Mother Nature in Court, Pacquiao in Phnom Penh, ECCC is Renamed
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, May 31, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
NO FLAMES: It was another CPP tsunami, as the ruling juggernaut won more than 86% of the votes for 12,000 seats on provincial, municipal and district councils. The opposition Candlelight Party was barred, of course.
BIG WEIGHT: More than 4,425kg of narcotics have been seized this year, roughly the weight of a Caterpillar construction rig, and already more than all of 2023. Most of the busts were meth, ketamine or similar drugs.
JURY RESTS: The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia was renamed in honor of Hun Sen, who did all he could to thwart the court’s mission of trying Khmer Rouge leaders. Extraordinary, indeed.
THE LEDE
Hard Time
Activists from the Mother Nature environmental pressure group were back in local court — and likely headed back to prison.
Ten of the group’s members face charges of incitement and insulting the king, accusations stemming from a 2021 Zoom call infiltrated by government investigators. Each defendant faces a decade in prison if convicted.
The group is well-known for exposing development projects that displace communities and damage the environment, often drawing the ire of powerful business interests. Mother Nature has been in numerous court cases, and at least 11 activists have spent time in prison since 2015.
The trial continues Wednesday.
Global Mess
The UNDP in Cambodia is under investigation by an internal watchdog over allegations it partnered with companies accused of human rights abuses.
The agency’s Sustainable Development Goals project, according to a Licadho complaint, promoted a number of local companies with documented involvement in forced evictions, child labor, human trafficking and other rights violations. The complaint alleges that U.N. officers knew of the violations for more than a year and did little to address the issues.
“The acceptance of this complaint is an important step toward ensuring that UNDP’s activities in Cambodia follow the agency’s own policies,” said Naly Pilorge, outreach director of Licadho. “Private-sector investment cannot come at the cost of human rights.”
Market Neutral
The U.S. is Cambodia's biggest trading partner. China is an Asian uncle with endless cash and clout. Watch out: It’s time for another Cambodian master class in playing the Big Powers off each other.
A few days ago, Phnom Penh inaugurated Xi Jinping Boulevard, citing the Chinese leader's “historical contribution to the development of Cambodia.” Ties with Beijing are tight.
Tomorrow, Hun Manet meets with the U.S. Defense Secretary, a fellow West Point graduate, who must somehow be convinced China isn't building a permanent naval base. Washington is losing patience.
Sell garments to Americans, shelter under Chinese security, and accept aid from rival sides? It’s not impossible — if you can appease both.
TALKING POINTS
Flow State
Construction of the Funan Techo Canal will begin ahead of schedule, the prime minister announced, hoping the advanced timeline will cut short growing international debate surrounding the project. Vietnam has raised strong environmental and geopolitical concerns over the 180km waterway, which is expected to cause massive disruptions in the Mekong floodplains.
Landslide Win
The ruling CPP cruised to a lopsided victory in Sunday’s municipal elections, winning more than 85% of the vote. Nearly 12,000 council positions were up for grabs. Opposition parties won less than 1,000 seats, according to preliminary returns. Official results will be announced June 8.
Empty Nets
Illegal fishing along the Cambodian coast is decimating fish and destroying habitats, creating what experts call “a race [to] catch the last fish.” Locals blame commercial trawlers, which scrape the sea clean of marine life in massive nets as top government officials and NGOs remain silent.
Tighter Belt
The government will slash spending on non-essential services in an effort to shore up state coffers, which have been hit by plunging tax revenues. Authorities said the cuts would be temporary and not compromise essential public services — a promise that may be hard to keep without significant gains in the wider economy.
Name Change
The grand courtroom used by the ECCC to prosecute Khmer Rouge leaders will be renamed to honor the Kingdom’s Strongman. Called the Yutti Techo Hall, the facility will be managed by the military and used for conferences and other functions. Yutti translates to justice, and techo means power.
Knock Out
Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing legend, met with Hun Manet, who hailed the visit as a boon to sports tourism in the Kingdom. The future Hall of Famer and erstwhile politician plans to meet with Cambodian boxers and sign a few business deals.
Sky High
Illegal drug busts are off to a record start this year, with officials confiscating more narcotics since January than in all of 2023. To help stop the flood of drugs from neighboring countries, authorities plan to deploy 400 drug-sniffing dogs to border provinces.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Prosecutors Ignore Order To Arrest KR
May 31, 2004
Provincial court authorities on Sunday confirmed that they ignored an Appeals Court order last month to arrest former Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, days after denying such an order had been made. The prosecutors also gave different reasons as to why they had refused to carry out the arrest order.
Cambodia Calls for Help as Children Die at Alarming Rate
May 31, 2004
When the three-day child survival conference opens this morning in Phnom Penh, Cambodia will have a very simple message to communicate to international organizations and donors.
Cambodian Film Touches Its Audience
May 28, 2004
A movie based on the lives of two popular Cambodian actors killed during the Khmer Rouge regime — and starring the married couple’s son — has been gripping Phnom Penh audiences since its premiere Saturday.
US Begins to Investigate World Bank
May 26, 2004
A representative from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has arrived in Phnom Penh to investigate possible corruption in World Bank military demobilization and forest crime projects in Cambodia, US Embassy spokeswoman Heide Bronke said Tuesday.
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