Sou Sdei and welcome to Campuccino, your fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia with a dash of opinion.
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Two weeks ago, I returned to my favourite Kampot for the first time in two years. The town has changed. I wish it was for the better, but I couldn’t justify those ugly tall buildings destroying the town’s amazing mountainous backdrop. Kampot has become more crowded, it seems. Might be a good thing, but a selfish part of me wants to keep Kampot as it was and doesn’t like it one bit. Now, I can see trash floating in the Kampot river stream. A river that was once quiet and serene is now a jetski zooming track. Although I’m not going to complain that there are more coffee shops in town, the people who go to those new fancy coffee shops are more interested in snapping countless selfies (as they do in Phnom Penh or anywhere else).
I love Kampot for its simplicity, sleepy charm, and old buildings. I feel fortunate that I was able to see the town before it was transformed into yet another characterless town with empty highrises. It makes me sad, however, that if I ever have a child of my own, there is not much left for them to enjoy in this town or any other town in this country.
- Darathtey
In this issue: horror stories at MDS Thmorda SEZ, sad and happy stories of Cambodia’s reopening, activist assassination, activist release, futuristic cyclos, and more…
Want to hear a bad horror story? Once upon a time, there was a dodgy compound in the middle of nowhere in Pursat. The compound was huge and strictly guarded from outsiders. Nobody knew what was happening inside the compound including the local authorities. There has been horrific news of people in the compound committing suicide, being run over to death by a car, and attempts to run away. Still, the authorities say it was a private matter. Pusat is in Cambodia, where law and order are supposed to exist. Apparently, that doesn’t apply to this compound which happens to be owned by one of the richest tycoons in Cambodia. Some people managed to run away and told the story of the compound. Nobody was questioned or arrested. The end.
Yep, I love telling people these stories that sound totally ridiculous but got this “only in Cambodia” label because it was all real. I’ll leave you to read the horrors that happened in MDS Thmorda Special Economic Zone, owned by Try Pheap, by yourself through the titles below:
From Timber to Human Trafficking: Rescued Victims Allege Major Scam Operations in Tycoon’s SEZ
Police Rescue Cambodian Woman From Try Pheap SEZ, Deny She Was Sold
How much is a life worth in Cambodia? This question jumped into my head when I woke up to the news about an opposition activist being slashed to death with a sword in Phnom Penh.
Sin Khon was an activist from the now-dissolved CNRP. Before the attack on Sunday that took his life, the back of his head was smashed in May but he survived. He wasn’t the only one who received this kind of assault since the dissolution of the CNRP. Khon’s family believes that the murder was politically motivated.
What do you think?
I wish I had something to add to this story but I don’t. It is the same old story that continues to repeat itself. If you know a bit about Cambodia and how it is being run, you will likely know the end to such a story.
This week, the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM13) chaired by Cambodia finally kicked off after some delays caused by the pandemic. The virtual ASEM13 is conducted under the theme of “Strengthening Multilateralism for Shared Growth”. At the opening remarks, the Prime Minister spoke of the core principles of flexibility, informality, mutual respect, and equal partnership.
Two days before the summit, the PM also said “Hun Sen does not bow to any pressure” at an inauguration ceremony of a new $60-million, Chinese-funded Mekong river bridge between Kampong Cham and Tbong Khmum provinces.
As Cambodia got ready for the ASEM, and in the process of preparing for its ASEAN chairmanship in 2022, the country saw a bulk of activist prisoners being released this month. Some of them include Mother Nature young environmental activists Long Kunthea, Phoun Keo Reaksmey and Ly Chandaravuth, veteran union leader Rong Chhun, and members of youth groups of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association and Khmer Thavrak. Read detailed coverage of the release by Shaun Turton and Bopha Phorn here.
While people welcome the happy story of Cambodia reopening its doors to international travelers with a quarantine-free pass, other reopening stories don't contain the same sense of rainbow and sunshine.
On the education front, students in rural areas remain out of school despite schools reopening. The closure of schools driven by the pandemic was tough for everyone, but they were extremely difficult on parents and children whose livelihoods were already challenging on a daily basis. The income gap just became wider, and online classes were not that accessible and effective for children in rural areas. Some of them gave up and had to work to help their families to make ends meet. Not all of them return to school after the reopening. Find out more through this article by New Narratif and VOD.
Visually Pleasing
Arts & Culture
📷 Asymmetry is a photo series by an architect and photographer Mao Sovanchandy who, through the series, wants to highlight the tension between architectural development and preservation. In this project, you will see a beautiful series of photographs with juxtaposing elements aimed to convey a conversation about urban life.
🖼️ Want to know how Cambodians conceptualise the humble cyclo in the future? Check out this virtual Futuristic Cyclo Art Exhibition by Prudential Cambodia and Local4Local. They all look really fun. The exhibition is available from 10th October to 31st December 2021.
Overheard on Twitter
📑 Worthy Read
Did you know that fifty percent of Facebook Messenger’s total voice traffic comes from Cambodia? Yes, you read that right. I used to be a voice memo hater although every Cambodian I know seems to prefer this way of communication over typed messaging. I can understand why, though. Typing Khmer on the phone is a pain in the butt and takes ages. If you are fascinated by this fun fact, this article about why voice memo is very popular among Cambodians will help you understand.
LICADHO recently published a status update report on “Harassment on Social Media in Cambodia”. The report found that almost 40% of the internet users surveyed have experienced varying degrees of online harassment on platforms such as Facebook, the number one equivalent to an entire digital space for many Cambodians. If you want to know more, go read the report. If you’re too lazy and want to get a summary, check out a summary article by VOD here.
💖 Things I love
A totally #notsponsored section of things I love around Phnom Penh:
Béton Craft Studio is one of my go-to shops for locally handcrafted homeware, decoration and platers design. The studio is founded by two Cambodian female architects who believe that building materials can be both surprisingly aesthetic and functional. I love these girls purely based on the fact that their customer service is top-notch and the packing is beautiful and environmentally friendly. Also, their products are super cute!
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