The Government of Japan is funding the construction of a female student dormitory and the installation of vocational training facilities at the Mondulkiri Provincial Training Center, to the tune of $81,688. A February 6 press release from the embassy of Japan explained that the dormitory will provide female students with a comfortable place to stay and the new equipment will give the students the opportunity to learn the kinds of vocational skills that will help them to find work after graduation. “This project will, therefore, lead to an improvement in the standard of living for the residents of the area,”…
Author: Niem Chheng
A senior official has lauded the contributions made by the German-funded Civil Peace Service (CPS) as the programme marks its 25th year, and final year in Cambodia. He reflected on the Kingdom’s journey from conflict to reconciliation through the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) and nonjudicial process. The event, held on February 5 in Phnom Penh, highlighted the enduring legacy of the ECCC, a hybrid tribunal established to prosecute Khmer Rouge atrocities. However, the celebration was bittersweet, marking the final year of CPS operations in the country after a quarter-century of pivotal contributions to peacebuilding. Thaung Socheat,…
The South Korean president took to X today, February 6, to comment on the current crackdown on online scams in Cambodia. This time, however, he did not write in Khmer, like he had in a recent message, which was subsequently deleted. Lee Jae-myung shared a report by the network v.daum regarding a major scam centre bust that took place in Svay Rieng province on February 2, which involved over 2,000 suspects, the majority of them Chinese nationals. “If you touch Koreans, you’ll be ruined… Among the 2,000 foreign criminals arrested from the Cambodian scam crime syndicate, not a single one…
The current large-scale crackdown on online scams in Cambodia prompted 110,095 foreigners of six nationalities to leave Cambodia between January and early February 2026, while Operation “Clean Our House” continues. A February 5 report from the Secretariat of Commission for Combating Technology Crimes (CCTC) stated that from January 1 to early February 2026, the capital and provincial joint forces and authorities shut down technology crime activities at a total of 190 locations, including 44 casinos. The operations took place across the country, in Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Kandal, Svay Rieng, Phnom Penh, Pursat, Prey Veng and Mondulkiri provinces. Authorities confiscated vast…
Prime Minister Hun Manet has reiterated that he will conduct “surgery without exception” on officials involved in any crime, particularly online scams, while calling on citizens to join hand in “expelling all evil acts” from Cambodia. Manet delivered his remarks as he addressed the Ministry of Interior’s annual meeting to summarise the work of 2025 and set directions for 2026 on February 5, with his reference to surgery referring to the removal of any individual officials who are involved in any crimes. A ministry press noted that Manet emphasised the necessity of a strict crackdown on all challenging societal crimes,…
The Cambodian Ministry of National Defence has denied Thai media reports that Cambodian forces fired 40mm grenades near a Thai military base. The ministry characterised the publication of the story as “an attempt to create tension along the border”. Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata noted that the Thai military had conceded that the report was false. She quoted the article, which stated: “Urgent! The 2nd Army Region discovered that the other side fired 40mm grenades, which landed near the Phlan Hin Pet Kon military base”. “We completely reject the aforementioned Thai media reports. We affirm that this is fabricated fake news,…
Prime Minister Hun Manet has written to French President Emmanuel Macron requesting that France consider providing technical support, expertise and advisory assistance, as well as facilitating access to and delivery of historical and technical documents related to the international boundary between Cambodia and Thailand, a legacy of the French Protectorate period. According to a February 5 press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Manet wrote the letter after France expressed readiness to provide relevant historical documents, should Cambodia make such a request. In the letter, Manet expressed Cambodia’s sincere gratitude to France for its principled and…
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has issued a formal protest against the placement of three shipping containers by Thai armed forces in An Ses village, Choam Ksan commune, Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear province on February 3, which obstructs access to the An Ses International Border Checkpoint. A ministry press release stated that the action constituted a blatant violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ministry continued that it “may also alter the security environment in and around civilian areas, consolidate military control or create new facts on the ground that directly undermine de-escalation efforts and…
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced plans to strengthen cooperation with the Secretariat of the Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Technology Crimes (CCTC) to suppress online scam operations. Scott Schelble, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s International Operations Division, shared the plans during a visit to Phnom Penh. Schelble met with Chhay Sinarith, chairman of the CCTC, on February 4 to discuss current efforts to eliminate scams, said an CCTC statement. During the meeting, Sinarith detailed the mechanism of the CCTC, which is chaired by the Prime Minister. He explained how its efforts have yielded fruitful results,…
Japan has provided $665,186 to a Japanese demining operating NGO for cluster munition clearance, via grant assistance for Japanese NGO projects. The contract was signed today, February 4, by Ueno Atsushi, Ambassador of Japan to Cambodia and a representative of the recipient, Japan Mine Action Service (JMAS), according to a press release. The grant is for a project known as “Promoting Reconstruction Support with Cluster munitions disposal in Stung Treng: PRCS”. Through this support, JMAS will demine 170 ha of cluster munition contaminated areas while instructing the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) on efficient and safe cluster munition clearance methods.…