Showing 1 - 10 of 21
Hun Sen's war is his last gasps
News, Patee Sarasin, Published on 22/12/2025
» The artillery shells raining down along the Thai-Cambodian border are not the result of a territorial dispute. Rather, they are the desperate thunder of a dynasty trying to drown out the noise of its own collapse.
The threat posed by Cambodia's new strongman
Oped, Mu Sochua, Published on 26/04/2024
» Although 2024 is being heralded as a banner year for elections, with dozens of countries -- representing more than half the global population -- holding polls, for some, it marks the nadir of democracy. Cambodia is one such case.
Political landmine
Oped, Editorial, Published on 06/01/2024
» A group of Cambodian dissidents were rounded up by police in the Rangsit area on Dec 29, while others were attacked on New Year's Eve by Thai men while giving a lecture on the country's charter and human rights situation to their compatriots in Samut Prakan.
Investor doubts grow as China loses its lustre
News, Mike Dolan, Published on 14/09/2023
» Whether China has become "uninvestable" or not, avoidance of the world's second-largest economy suggests the economic and political risks there have simply become too hard to assess.
Cambodia and the rise of a small power
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/04/2023
» For Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, timing is everything. Therefore, it was not surprising that the world's longest-serving leader signalled recently that he would step down from politics. Unbelievable, right? He used to say he would remain in power until he was 90. If it had not come directly from him, nobody would have believed a word. His carefully calibrated decision comes at a critical time due to current domestic and external conditions and their likely long-term repercussions.
Cambodia and Laos in the regional mix
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 30/09/2022
» As geopolitical tensions from Russian aggression in Ukraine and the ongoing United States-China rivalry intensify, Southeast Asia will be hard-pressed to maintain peace and security. Despite their relatively small size, Cambodia and Laos are two countries whose political trajectories will shape regional outcomes. While Cambodia has consolidated domestic political power with dynamic economic expansion, Laos is looking like a regional laggard facing a deep debt crisis. As Cambodia moves forward, Laos is at risk of being left behind.
Cambodia's progress has been stalled
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 31/03/2022
» The situation in Cambodia can perhaps be described as straddling a testament and a predicament. The testament is the 30th anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreements (October 1991) which brought peace to the country after a long period of warfare and the "recent tragic past". It established a pivotal framework for human rights, democracy and sustainable development in the country.
Cambodia must strike a new path
Oped, Kasit Piromya, Published on 03/11/2021
» The Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia was signed 30 years ago. The deal was a major international achievement to end more than a decade of war in the country. It stipulated that the country must hold free, fair and competitive elections. The United Nations organised the first elections in the country in 1993. But the world decided too quickly that the job was done and forgot about Cambodia. The mandate of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) ended after the elections.
Hun Sen's big gamble
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/08/2020
» The arrest of prominent Cambodian unionist and long-time government critic Rong Chhun at the end of last month at his home in Phnom Penh sends a clear message to the world that Prime Minister Hun Sen and members of the ruling-Cambodia People's Party (CPP) will never tolerate opposition voices in the country.
Hun Sen creates new refugee group
News, Evan Jones, Published on 04/03/2020
» For 35 years, Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia with a swath of scandals, his heavy-handed approach for political opponents, brutality and oppression. Drawn straight from the dictator's handbook used by despots the world over, the strongman has abused his power to obliterate any opposition and dissent. His family's wealth is astounding: it is estimated between US$500 million and US$1 billion (16-32 billion baht) -- a far cry from his prime ministerial salary of US$1,100 per month.