A video of three activists denouncing decades-old land concessions triggered a new crackdown on dissent. Capital armored to prevent demonstrations that exiled opposition leaders had called for Aug. 18. Hun Manet: “We will not tolerate protests against the government like those that took place in Bagladesh.”
Today's headlines: Iran arrested a street female performer for singing in public without headcover. Purges continue in Vietnam, where a tycoon was sentenced to 21 years for fraud. Tomorrow in Jeddah, the OIC will meet to discuss Haniyeh’s assassination at the request of Pakistan and Iran. Cambodia’s prime minister is set to launch the controversial Funan Techo project. China and Kazakhstan plan to jointly build a lunar station.
Elliptic, a British blockchain analysis company, exposes a marketplace called HuiOne Guarantee, which also involves Hun To, cousin of current Prime Minister Hun Manet. Chinese groups are involved in the illicit business. Worth US$ 11 billion dollars, it ranges from money laundering to pig butchering scams.
Repression continues after Hun Sen relinquished power to his son, with ten environmentalists convicted of lèse-majesté and one of two remaining independent unions targeted by the authorities. The lack of charisma of the young heir seems to have be fuelling corruption and abuse of power.
An OECD-FAO report expects ice output to rise worldwide by 11 per cent with robust growth in exports from Cambodia and Myanmar. After the peak triggered by drought fears, prices are still 14 per cent higher than 12 months ago.
A report by the United States Institute of Peace highlights the danger. Since 2021, the growing influence of criminal groups has affected individuals and the national security of individual states. For experts, more coordination between Beijing and Washington is needed. Such criminal networks have a turnover of US$ 64 billion.
