All posts tagged: Cambodian

Cambodia, US Begin Planning For Resumption Of Military Exercises In 2027, Says Cambodian Army

Cambodia, US Begin Planning For Resumption Of Military Exercises In 2027, Says Cambodian Army

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times, The Cambodian army announced it would resume joint military exercises with the United States early next year, in a bid to foster stronger relations nearly a decade since the last bilateral drills were held. U.S. Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby speaks as part of a meeting of NATO Ministers of Defense Summit at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 12, 2026. John Thys/AFP via Getty Images The Royal Cambodian Army (RCA) said in a statement on Facebook that it and other officials met with representatives from the U.S. Army Pacific and the Idaho National Guard between Aug. 31 and Sept. 4 to begin planning for Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027. The Sept. 4 statement said the meeting was “marking an important step toward the resumption of the bilateral exercise.” Cambodian officials said both sides had discussed training activities, including a command post exercise, explosives disposal, and medical and engineering exchanges. “Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027 is scheduled to take place in February 2027, with the …

Bou Meng, a Cambodian artist and survivor of a Khmer Rouge torture center, has died at 85

Bou Meng, a Cambodian artist and survivor of a Khmer Rouge torture center, has died at 85

Published by Sam Flores

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian artist Bou Meng, one of only seven people known to have survived a notorious Khmer Rouge torture center in the Southeast Asian country in the late 1970s, has died. He was 85. His ability to paint portraits of then-leader Pol Pot was why he was kept alive. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, a U.N.-backed tribunal that sought to try Khmer Rouge leaders for genocide and other crimes against humanity, said he died late Friday of age-related illness. “The passing of Mr. Bou Meng represents the loss of an important historical witness to the grave crimes committed during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, particularly to the history and tragedy that took place at the former S-21 Security Center,” referring to the prison, also known as Tuol Sleng, where he had been held for almost two years starting in 1977. The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care …

Bou Meng, a Cambodian artist and survivor of a Khmer Rouge torture center, has died at 85

Bou Meng, a Cambodian artist and survivor of a Khmer Rouge torture center, has died at 85

Published by Sam Flores

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian artist Bou Meng, one of only seven people known to have survived a notorious Khmer Rouge torture center in the Southeast Asian country in the late 1970s, has died. He was 85. His ability to paint portraits of then-leader Pol Pot was why he was kept alive. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, a U.N.-backed tribunal that sought to try Khmer Rouge leaders for genocide and other crimes against humanity, said he died late Friday of age-related illness. “The passing of Mr. Bou Meng represents the loss of an important historical witness to the grave crimes committed during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, particularly to the history and tragedy that took place at the former S-21 Security Center,” referring to the prison, also known as Tuol Sleng, where he had been held for almost two years starting in 1977. The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care …

Cambodian villagers honor guardian spirits to pray for rain and good fortune

Cambodian villagers honor guardian spirits to pray for rain and good fortune

Published by Sam Flores

PHUM BOEUNG, Cambodia (AP) — Hundreds of Cambodians on Thursday morning honored their village’s guardian spirits by holding a colorful centuries-old ceremony to pray for good fortune, rain and prosperity. The “He Neak Ta” ritual has been celebrated annually for several hundred years by the villagers in Phum Boeung, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh. The ceremony, which has become increasingly rare in modern times, coincides with the onset of the summer monsoon as farmers prepare for planting rice, a particularly water-intensive crop. Although most Cambodians are Buddhist, the ritual reflects a widespread faith in animism, the belief that spirits can inhabit all types of living and inanimate objects. Chamrouen Ratha, a 26-year-old blacksmith, said he was taking the day off from work to join other villagers in honoring the same spirits celebrated by his ancestors. “The significance of this ceremony is to pray for happiness and prosperity for all the villagers in this area and the participants who have joined this ceremony,” he said. Villagers of all ages congregate …

The House Article | Mu Sochua: The Cambodian Politician Urging UK Action On ‘Scam Centres’

The House Article | Mu Sochua: The Cambodian Politician Urging UK Action On ‘Scam Centres’

Published by Sam Flores

Mu Sochua speaking in Tokyo in Feb. 2024 (Newscom/Alamy) 7 min read4 hr Mu Sochua is on an international mission to rid Cambodia of its industrial-scale ‘scam centres’. Noah Vickers speaks to her as she brings her message to Westminster It’s become a reality of daily life in the West. Messages on social media from anonymous profiles urging you to invest in crypto. Phone calls from someone claiming to work for your bank or software provider, warning that your account is about to be compromised. For most of those at the receiving end, scams are simply a nuisance to be ignored. For the minority who fall for them, they can have devastating consequences. But little thought is usually given to those on the other side of the phone – hundreds of thousands of whom have been trafficked, abused and imprisoned in vast, multi-storey facilities across south-east Asia. In Cambodia alone, roughly 100,000 people are estimated by the United Nations to be forcibly involved in online scams. Leading the charge to shut …

US ‘Troubled’ by Cambodian Court Decision to Uphold Defunct Opposition Leader’s Conviction

US ‘Troubled’ by Cambodian Court Decision to Uphold Defunct Opposition Leader’s Conviction

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) – The ⁠U.S. ⁠State Department said on ⁠Friday that Washington was “troubled” by a Cambodian appeals court’s ​decision that upheld a 27-year sentence for former opposition leader Kem Sokha ‌for his treason conviction. Here are ‌some details: • The appeals court decision on Thursday was another ⁠blow to ⁠an opposition decimated by the ruling party’s long-running crackdown. • Kem ​Sokha, 72, co-founder of the defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party, has been held under house arrest since he was found guilty of treason in ​March 2023. • He was accused of conspiring with a foreign power ⁠to topple ⁠then-premier Hun Sen. • The ⁠United ​States has previously said his conviction was based on “fabricated conspiracy theories.” • Kem ​Sokha’s case was among ⁠the most prominent in a sweeping crackdown on opponents of the CPP, which has ruled Cambodia for decades. • “The United States is troubled by the decision to uphold activist and opposition leader Kem Sokha’s ⁠conviction of treason,” the State Department said in a statement on Friday. • “Claims ⁠of …

US Sanctions Cambodian Senator Linked To Crypto Romance Scam Centers

US Sanctions Cambodian Senator Linked To Crypto Romance Scam Centers

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Chris Summers via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The United States on April 23 imposed sanctions on a wealthy Cambodian senator, Kok An, who allegedly ran crypto-romance scam centers that stole millions of dollars from U.S. citizens. Thai soldiers stand outside an abandoned scam center in O’Smach town on the border between Thailand and Cambodia on March 12, 2026. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images Kok, 71, is a political ally of Hun Sen, who served as Cambodian prime minister for 25 years before stepping down in 2023 and handing power to his son, Hun Manet. The 73-year-old is now president of the Cambodian Senate. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also sanctioned 28 individuals and entities linked to the suspected scam centers. “Eliminating fraud is a top priority for the Trump administration,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “Treasury will continue to target fraudsters and scam centers that steal billions of dollars from hardworking Americans, no matter where they operate or how well-connected they are.” Industrial-scale cyberscamming, based in …

US sanctions Cambodian senator over purported scam network links | Crime News

US sanctions Cambodian senator over purported scam network links | Crime News

Published by Sam Flores

US Treasury Department accuses Kok An and associates of using political influence to protect network of fraud centres. Published On 23 Apr 202623 Apr 2026 The United States Department of the Treasury has announced sanctions against the Cambodian Senator Kok An, accusing the politician of using his influence and connections to protect a network of scam operators. The department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on Thursday that it would take action against An and 28 individuals and entities in his network, which is accused of enticing US citizens into giving away large amounts of money through fraudulent schemes. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Using the lure of friendship or romantic relationships, these fraudsters coax vulnerable Americans into transferring their savings in the form of digital assets by promising investment opportunities and high returns, only to steal the funds outright,” the department said in a statement. Scam centres have proliferated across Southeast Asia since the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 2020s, when entertainment hubs such as casinos struggled to operate amid …

‘Cambodian Beer Dreams’ Doc Trailer for CPH:DOX Copenhagen Premiere

‘Cambodian Beer Dreams’ Doc Trailer for CPH:DOX Copenhagen Premiere

Published by Daniella Wilson

“What happens to people, ethics, and morals when alcohol and capitalism are unleashed in a poor and corrupt country with few restrictions?” The question is part of a synopsis for Cambodian Beer Dreams, a documentary by Laurits Nansen (Welcome to the Frontline, Emilie Meng – An Investigation Gone Wrong,The Town Where Children Disappear) that will world premiere at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival CPH:DOX on March 12. The film, screening in the F:act Award section of the Danish fest, whose 23rd edition takes place March 11-22, takes us into shady territory unknown to much of the world. In Cambodia, large international and local brewers are battling to win the war for the country’s rapidly growing beer market. And the question of whether the end justifies the means doesn’t seem to be in focus for them. “Through aggressive marketing, young ‘beer girls’ and promises of cash prizes, the poor population is encouraged to drink more and more alcohol – sometimes to the point of death,” highlights the synopsis. In Cambodian Beer Dreams, Nansen follows Kim Eng, a …