#41 - Paranoid
What will happen when public institutions break your trust?
Sou Sdei and welcome to Campuccino, your fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia with a dash of opinion.
To new subscribers, welcome! Also, a big Orkun 🙏🏽 to Asia Media Centre for featuring Campuccino in your latest Asia Digest’s Spotlight section.
It has been unbearably hot in these past two weeks, I could feel my brain sweats. Growing up in Cambodia, I’ve experienced some intense heat but not like this. Recently, it has been hot and humid to the point where I can’t stop thinking about climate change and how it is going to get worse from here…
- Darathtey
In this issue: Nagaworld workers strike, CPP’s birthday, the shrinking Tonle Bati lake, elephant wedding, and more…
Remember NagaWorld workers strike that I started talking about since December last year in #31? They still continue to strike more than 6 months later to request the laid-off 220 workers to be reinstated and to allow union to freely operates. The latest strike that happened on June 28 was blocked by heavy police presence. The use of force was reported when the workers attempted to strike the day before.
As Nagaworld workers continue to strike on June 28, one street away, the Cambodian People’s Party celebrated its 71st anniversary at its Phnom Penh headquarter. Presiding over the ceremony attended by thousands of CPP members, the Prime Minister expressed that the June 5 election was “free and fair”. He also vowed to win the national election next year…
In other news, Kem Sokha received a warning for his alleged political activity. On June 29, Court prosecutors submitted the request to the Phnom Penh Municipal court to arrest Sokha for violating his bail conditions. The request was denied but Sokha received a stern warning. Read more…
On the environment front, looks like more nature is going to have to make way for development because why not, I guess. According to VOD, Tonle Bati lake will be reduced by 222 hectares. The reduced area was handed to an individual according to a decree published on March 2. It was reported that the lake will be filled from the edge leaving narrow strip in the middle. Despite its popularity as a weekend destination, I was never a big fan because the idea of sitting in a small hut under intense Cambodian heat has never been appealing to me. I do go to Tonle Bati, however, for a different reason. In Tonle Bati pagoda, there are rows of stupa sitting on the edge of the water, one of them was my grandfather’s and my mother’s. With this new announcement, I guess my family’s stupa will sit on a bed of sand instead…
Now that we’re on to topic of nature, I’m happy to report that Cambodia made international news last week thanks to a giant freshwater stingray found in the Mekong! Weight at 661 pounds (299.8 kg), the stingray found in Kaoh Preah now holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest freshwater fish.
Visually Pleasing
Arts & Culture
📽️ It was great to see the opening night of Cambodia International Film Festival overflow with people. I always love attending the opening because it gives me a chance to see so many friends and acquaintances I had not seen in years. I enjoyed the opening program this year because it was packed with performances with an acceptable amount of speeches. Now, I hope that throughout this week, Phnom Penhers will continue to show up and watch as many films as possible because there are many great ones in the line up. I will definitely do so.
🌱 This one is for all the plant and gardening lovers. Phnom Penh Houseplant Festival and Friends Future Factor are organising Phnom Penh Plant and Garden Fair on July 9-10. Imagine my excitement when I see this event being advertised!
🐘 Despite all the madness in our today’s world, this story of an elephant wedding and baby elephant birthday brought a smile to my face. It is a traditional ritual celebrated by an indigenous Bunong community to welcome elephant to married life and the bless the baby elephant. Check it out!
Worth Reading
This story about voluntary effort in trying to rescue scam worker in Sihanoukville makes me very angry. However, it is definitely a piece worth reading to give you an idea of how bad things have become over there and how messed up the whole thing is being handled, or not handled. Hats off to Mech Dara and Danielle Keeton-Olsen for brining the volunteer’s hard work and frustration to the limelight. This kind of story is also one of the reasons that prevent me from dragging myself down there for a visit regardless of all the nice pictures I see on social media from my Cambodian peers showing off giant statue, coffee shop on the beach, and fancy-looking hotels. I also wonder why no international organizations come out to condemn the issue despite multiple reports of human trafficking, modern slavery, and other forms of abuses. Did I miss something?
While you’re on the topic, make sure to check out this commentary as well by Rim Sokvy, a junior research fellow from Future Forum. In this piece, Sokvy wrote about how transnational crime contributes to an erosion of public trust in government institutions and what can be done to improve the situation.
Overheard on Twitter
Campuccino is a fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia, written by @DarathteyDin.
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