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King invites parliamentarians to swearing in on October 4 - 7:00 p.m. Phnom Penh time, September 27, 2003

Boycotting the assembly - September 27, 2003
A Sam Rainsy Party press advisory: PRESS ADVISORY: The 24 newly elected members of the National Assembly from the Sam Rainsy Party will meet at the SRP Headquarters from 8:00 am to 11:00 am on Saturday, 27 September 2003, and they will be available for press interviews there.

Khmer Intelligence reports (September 26, 2003): No National Assembly members from Funcinpec and SRP will attend tomorrow's official meeting... The 50 parliamentarians from the two Alliance parties will instead meet and spend the whole morning at Prince Norodom Ranariddh's residence (for Funcinpec MPs) or at the Sam Rainsy Party headquarters (for SRP MPs). Only the 73 newly elected parliamentarians from the CPP are expected to attend tomorrow's official meeting at the National Assembly.

Judgment day for Cambodia - September 26, 2003
Tomorrow is the day the Cambodian Assembly opens. However, for weeks, political parties have been deadlocked. Hun Sen's CPP party did win a majority, but not enough to form a government alone. The Sam Rainsy and Funcinpec parties formed a block which refuses to form a government with the CPP. They also demand that Hun Sen not head the new government. Observers have been expecting action from Hun Sen, who is known for decisive strong-arm tactics, and last week there were rumors of a coup that never materialized. Cambodia opposition groups have been wondering what will happen tomorrow and who might make the decisive move in the power struggle.

Khmer Intelligence reports (September 25, 2003): 1,000 policemen to intimidate MPs -
The Interior Ministry has just sent a letter to National Assembly Secretary-General Kol Pheng informing him that 500 policemen will be deployed in the National Assembly compound on 27 September in order to "ensure security" for the newly elected parliamentarians who will be holding on that day the inaugural session of the Assembly's third legislature. The letter specifies that 500 additional policemen will be stationed outside the Assembly compound, in a way so as to surround the Assembly building in order to "protect Members of Parliament from external danger".

A common theme is that Vietnam is somehow still ruling Cambodia through its association with the CPP. Here's an interesting example of this from Khemara Jati, a pro Rainsy organization in Montreal, Quebec (September 24, 2003): After deceitful elections of July 27, 2003, the Cambodian People, in her multiforms and convergent struggles, are in a strong position and in full offensive. The enemy is in dead loss and forcing to drive into a corner. But never we forget that " Youn minn choal pout " (vietnamese always rule with tricks). Always watch out and keep warning and be ready to parry against all the enemy guiles.

Contrarian viewpoints are rare (with nearly universal sneers for Hun Sen). However, here's one from from The Irrawaddy (a northern Thailand-based, anti-Myanmar junta paper). It calls the current situation a conspiracy by the U.S. (and Republicans specifically) to unseat the justly elected Hun Sen and in favor of Sam Rainsy. It ends up saying this "clean election" was more fair than the last U.S. presidential election. The Irrawaddy does have several foreign contributors who tend to be quite anti-American.

Sam Rainsy's response - September 5, 2003
One of the criticisms of Sam Rainsy is that he is an "anti-Vietnamese racist." This came up recently in Machiavelli on the Mekong (Japan Times, August 27, 2003). Sam Rainsy responded in a September 5, 2005 letter to the Editor of The Japan Times:

...Mr. Glyn Ford, a member of the European Parliament who had just spent a few days in Cambodia as an election observer, summarily described the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) as "rightwing" and "xenophobic", after alleging that it was pervaded by a "vicious anti-Vietnamese racism".
I would like to put things right by making the following comments.

1- In Cambodia, the Western political concept of "right" and "left" is not easily applicable. The ruling former communist Cambodian People's Party (CPP) is the most conservative force in that it strives to preserve the present status quo characterized by a heavy legacy from the 1980s when Cambodia was a satellite of communist Vietnam. On the other side of the political spectrum, the opposition SRP, which is affiliated with Liberal International, upholds universal human rights and democratic values and pushes for reforms and social justice. From this point of view, it is perceived by many as "progressive". At the same time, it attaches the highest importance to the defense of Cambodia's national independence and territorial integrity, since Cambodia is currently in a situation comparable to Poland in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, squeezed between two powerful neighbors in the east and in the west. From this point of view, the SRP is perceived by many at best as "patriotic" and at worst as "nationalist". Among the SRP's main constituencies in urban areas are factory workers, who remember that I helped create the country's first free trade union in 1996, and my party has been actively supporting workers' strikes and demonstrations for better living conditions. In the countryside, the SRP has many supporters among the landless farmers because it has been actively denouncing land grab and pushing for a vast land reform, knowing that CPP apparatchiks and their business cronies control most of the country's extensive unexploited land. This should give a better idea of what the SRP actually stands for.

2- The SRP, which I founded in 1995, is neither xenophobic nor racist, and there is no ground and no evidence whatsoever to make such a stupid allegation. I have been educated and spent half of my life in Europe. I loathe nothing more than Hitler's ideology. I am not anti-Vietnamese either, even though I did oppose the Vietnamese occupation army and the Vietnamese-installed government led by Hun Sen in the 1980s, and continue to denounce any infringement on Cambodia's independence and territorial integrity. My position is not different from King Norodom Sihanouk's and that of other Cambodian patriots and democrats. I have always advocated a peaceful solution to all problems with neighboring countries, as evidenced by my visit to Vietnam in 2001, when I was received by the highest-ranking Vietnamese government officials. In my talks in Hanoi, I shared my vision of Indochinese countries coming together on the model of the European Union, where former enemies become friends and partners working together for common prosperity on the basis of mutual respect. This should clarify the SRP's position with regard to Vietnam and the Vietnamese people.

Prediction of a Cambodian coup - September 19, 2003
The shadowy Khmer Intelligence reports the following: A coup d'état may be under way (3) Because of the King's decision not to open himself the National Assembly's third term and to designate CPP President Chea Sim to represent him instead (see the King's message to the nation issued today in which he stated he would not be bullied by certain elements of the ruling party), a CPP faction led by Hun Sen may stage a coup d'état in the next few days in order to force the leaders of Funcinpec and SRP to attend the ceremony scheduled for 27 September, so that the King would have no more reasons to refuse to preside over the ceremony.

Last chance for Cambodia? - August 27, 2003
While many are pinning their hopes on a future alliance between Funcipec and the Sam Rainsy Party, Dow Jones International News is touting Cambodia's admission to the WTO as the last change for a "twilight economy.'

Part of a statement from the new 'Alliance of Democrats'
JOINT PUBLIC STATEMENT - 27 August, 2003
The Alliance of Democrats reiterates offer for negotiation and will not resort to street demonstration
The Alliance of Democrats reaffirms its rejection of the 27 July election results as proclaimed by the ruling CPP and confirmed by the National Election Committee, after the Constitutional Council summarily dismissed complaints lodged by Funcipec and Sam Rainsy Party. As expected, the public hearings conducted by the Constitutional Council in the last three days can at best be described as a farce. The Constitutional Council has simply failed its duty to deliver justice the Cambodian people long for...

Cambodian opposition parties agree to merge

Khmer Intelligence (KI), August 22, 2003
Official launching of the Alliance of Democrats (1) Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh and SRP President Sam Rainsy today signed the "Internal Rules and Organizational Structure" of the Alliance
of Democrats, which is a grouping of the two parties intended to challenge the ruling former communist CPP. One of the aims and objectives of the Alliance is to "merge the two political parties into one single party at an opportune moment." At today's meeting, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Sam Rainsy and Prince Norodom Sirivudh were elected as the Alliance's President, First Vice-President and Second Vice-President respectively, while Senator Ou Bun Long (SRP) will serve as Secretary General. A "Launching Ceremony" for the Alliance will be organized before the press on 23 August 2003.

from Kyodo News Service, August 22, 2003
The leaders of Cambodia's two main opposition parties -- FUNCINPEC and the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) -- agreed Friday to merge their parties to challenge the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP)... Both the royalist FUNCINPEC and the SRP were defeated by the CPP at the July 27 election. The two parties, however, denounced the election results and vowed not to form any coalition government with the CPP as long as CPP leader Hun Sen remains prime minister... The two parties have already set up the so-called Alliance of Democrats with Prince Ranariddh as president, Sam Rainsy as first vice president, and Prince Norodom Sirivudh, a half-brother of King Norodom Sihanouk, as second vice president.

Sam Rainsy denied entry to Thailand - The Nation, August 14, 2003
"The prime minister is worried that the press conference planned by Sam Rainsy would hurt bilateral ties," the source said. Sam Rainsy has travelled throughout Asia and Europe to drum up international support for his campaign against Hun Sen, his long-time political rival, and the results of the July 27 election. He was scheduled to arrive in Bangkok today and meet the media at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.

The Royal Alter Ego Wields a Poison Pen in Cambodia - New York Times, June 29, 2003
He added: "Who is Ruom Ritt? How does he know how to write such smart letters, as if he lived here and knew everything that goes on?"
Mr. Hun Sen knows the answer perfectly well. The king and his childhood friend have identical writing styles, alive with exclamation points and oddly placed quotation marks. They share an anger and despair over the greed and violence and political bullying that have beggared their nation.

Low-tech Cambodian police foil boiler room scammers - Reuters, July 18, 2003
News from our neighbors: ...But when lots of unknown Westerners were spotted coming and going at strange times of day and night from a hitherto unused office building, police started to suspect something was afoot. They found the group were operating under the name of "Cambodian Rehabilitation and Development Program," an aid organization nobody had ever heard of. Then, a military police raid unearthed stacks of computers and hi-tech hardware, including a $100,000 broadband Internet server commonplace in Europe or America but unheard of in a sleepy backwater like Cambodia. "You cannot buy this sort of computer here," said Chem Sangva, deputy director of inspection at the telecoms ministry. Closer investigations revealed the gang had set up an illegal international telephone gateway through which they were calling people in Hong Kong and Britain virtually for free to try to lure them into bogus savings schemes, he added.

Wife of Pol Pot Dies in Cambodia Aged 83 - AP, July 1, 2003

Will improved access despoil Angkor's monuments? - Time Asia, May 19, 2003

Kampuchea Krom - June 17, 2003
Another angry website by those who wants Cambodia to reacquire the entire southern part of Vietnam: ...Khmer must not only ask Vietnamese to give back Khmer land Cochinchin (Actual south Vietnam) but must also require to UN to create a special Tribunal Penal International to judge those criminals Vietnamese for their atrocious Genocide against Khmer Krom people as ethnic cleaning crime, Crime of war, crime against humanity.

Thai firm to build museum with McDonald's in Siem Reap - June 2, 2003
The Vilailuck family, which founded telecom conglomerate Samart Corp, will develop a museum complex and shopping plaza in Siam Reap – its fourth business in Cambodia... Besides the museum – expected to be completed in two years – the company will open souvenir stands and a shopping plaza on the grounds, a source close to the family said. “The family also plans to invite McDonald’s to open its first fast-food restaurant in the country on the site,” the source said... (Note: As always, if links to recent Bangkok Post or Nation articles do not work, check back in a day and we will have fixed them. Both these papers use a system that changes the url after the first day.)

Om Radsady website - April 28, 2003
Tribute website for Om Radsady, a prominent Cambodian politician and an adviser to Prince Norodom Ranariddh who was assassinated in Phnom Penh on February 18.

Cambodia's economy is expected to expand 5% in 2003 and 5.5% in 2004 - ADB, April 29, 2003

Where a Lake Is Life Itself, Dam Is a Dire Word - New York Times, April 29, 2003
The Tonle Sap: At its largest during the midyear monsoon, the lake is 30 feet deep and covers more than 4,500 square miles. When it begins to drain in the fall, it shrinks to less than 1,100 square miles and the water that remains is just waist-high.

Cambodian Ire Hurts Thai Interests - New York Times, April 19, 2003
..."Everyone knows Thai people look down on Khmers," said Khem Ratanak, a 15-year-old high school student in Phnom Penh, adding that he will no longer buy Thai toothpaste or combs. "So why should I buy anything from Thailand?" Young people on the streets sneer at the mention of Thailand. Cambodian tourist guides now like to punctuate their encyclopedic verse with thinly veiled attacks on Thai culture and morality. Join any historical tour in Cambodia and you are likely to hear anti-Thai sentiments. "Underneath this temple, there was once a lot of gold, but now it is gone," said Kong Chanthorn, an Angkor Wat tourist guide in Siem Reap, pointing to the base of the temple during a tour last week. "Now the gold is gone. Where did it go? Nobody knows. It's probably in Thailand."

Cambodian road to Phra Viharn - April 17, 2003
A post we just came across in the Bkkriders group: Say, did you know that there is now a road to ride up all the way to the top of Khao Phra Viharn from the Cambodian side! I didn't know that. Not that I read newspapers everyday, but I have a feeling that this news may be suppressed in Thailand? Certainly, it should be embarrassing for Thai people--in particular, for officials--that now they must hand over the honor of being the only gateway to this splendid ancient ruin, especially as they have one-sidedly closed this gateway back in 2001. I have mixed feelings about this news. On my first (and only) visit there in 1999, I enjoyed solitude and serenity among the splendor of the landscape. Those days are over now, I guess. I have gathered some information on Khao Phra Viharn and put them on my homepage. -Shinji

Border casinos open again - April 17, 2003

Restoration Politics - March 30, 2003
...it came as a surprise when an Indian archaeologist heading a recent mission to Ta Prohm warned that chain saws might be required to "save" the monument.... Between 1986 and 1993 an Indian government team drew widespread criticism for damage it inflicted to parts of Angkor Wat: in an attempt to clean the temple of lichen and prevent water erosion, many exquisite details were erased forever. Concrete was used to fill cracks.

Defections to the Sam Rainsy Party - March 25, 2003
Here's a press release from the SRP about former Funcinpec party members switching parties:
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
WELCOMING PATRIOTS AND DEMOCRATS DECISION TO JOIN FORCE WITH THE SAM RAINSY PARTY
On behalf of all members of the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), I would like to congratulate patriots and democrats for their decision to join the SRP; I would like to welcome the following dignitaries who announced their stance this morning.
1. HE Keo Remy, MP
2. HE Ismail Yusof, MP
3. HE Sao Ngin, MP
4. HE Neou Phirith, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour
5. HE Chhun Sareth, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture
6. Mr Nhek Vannara, Assistant to Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh, President of Funcinpec
7. Mr Kem Sokhon, Adviser to HE Nhiek Bun Chhay, Second Vice President of the Senate, and Deputy Secretary General of Funcinpec
I would like to express my deepest gratitude, and sincere appreciation to these dignitaries and other fellow citizens who have decided to take part in upholding democracy in Cambodia, and to develop our country towards modernity and genuine progress with social justice.
Such decision is being made everyday by an increasing number of dignitaries of all political persuasions and the Khmer people. It indicates that a new historic movement has been at work unifying all patriotic and democratic forces to take up a momentous role in the very near future to salvage the nation, to develop the country, and defend Cambodia's territorial integrity. The thrust of these patriotic and democratic forces clearly shows the SRP represents the real hope of the Khmer people, and the future of Cambodia.
I appeal to all my fellow compatriots to unite as one big family to bring about a change for a progressive and prosperous Cambodia like other developed nations in the world.
Phnom Penh, 25 March, 2003
Sam Rainsy, MP
President of the Sam Rainsy Party

A Stooped Icon of Angkor, Forever Sweeping - New York Times, March 22, 2003

Outcry over casino trucks - The Nation, March 13, 2003
The border with Cambodia is closed--except for trucks carrying materials to build Thai casinos. The transportation of construction materials was temporarily halted for two hours due to concern among Cambodian authorities over the presence of foreign journalists. Cambodian villagers living near the border expressed discontent over the permit granted to the convoy. Many in the border town have been facing a severe food shortage since the closure of the border...
More on Thai casinos in Cambodia. More Thai news.

The saga of Route 48 - The Nation, March 11, 2003

First election predictions - khmerintelligence.org, February 26, 2003

The Term "Yuon" and Its Political Manipulation - by Bora Touch, February 23, 2003
All about a controversial Khmer word...

Story of National Highway 4 - Asia Times, February 22, 2003

Coup Rumors - February 22, 2003
BTW: There's talk of a coup this weekend in Phnom Pehn. It may be nothing, but we thought you would like to know...

Royal Angkor Foundation - February 22, 2003
News of an interesting link: The Angkor Foundation was established in 1992. With the permission of the King of Cambodia, His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk, the name was changed to the Royal Angkor Foundation (RAF) in 1994. His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk and �rp�d G�ncz, President of the Republic of Hungary signed the document.
In its first three years, the RAF has established four major projects. Two were part of the 1992-93 UNESCO Zoning and Environmental Management Plan for Angkor (ZEMP): the first Geographical Information System (GIS) for Angkor, and a hydrological survey of Angkor. The third is the 1993-96 Pr�ah K� Project.
The fourth is the Angkor Radar Project, begun in 1995, to develop archaeological and environmental applications for the NASA SIR-C/X-SAR radar in the Angkor region.
The RAF also serves on the International Coordinating Committee (ICC), responsible for vetting and coordinating all international projects relating to Angkor. The RAF is the only non-governmental European foundation to sit on this board.
A particular concern of the Royal Angkor Foundation is the furthering of international intellectual cooperation through open exchange of data. In keeping with this philosophy, these four very different projects have a common organizational basis. All have brought together participants of many different countries, encouraged comprehensive data collection, recording, and reporting.
Further, there has been active emphasis on integrity of data dissemination both within the international community and, most fundamentally, in its provision to counterparts in Cambodia. - Dr. Elizabeth H. Moor - SOAS, University of London

Cambodian King Delays China Trip as Crisis Deepens - February 20, 2003, Reuters
Cambodia's aging and revered King Norodom Sihanouk said Thursday he was delaying a medical trip to Beijing because of a deepening political crisis sparked by the murder of a top royalist politician...
Sihanouk steps in as adviser's killing heightens tension - February 20, 2003, The Straights Times
...Princess Vacheara felt that Mr Hun Sen himself should be accountable to the Parliament and answer questions over the government's failure to stop the rampage. Mr Hun Sen complained in a Cabinet meeting that 'this lady has disturbed me on many occasions' and on Monday his lawyers filed a defamation and libel suit against the princess. Dr Kao Kim Hourn sees 'many clouds of uncertainties over Cambodia. If there is no serious police investigation, suspicion and lack of confidence in the government will only get worse'.

Sam Rainsy takes refuge in the U.S. Embassy? - February 8, 2003
ONG Thong Hoeung, Representative of the Sam Rainsy Party: We have just learned from a reliable source this morning, at 7.40, that Mr Sam Rainsy, MP, the Opposition leader, to escape his imminent arrest, took refuge today in the premises of the US embassy in Phnom Penh.

The Dangerous Game - January-February, 2003
Rioting in Phnom Penh shatters Cambodian-Thai relations. The original article that started the controversy and some statements from Cambodian political parties are being featured on 2bangkok.com.

Visiting the Khmer Rouge's last stronghold - New York Times, January 27, 2003

Beyond wars and words - In Cambodia, the grandest temple of all returns from the ruins - Chicago Tribune, January 18, 2003
The Trib has a good overview of Angkor and an excellent FAQ. And they mention this site.

Escalator frenzy sweeps Cambodia - Reuters, January 8, 2003
Due to decades of conflict and the Khmer Rouge genocide of the 1970s, Cambodians have missed out on the shopping complexes common across most cities in southeast Asia. But the Shopping Centre Sorya, a glitzy five-storey edifice opened in Phnom Penh last month, is changing that. Its escalators, with their trained instructors, have become an overnight sensation. UPDATE: here's a photo!

Putting the Baphuon back together - New York Times, January 1, 2003
In case you don't know about this, here's a short article deatiling the interesting history of the restoration of the Baphuon.

Female Divinities (Asparas and Devatas) of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm
A series of excellent closeup photos by Willard Van De Bogart.

No Cambodians allowed - Bangkok Post, December 31, 2002
What's going on at the Chong Chom checkpoint in Kap Choeng district: When a request to open the checkpoint was submitted to the government, the reason given as ``cross-border trading''. But the reality is quite different, with gamblers instead of traders using the checkpoint. The nearest town on the Cambodian side of the border--Samrong--is miles away on a bumpy road....Cambodian citizens are banned from entering the casino, except those employed as waitresses and cleaners. It is a pretty good article detailing how much things cost and what goes on around the checkpoint. Does anyone have photos of the casinos? More on the Thai casinos in Cambodia.