Siem Reap Opens Roads, Myanmar Brings Trouble, Omicron Cases Surge
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, January 14, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
FRIENDLY FIRE: It’s been two years since Cambodia celebrated Victory Over Genocide Day, when Vietnamese-backed forces overthrew the Khmer Rouge. It could signal a shift toward China.
FREE PRESS: Hundreds of media outlets were named as examples of the Kingdom’s commitment to free speech. Local journalists disagreed, pointing to 60 harassment crimes and 30 arrests.
STREET LEVEL: How long has it been? No matter. The massive road construction project that brought Siem Reap city to a standstill is now finished. Now, where are those tourists?
THE LEDE
Omicron Explosion?
Days after discovering its first Omicron case, Cambodia found community transmissions of the highly contagious variant in two cities, with total infections nearing 300.
Official tallies do not include rapid-test results, meaning the reported numbers are likely a vast undercount. An explosion of Omicron would overwhelm the country’s healthcare system and force new isolation measures, experts warn.
The government has tightened regulations in response — promoting booster shoots, masks and proof of vaccinations — but it has no plans to shut businesses or enact new lockdowns.
Timber Falling
Illegal logging runs rampant in the nation’s protected forests and the government must do more to tackle the crisis, environmental groups say.
In Oddar Meanchey, community groups are turning to crowd-funding to protect Sorng Rukhavorn Wildlife Sanctuary, where locals say more than 1,000 trees have been felled recently.
In Mondulkiri, authorities set up an illegal-logging working group but admitted enforcement was aimed at individuals and small-scale operators, not the local tycoons long tied to major deforestation.
In Preah Vihear, the Prey Lang Community Network last month logged more than 600 crimes in Prey Lang forest. The group found heavy machinery at many sites, suggesting well-organized operations.
Liberation Day
For the second year in a row, Cambodia declined to celebrate Victory Over Genocide Day, a pillar of the CPP political calendar since the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979.
The move is the latest sign of a creeping split between Cambodia and its long-time political patron, Vietnam. It’s also further evidence of China’s increasing clout. With Beijing’s backing, the prime minister is more free to assert independence from Hanoi.
Hun Sen has for years been dogged by accusations of subservience to Vietnam. A cut toward independence could help shore up support ahead of elections and a future transition of power.
TALKING POINTS
Myanmar Miasma
ASEAN chair Cambodia cited travel difficulties for cancelling a scheduled Siem Reap meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers. Experts called it a sign of dissatisfaction with Hun Sen’s visit to Myanmar in early January. Japan and China supported the efforts, but ASEAN nations were less kind.
Naga Struggle
The International Labor Organization urged Cambodia to release imprisoned NagaWorld union members and dismiss criminal charges. Authorities last week arrested Chhim Sithar, the workers’ union boss, and others as they protested. Workers began striking five weeks ago and have vowed to continue until demands are met.
Returned Art
An American tech billionaire agreed to return $35 million worth of ill-gotten Khmer antiquities. The items were uncovered during an investigation into Douglas Latchford, the disgraced British art trafficker.
Demining Deaths
Three deminers were killed while defusing an anti-tank weapon. The victims worked for Cambodia Self-Help Demining, a local group founded by Aki Ra, a Khmer rouge child soldier. The three were identified as Sun Vong, 29, Ma Simet, 32, and Morn Chak, 29.
Fake News
The Ministry of Information touted a record number of news outlets, more than 700, as proof of the Kingdom’s embrace of free speech. Journalism groups were quick to call bananas. The Cambodia Journalism Alliance cited nearly 60 instances of harassment against journalists in the first nine months of the year, including 30 arrests.
Smooth Roads
The great Siem Reap road renovation project is complete. For more than a year, the work had turned the gateway to Angkor Wat into a massive construction zone, frustrating businesses and deterring local tourism. The city’s streets are now smooth, wide and well-lit.
Saffron Silence
A draft law criminalizing political activism by Buddhist clergy will be used by the courts to silence dissent, according to an exiled monk. The law would impose harsh prison sentences for violators and end the monkhood’s long history of political and environmental advocacy.
BACKPAGES: From The Cambodia Daily Vault
PM’s Order Sending Karaoke Girls to the Streets
January 9, 2002
Only days after Prime Minister Hun Sen signed an unprecedented directive shutting down much of the country’s nightlife, a new type of girl started strolling the park across the street from his home, next to the Independence Monument.
Museum Will Remove Map Made of Skulls
January 9, 2002
After years of debate, the famed skull map of Cambodia at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum will be coming down, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Sam Rainsy Testifies About Sok Yoeun Case in Thailand
January 9, 2002
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said Monday in a Thai court that Prime Minister Hun Sen masterminded the 1998 Siem Reap rocket attack widely claimed by his supporters to have been an attempt on the prime minister’s life.
Prince Hesitant to Put Motives on Killings
January 9, 2002
Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh said Tuesday that the recent killings of two Funcinpec political hopefuls and a Sam Rainsy Party candidate might not be directly linked to the CPP, but could still possibly be connected to the Feb 3 commune elections.