PM Denies Secret Chinese Loan, Cool Weather to Fade Fast, Drug Abuse Soars in Ratanakiri
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, December 29, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
FAREWELL 2023: It was the year of Hun Manet, SEA Games triumph, and the return of the Water Festival — but also environmental fears, crackdowns, and cyber scams. Call it a mixed bag and bring on 2024!
BAD WORDS: A Phnom Penh couple was arrested for “inappropriate words” used on Facebook to describe government leaders. They remain in custody, and the Kingdom remains a joke to most global rights NGOs.
MIDDLE PATH: Air arrivals surged 150% in 2023, but only 500,000 were from China, where many have been scared off by stories of rampant crime. Tourism experts don’t expect a full recovery before 2025.
THE LEDE
Old Flames
The New Year’s fireworks started early.
Sam Rainsy and Hun Manet kicked off the weekend with an explosive exchange over the Kingdom’s direction. The exiled opposition leader called on supporters to “free Cambodia,” while the prime minister warned that hypervigilant security and thousands of armed police were in place to “crush” uprisings over the holiday and “eliminate” political extremists.
The government, which has struggled to defend its human rights record, blasted calls from an NGO alliance urging the intervention of democratic nations. Officials maintained that the ruling party’s respect for democracy and human rights has not declined — which is true.
Things are just as bad as they have ever been.
Dog Days
Enjoy the chilly temperatures — the heat is coming.
The mercury will push into the 30s next month, forecasters say, before taking off in Feb and hitting scorching highs above 40 in May. Officials have started warning of heat-related health issues, saying the young and elderly are particularly susceptible to exhaustion and heat stroke.
The soaring temperatures will be accompanied with below average rainfall. Farmers in Prey Veng are already experiencing water shortages, and authorities expect the problem to spread as the dry season wears on.
Authorities have asked residents to consider conserving water.
Channel Static
Hun Manet clapped back at a Cambodia Daily report alleging that the government planned to borrow $5 billion from China to pay for the Funan Techo Canal.
The prime minister blasted the story as “fake news,” saying the $1.7 billion canal is being constructed under a build-operate-transfer agreement. The Daily, citing an anonymous Ministry of Finance official, reported the money would be used to both pay for the canal and bolster government coffers.
The project was approved in May, with a construction deal announced in October — yet many crucial details about the 180km waterway, including its environmental and economic costs, remain secret.
TALKING POINTS
Slow Climb
Cambodia counted nearly 1.7 million foreign air arrivals over the first 11 months of 2023, a 150% surge over last year. The bad news is Chinese tourists accounted for less than 500,000 — lightyears behind the pre-pandemic high of 2.3 million. Industry insiders say mainland travelers are terrified of crime, kidnapping and cyber slavery. Officials have pushed back hope of a full tourism recovery until at least 2025.
Big Alibi
Banteay Meanchey authorities dismissed foreign media reports about a band of Thai nationals who daringly escaped a murderous call-center gang. The undocumented workers, police say, fabricated the tale to avoid punishment after Thai police caught them illegally crossing the border.
Ticking Up
The economy is making a gradual recovery, says an ASEAN research body, with expectations high for 2024. The group cited a rebound in tourism and strong domestic commerce for the improvement, predicting that expansion in non-garment manufacturing and cooling inflation will push next year’s growth to a healthy 6.2% — among the best in Southeast Asia.
Digging In
Chinese and domestic mining companies are running roughshod over the rights of local communities, advocates say, alleging that regulators are looking the other way. Abuses include forced evictions, illegal logging and barring locals from communal lands. Activists urged the government to enforce national laws and adhere to international standards.
Rural Meth
Drug abuse among indigenous youth in Ratanakiri is skyrocketing, and residents are increasingly afraid of leaving their homes for fear of crazed methamphetamine addicts. In Pak Nhai commune, a predominantly Jarai area with 5,000 residents, officials estimate that up to 40% of teenagers are abusing drugs, and village elders say the situation is becoming hopeless.
Words Sting
Authorities arrested a husband and wife for using “inappropriate words” to criticize political leaders on Facebook, with police saying the couple tested positive for drugs. The incident contradicts the government's professed commitment to democratic values and human rights. Few are buying it: Freedom House rates Cambodia “not free,” while CIVICUS calls the Kingdom a “repressed” state.
Relics Reveal
Archaeologists working to restore Ta Prohm — the jungle temple made famous in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” — discovered six sandstone statues from the 12th century. Angkor Archaeological Park likely contains thousands of as-yet unseen artifacts, scholars say, which may be uncovered as restoration work proceeds.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
Some Attack, Others Defend US Adoption Agent
December 29, 2003
When the adoption business was booming, Lauryn Galindo’s fleet of drivers got no rest.
Holiday Spirit Infects Young Cambodians
December 24, 2003
Young Cambodians are beginning to embrace Christmas—usually celebrated with an exchange of gifts between friends and family—and shop owners in Phnom Penh are reaping the benefits.
NGO Says Acid Attacks Are Still a Problem
December 24, 2003
As acid burns heal, the skin returns in thick scars, tightening surrounding flesh and distorting features.
WEEKEND READING
Ancient Buddha statues found under famous ‘Tomb Raider’ temple in Cambodia. See them
A trove of ancient statues was recently discovered at the famous “Tomb Raider” temple in Cambodia, officials said.
'Doom for forests': fears over new Cambodia land grants
Eam Orn kneels in a forest in northwest Cambodia, pressing his hands together before an offering of bananas studded with smoking incense, and prays for the return of his land.
Photos: Bodyguard, The Cambodia Daily. Angkor Wat, Flickr.
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