Rong. The project is central to the government’s plan to turn the island into a world-class tourist destination, and the terminal will handle 138,000 passengers annually by 2029. A feasibility study is underway for an airport in Mondulkiri.
Down Stream
Authorities seized more than 1.5 tons of illegal narcotics from smugglers in Preah Vihear and Sihanoukville provinces. The drugs, mostly methamphetamine and ketamine, were trafficked from Laos and destined for Taiwan, said authorities, who were still searching for more suspects.
CHEA VICHEA: LOOKING BACK
Twenty years ago this week, two gunmen murdered Chea Vichea, the well-loved president of the Free Trade Union, as he sipped a morning coffee and read The Cambodia Daily. His killing remains unsolved. These are the stories from the week of his death.
Thousands of Mourners Take to the Streets
January 26, 2004
A life-size effigy of union leader Chea Vichea led one last march of thousands of supporters to the park across from the National Assembly, where the slain workers’ “hero” and political activist was cremated Sunday.
Mourners Report No Conflicts With Police
January 26, 2004
Despite reports and worries of police barring vehicles from entering Phnom Penh for Chea Vichea’s cremation Sunday morning, mourners said they encountered no problems reaching the ceremony attended by thousands.
Thousands Grieve for Slain Labor Leader
January 24, 2004
Messages condemning the execution-style killing of Chea Vichea were sent from around the world on Friday, as preparations began for what is expected to be a massive funeral for the deceased union leader on Sunday.
Union Chief Chea Vichea Gunned Down
January 23, 2004
Prominent union leader Chea Vichea was gunned down in an execution-style killing on Thursday morning as he sat reading a newspaper outside Wat Langka in Chamkar Mon district.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Beauty of Hun Sen’s Towers in Eye of Beholder
January 22, 2004
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s plans to see Phnom Penh’s low-rise skyline punctured with high-rise buildings was greeted with praise, criticism and words of caution by urban planners and architects.
Ex-Girlfriend Held After Man Doused in Acid
January 22, 2004
A woman was arrested Tuesday after her former boyfriend was doused with acid at a Tuol Sangke commune guest house, where the couple had spent the night, police said Wednesday.
Endangered Bears Taken From Organ Traders
January 20, 2004
Two Asiatic black bears raised in captivity for eventual removal of their valuable livers have been rescued and given a new home at Phnom Tamao Zoo in Takeo province, wildlife officials said Monday.
Photos: Military parade, Facebook. Hun Manet with President Macron, Facebook.
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