Sou Sdei and welcome to Campuccino, your fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia with a dash of opinion.
To new subscribers, welcome! I’m Darathtey, a communication consultant, newsletter writer, and researcher. This re-introduction is inspired by folks at Splice Media who remind their community that we need to keep introducing ourselves to new readers.
Last week, I was invited to speak to a group of travelling students from Northeastern University in Boston. It was a really fun first experience for me speaking to students. Did that make me feel old? Yes. BUT, they asked me a lot of interesting questions about research, food, this newsletter, and so on. One thing that continues to amaze me is how many awesome people this newsletter connects me to. I’m grateful.
I also just picked up my very first punch needle kit because why not? I miss doing projects with my hands due to long hours of desk jobs and obviously too much screen time. So, I’ve been trying to find device-free hobbies: houseplants, boxing, house decorating etc. This punch needle thing is another example (so far I only punched two holes in my hand, all is well). Wish me luck!
- Darathtey
In this issue: election, land dispute, Facebook, China’s dams, and more.
Pre-election period…... is a very interesting time to observe many things. It is like a movie remake from a well-known classic that I have seen but the remade one provides somewhat predictable plot twists without changing the storyline. Same same, but different 😉 Anyway, let’s go through these new plot twists quickly because we all know the drill. It is safe and peaceful; hence, that’s where we should be.
Frustrated with the decision that they won’t be able to compete in July’s election, Candlelight Party supporters began calling for boycotting the election. Of course, this act was met with a threat of legal action from the National Election Committee, backed by the Prime Minister. On top of that, the PM proposed an election law amendment that will require future election candidates to vote if they plan to run in the upcoming election. I wonder who this amendment is aimed at…? 🥱
Let’s move on to a story about Facebook. Fiona Kelliher wrote an analysis piece about how Facebook navigates content moderation and political comments in a country with a tricky political landscape such as Cambodia. The analysis used an example of the PM’s comment made to his opposition which can be summarised as legal action or violence. Since the comment was made during a live broadcast on Facebook, the platform is questioned in regards to its content moderation especially those that can be linked to violence. The article also went on to examine the power of the PM’s speech and how dangerous it could be. This piece is a very intriguing read. I totally recommend it!
Now, there is an update on one of the longest land disputes in my recent memories. I’m referring to the land dispute in Koh Kong between locals and a sugar conglomerate. It appears that both parties have finally come to a solution. The local families finally received financial settlement in April this year. Read this story in detail at CamboJANews.
And lastly, for you sport fans out there, the 12th ASEAN Para Games hosted by Cambodia was officially closed on June 03. I did not go or watch the opening because my brother chose that day to get married. The closing ceremony also slipped off my radar because I was recovering from said wedding. I did manage to catch half of a cerebral palsy football match between Cambodia and Indonesia on my random walk to the Olympic Stadium though, and that was fun!
On a more serious note, Marissa Carruthers did a great job in her write up for Kiripost on what the closing ceremony entailed. It seems the ceremony was as spectacular as the one of the SEA Games this year. In case you want to watch it, go here.
Visually Pleasing
Arts & Culture
🔊 My listening to a friend’s work of short film and soundscape led me down a soundscape rabbit hole. I recalled another friend who once told me that one of Cambodia’s uniqueness that people often overlook is the sound. With that in mind, I did some googling and stumbled upon a field recording by Les Cartes Postales Sonores. There are many albums on there but I first went straight to NOISE ON EARTH Vol.1 ៚ CAMBODIA. It’s fascinating! Being a Phnom Penher, I immediately pressed play on Track 5, 6, and 13. It felt super familiar but also nostalgic because Phnom Penh sounds quite different now (these tracks seem to be recorded around the early 2010s). But wait, my curiosity didn’t allow me to stop at just one album. I looked around this creator’s library and found a lot of Cambodia-related sounds! I was intrigued by BUNONG ▼ LULLABIES. Little did I know that when I pressed play on Track 1 of that playlist, a familiar melody of “ស្អាតជានិច្ច” (Always hygienic) rang out! It took me a while to place the melody because the woman sang in Banong language but the track surprised me all the same. It makes me reflect on my own ignorance as I expected to hear a sound that would be completely unfamiliar to me but as it turned out, it was not that foreign after all. Fun fact: I knew this song about hygiene since childhood. To me, it was not a lullaby but a kindergarten song asking kids to not play with dirt and always wash their hands. If you do end up listening to any of these sounds, I would love to hear your thoughts!
Worth Reading
How dams in China are destroying livelihoods downstream in Cambodia by Marta Kasztelan looks at how China’s dams impact the lives of people living in the lower Mekong basin. While this is not a new topic, it is worth a reminder that the problem is still there and has escalated. The impact of the dams impact migration of people who could no longer sustain their livelihood around the river. Environmentally, the biodiversity surrounding the lower Mekong basin such as Ramsar is decaying due to unseasonal flooding caused by the dams.
Campuccino is a fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia, written by @DarathteyDin.
I’d love to hear from you. If you have feedback or content ideas, please write to me at hello@darathteydin.com