Authorities raided a house in Tboung Khmum province on January 7, arresting five Chinese nationals and rescuing nine kidnapping victims. The Criminal Police Department announced the operation today, explaining that it was in response to a January 2 tip off from one of the victim’s mothers, a 57-year-old Chinese woman named Tang Qunhui. She said her 34-year-old son, Yin Xing, had been kidnapped and held for a ransom of $50,000 by unknown individuals. Following the complaint, forces from the Criminal Police Department, in cooperation with the Tboung Khmum Provincial Police Commissioner, conducted an investigation and located the victims in Trapeang…
Author: Niem Chheng
A senior US official has stated that the US is ready to provide support to Cambodia and Thailand, if needed, on demarcation through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), a bilateral mechanism. He expected that the Thai government that is formed after the February elections will implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord and other agreements. “We obviously stand by to provide support as required, but our understanding is that this will be resolved bilaterally between the two countries. And we’re optimistic that under the current KL accords and the underlying documents that this will be done,” Michael George DeSombre, US Assistant…
Michael George DeSombre, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, will visit Phnom Penh on January 10, as the US pledged $45 million to contribute to resolving disputes between Cambodia and Thailand. In a briefing this afternoon, January 9, DeSombre said he had met with Thais official in Bangkok today to discuss the implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord and broader efforts to promote shared interest in a safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific. He said the US will continue to support the Cambodian-Thai governments as they implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords and pave…
The conflict between Cambodia and Thailand appears to have quieted down since the December 27 ceasefire and the release of 18 captured Cambodian soldiers on December 31. However, despite this calm, the Thai side has not remained idle. In some border areas with a Thai military presence, there have been reports of activities such as the placing of shipping containers and razor wire barricades and the clearing of the homes of Cambodian citizens. Concurrently, the Thai side continues to postpone meetings of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), a vital bilateral mechanism for finding a peaceful resolution to the border dispute.…
Cambodian authorities are calling for the release of four Cambodian fishermen who were arrested by Thailand on January 6. They urged all fishermen to be vary when heading out to sea. Koh Kong provincial governor Chhy Va meet with the families of the arrested men on January 7 to update them on the authorities’ efforts. She also met with the fishing community in the province and urged them not to sail too close to Thai maritime borders. According to the Thai government public relations website, the Thai Navy detained a Cambodian fishing vessel for allegedly illegally entering Thai territorial waters…
According to Chinese state media, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security announced on January 8 that, with the support and cooperation of Cambodian officials, a working group dispatched by the ministry on January 7 successfully extradited Chinese national Chen Zhi, the alleged head of a major cross-border gambling and fraud syndicate, from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to China. It described the operation as a significant achievement in law enforcement cooperation between China and Cambodia. An investigation revealed that Zhi’s criminal gang is suspected of multiple crimes, including operating casinos, fraud, illegal business operations and concealing criminal proceeds. Zhi has been placed…
China has provided aid valued at $400,000 to the Cambodian demining sector. The aid was presented to the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) this morning, January 8. Cambodia also expressed gratitude to China for contributing to the ceasefire at the end of December. The handover ceremony was presided over by Senior Minister Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the CMAA and Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin. According to Thuch, the aid includes metal detectors, as well as equipment and vehicles, with a total value of $425,000. “These are not merely tools for operation, but tools for protection,…
Following the arrest of its founder Chen Zhi, Prince Bank has been suspended from providing new banking services, including accepting deposits and granting loans. Morisonkak MKA Audit-Accounting Co., Ltd. has been authorised to control and manage all operations and assets of Prince Bank Plc. effective from January 8. The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) announced today: “Customers with deposits at Prince Bank Plc. may withdraw their funds as usual by preparing the necessary documents. These requests will be processed based on priority, in accordance with the Law on Banking and Financial Institutions. Meanwhile, borrowers from Prince Bank Plc. must continue…
A report from Cambodia China Times which claimed that Chen Zhi, founder and former chairman of Prince Group, was arrested in Cambodia and sent back to China to face possible charges, has been confirmed. It was not immediately clear when he was deported, or what, if any, charges he may be facing in China. Zhi was sanctioned by the US government last year for his alleged role as the mastermind of a sophisticated money-laundering and online scamming operation. An anonymous government source with inside knowledge of the issue confirmed that the reporting was accurate, although spokespeople from relevant authorities could…
As the Thai military remain present in Cambodia territory, blocking Cambodian civilians from returning to their homes, Prak Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has emphasised the importance of consistency between commitment on paper and the action on the ground. Sokhonn met with 55 foreign diplomats in Phnom Penh on January 6 to update them on the current situation regarding the conflict with Thailand. He highlighted how the release of 18 captured Cambodian soldiers has contributed to rebuilding trust between the two nations, according to a press release. However, he also expressed deep concerns that hundreds of thousands…