#02 - All about that Base
Ream naval base saw a US-funded facility demolished making way for China-funded expansion.
Sou Sdei and welcome to Campuccino, your fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia.
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In this issue: Ream naval base saga, further decline of freedom of expression, a broken microfinance system, and more
Since the first issue went out, the topic of Ream naval base has dominated the news cycle in Cambodia. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. Tiny Cambodia only seems to makes headlines in international media in the context of being caught between two superpowers. I can’t remember the last time I went a whole month without hearing news of the US being annoyed with Cambodia scooting closer to China.
The latest in a series of incidents, Cambodia demolished the US-built facility on its Ream naval base to make way for China-funded expansion. A report by Shaun Turton and Mech Dara for Nikkei Asia shows satellite photos comparing where the US-built facility once stood to where it is no longer. This commotion seems to be caused by what the Cambodian officials called an expansion project to develop a ship repair facility with Chinese assistance. In case you wonder what Cambodian officials have to say on the matter, I give you the good old “deny” classic. The Cambodian government denied the allegation, stating that they demolished the building only to relocate it to a larger location, reports Prak Chan Thul for Reuters.
On the topic of rights and freedom, it doesn’t look like they will improve any time soon. The free falling situation continues. This is particularly hard for journalists working in Cambodia. I mean, how do you do your job while being constantly told not to do it?
Khuon Narim of Cambojanews reports that four local online news journalists were attacked on September 28 after they reported a forestry crime to the local authority. They were attacked by a group of men who threw a log through the window of their car and beat them with sticks and axes, injuring two.
Meanwhile, remember that poor guy who was arrested for directly and correctly quoting the Prime Minister? Yes you read that right… Well, the editor-in-chief of TVFB, a popular online news outlet, was freed from jail on Monday October 5 after being handed a suspended 18-month sentence for incitement, reports Ouch Sony for VOD. He had been in prison since April 9.
Speaking of freedom, there has been a draft cybercrime law brewing for quite some time. Unsurprisingly, if passed, this law could further undermine freedom of expression and privacy. According to Sun Narin’s report for VOA, there are some concerning clauses that could help the government intensify its crackdown on freedom of expression, and raise additional privacy and surveillance concerns. One of the articles in the draft law, obtained by VOA, requires service providers to “preserve traffic data for at least 180 days” to facilitate requests from “competent authorities” but fails to clearly outline the kinds of service providers that come under the scope of this law.
Did you know that Cambodia’s microfinance system is in crisis? Thomson Reuters Foundation recently published an opinion piece written by rights workers from civil society across Cambodia arguing that microloans have led farmers, migrant labourers and factory workers into debt traps, dangerous migration, and landlessness. The article suggests that there needs to be relief in form of large-scale debt forgiveness and write-offs to prevent borrowers from losing their land altogether noting that the system heavily relies on accepting land titles as collateral. In response, David Hutt’s article for the Diplomat gives a further analysis of why the ‘write-off’ suggestion might not work taken into consideration Cambodia’s deeper economic problems.
Wondering how Cambodia is doing during the pandemic? Last week, UNDP published a policy briefing on Covid-19 economic and social impacts in Cambodia. The briefing estimated that approximately 1.3 million of the population may fall back into poverty. See additional reporting on the topic by Matt Surrusco for VOD here.
On the topic of Covid-19, Southeast Asia Globe recently launched “Anakut”, a podcast on Cambodia’s future. The first episode is about the impact of Covid-19 in Cambodia and how it will shape the country’s future.
Having lived in New Zealand since the pandemic, I feel, for the first time, being taken care of by the government despite my expatriate status. It feels very nice but strange given I never felt that way about my own government. I used to perceive government as a monolithic institution with immense power but not as caretakers of its people. It’s sad because while I am fortunate enough to be born in a middle-class family who gave me the opportunity to fend for myself, the majority of the population, such as the banana plantation workers mentioned below, is not.
Workers for a massive banana plantation in Stung Treng are living in horrific conditions, reports Tran Techseng and Danielle Keeton-Olsen from VOD. Workers fell sick allegedly due to crop chemicals sprayed over their heads by drones. There is no proper health care, cramped living quarters, and lack of clean water. So, while international demand for bananas is increasing, these workers continue to live and work in dangerous conditions.
Meanwhile, it looks like more lake filling is on the way. Phoung Vantha of Cambodianess reports that Ministry of Justice will reclaim eight hectares of Boeung Tamok to construct a storage facility for documents. 🤦🏽♀️ It’s worth noting that since 1997, 15 of the 25 largest lakes and canals in Phnom Penh have been filled for the sake of developments. This has put the city in danger and harmed the livelihoods of many fishermen and farmers. See an older report on the lake filling in Phnom Penh by Sineat Yon and Ate Hoekstra for SCMP here.
Arts and Culture
I first heard about The Sound Initiative (TSI) through my time working at the British Embassy Phnom Penh. I love the energy and creativity radiated by artists undergoing this project. Growing up with knocked off pop songs from other countries, I really appreciate originality. If you would like to check them out, TSI recently released a new original album titled Soundwave 2020 by emerging Cambodian artists.
Speaking of music, I came across this really chill Cambodian reggae track Nowadays by Vin Vitou for KlapYaHands. It’s a good pick me up considering our world’s current situation. Have a listen.
In the previous issue, I mentioned Cambodianess’s Coffee Talks claiming that they did not have the Khmer version. Thankfully, a generous Twitter friend @shrimppastefan corrected me. Coffee Talks is available in Khmer under a different name, Tream Café.
Tweets We Live For
Campuccino is a fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia, written by @DarathteyDin from Word & Visual.
I’d love to hear from you. If you have feedback or content ideas, please reach out via tey@wordandvisualmedia.com
Special thanks to Maryam Jillani for being my editor.