Strongman Confirms Spy Talks, Beer Sales Sizzle, Garment Exports Surge
Good morning, Cambodia. It's Friday, June 14, and this is your Weekly Dispatch.
DINING DOWN: The Kingdom’s amazing food scene is in a dangerous place. A survey found deep drops in consumer spending combined with steep hikes in costs. Restaurant owners are seeking government help to survive.
TOUGH CALL: In Battambang, an official with the Khmer Will Party was sentenced to seven years in prison the day after being elected to a district council. He was charged with organizing a party for Sam Rainsy in 2019.
POURING IN: Beer sales are expected to hit $2.2 billion in less than a decade, with industry leaders planning an advertising blitz to ward off government intervention — like setting a legal drinking age.
War Party
The Strongman wants no part of the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland this weekend.
Around 90 countries are expected to participate, including several Southeast Asian nations. Yet without Russia, which has not been invited, peace-making efforts are doomed to fail, Hun Sen said — so there’s no reason to go. The former prime minister slammed allegations that Cambodia was skipping the conference due to Chinese pressure. Beijing cited the same reason for not attending.
Cambodia in 2022 co-sponsored a U.N. resolution condemning the invasion, but remains on good terms with Moscow. Ukraine urged Phnom Penh to reconsider the decision.
Cover Blown
Who wins or loses credibility when a powerful Asian leader responds — on Facebook, no less — to a Western writer's ponderings on a regional news website?
The columnist's ruminations were mild, wondering if Hun Sen had "leaked" an unreported meeting with the head of the CIA on Khmer social media. He even chalked it up as a possible translation error.
But the Strongman couldn’t let it go. He not only confirmed the secret CIA meeting but got boastful, disclosing names, times and places he had worked with CIA chiefs since 1997. It was all about fighting terrorism, he explained.
Hun Sen could’ve just stayed quiet. Will internet braggadocio one day bring him down?
Slow Climb
A report on tourism recovery in Siem Reap province is best told by the numbers.
At least 85% of tourist businesses have reopened. Western visitors are flooding back, but Asian tourists are staying away. Domestic tourism is off the charts, but mostly for festivals and national holidays.
That's from the provincial tourism chief, Thim Sereyvudh, who added that the city's roads and bike paths were smooth and the foodie scene was fantastic.
Other indicators were less rosy: Angkor Wat ticket sales were still 60% lower than 2019, while air arrivals across the Kingdom remained 58% below pre-pandemic levels. A national restaurant survey found 44% had major revenue declines in the past year.
TALKING POINTS
Social Justice
Five Mother Nature activists on trial for incitement hope to try their case in the court of public opinion. In a half-hour Facebook live video, the five members defended their innocence with photos and lengthy testimony. The trial continues Monday.
Hero’s Journey
Cambodia on June 20 will observe the 47th anniversary of the “Commemoration Day of the Historical Journey Leading to the Overthrow of Pol Pot’s Genocidal Regime.” The tribute lionizes the day Hun Sen defected from the Khmer Rouge and fled to Vietnam — an event that, according to government historians, marked the start of the communist sect’s downfall.
Same Old
Opposition parties can’t catch a break, no matter their name. A Khmer Will Party leader in Battambang was sentenced to seven years in prison just 24 hours after being elected councilor to Moung Ruessei district. The court found Uth Choeun guilty of organizing a welcome party for Sam Rainsy’s failed 2019 return. He remains free and plans to appeal.
Growth Spurt
Trade figures are rising. Exports of garments, footwear and travel goods surged more than 20% from January to May, compared to the same period last year, while exports to the E.U. and ASEAN members jumped 12%. The uptick offers a welcome respite from 18 months of flat returns. The World Bank forecast 2024 growth at 5.8%, while the government predicts 6%.
Empty Plates
How’s the local economy doing? Don’t ask a restaurateur. According to a recent Restaurant Association survey, the situation is dire: 83% report a decrease in customer spending, 70% face increased costs, and less than 20% are confident about business growth. Without financial aid and tax relief, the association says, many eateries will not survive.
Net Loss
Researchers discovered an Indo-Pacific finless porpoise in Kampot, the first recorded instance of the species in Cambodia. Sadly, she had been trapped in a fishing net and drowned. Experts are ramping up protection efforts and searching for further evidence of the species.
Booze Boom
The domestic beer market is flourishing, and insiders predict sales will more than double over the next decade, hitting $2.23 billion by 2032. A coalition of industry heavy-weights vowed to advertise responsibly — possibly to head off government regulation. Cambodia is one of a few countries without a legal drinking or minimum purchase age.
WEEKEND READING
Efforts to save Cambodia’s coast tread water as fish stocks plummet
Along the coast of Cambodia, illegal fishing is driving fish stocks toward collapse and fishing communities into poverty.
Photos: Hun Sen with CIA Director Bill Burns, Facebook. Mother Nature, screenshot.
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