Cambodia 20250818
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Headlines:
Commanders Set Up Border Hotlines
Border Claims Face On‑Site Checks
Aid Groups Warn of Trauma
Provinces Introduce Daily Job Forums
Demining Continues to Open Land to Development
Train Trainers to Lift Cashew, Pepper
Land Ministry Gets Services Online
ACU Suspends Deputy Chief
Push to Cut Road Deaths 5%
Chinese Weigh Timber, Textile Deals
Trade With Vietnam Nears $7B
Central Bank Exhibits 1972–75 Economy
Commanders Set Up Border Hotlines
Military regional leaders from both Cambodia and Thailand met in the Thai border province of Trat to set up a coordinating group for communication and to start the process of border demarcation and demining in non‑disputed areas. Cambodia’s defense spokesperson said Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey remain calm, with forces standing by and keeping to the terms agreed to at the August 7 General Border Committee meeting. The spokesperson said that patience is best way forward to keep the peace and prevent incidents, saying that political objectives will be met by field discipline.
Read more: China Daily HK (Ceasefire vow), Khmer Times (Calm status), Khmer Times (Patience)
Border Claims Face On‑Site Checks
Cambodian monks and local officials reported that jets and artillery destroyed the Tamone Senchey Temple and hit civilian areas in late July. The Royal Thai Army rejected these reports and said their strikes were limited to lawful military targets. Residents in Banteay Meanchey asked the Interim Observation Team for help after reporting Thai barricades around homes on August 13. ASEAN observers visited Chok Chey Village and completed a two‑day inspection of the border area.
Read more: Khmer Times (Temple damage), Pattaya Mail (Thai denial), The Cambodia Daily (Villager appeal), Khmer Times (Site visit)
Aid Groups Warn of Trauma
World Vision Cambodia said there is a need for mental health support after an assessment in 43 evacuee centers found nearly two‑thirds of displaced families in severe distress. Sixty‑six percent reported emotional shock from evacuation, loss, or violence, and only 35 percent knew where to get help. The conflict has displaced more than 172,000 people, creating a large need for psychosocial services. TPO warned of PTSD, depression, and substance abuse risks if needs aren’t addressed.
Read more: Khmer Times
Provinces Introduce Daily Job Forums
The Labour Ministry has told employers to treat returning workers well and to provide clear job information. They’re trying to set the tone for a reintegration effort after more than 900,000 Cambodian workers made their return from Thailand. Starting August 20, daily job forums are planned in all 24 provinces. Officials want to make recruitment simple and efficient as they try to raise morale and keep complaints at bay. They also hope to collect data on openings by location and industry. Local authorities and factory managers are being made responsible for matching returnees with jobs as communities try to absorb the inflow of labor, and households scramble to try and replace lost income that was previously remitted from Thailand.
Read more: Khmer Times
Demining Continues to Open Land to Development
CMAC (Cambodian Mine Action Centre) reported that more than 160 square kilometers have been cleared and more than 95,700 mines and UXO destroyed from 2018 to July 2025 under a China‑aided program. A new 2026–28 project under the “Landmine Impact Free Cambodia 2030” banner plans to clear another 135 square kilometers in six provinces, expanding land available for farming, housing, and infrastructure. The push builds on long‑running support and dovetails with border demining tied to ceasefire confidence‑building.
Read more: China Daily HK (Clearance progress), BERNAMA (Roundup)
Train Trainers to Lift Cashew, Pepper
MAFF and the EU ran a training‑of‑trainers session on the cashew and pepper production chain for more than 100 commune agriculture officers and farmers from Kampot, Tbong Khmum, and Kep. Officials focused on practical upgrades in technology, finance, and market access to lift yields and profitability for two of Cambodia’s most traded crops. The program builds capacity to deliver farm‑level change and aligns with MAFF’s priority product strategy. EU partners said the work extends a long agriculture collaboration and supports a pathway for sustainable production tied to better quality control, certification, and buyer requirements.
Read more: Khmer Times
Land Ministry Gets Services Online
The Land Management Ministry rolled out a digital system covering nearly 1,000 public services, and has started training government staff and citizens. Online workflows can cut the scourge of “informal payments” by reducing the need for face‑to‑face interactions, but there is still a need for more training of the citizenry, as their generally low levels of digital literacy still make safe use of the system a little more challenging. The ministry’s digital team said the change will improve processing times, transparency, and standardization. The system is another step in the more general state push to digitize public administration. As the systems continue rolling out, they should create a baseline for interoperable data and audits in land registration, construction permits, and urban planning.
Read more: Khmer Times
ACU Suspends Deputy Chief
Cambodia’s Anti‑Corruption Unit suspended deputy chief Sean Borath on August 11 as part of a fraud investigation tied to former tycoon Leng Channa. The ACU began an investigation on July 3 and named Borath a suspect in a case alleged to involve hundreds of millions of dollars with victims in Kampong Thom and Siem Reap. Policy advisers have asked the ACU to hand the case to the courts to signal an intent to abide by best practices. Leng Channa and associates were arrested in March 2024 on aggravated fraud and money laundering charges.
Read more: The Cambodia Daily
Push to Cut Road Deaths 5%
Interior Minister Sar Sokha has told authorities to figure out how to get an annual 5 percent drop in road deaths, via enforcement and campaigns for high‑risk groups like motorbikers. Local committees were told they need to set up safety parks by 2026 and further expand safety awareness projects. In H1 2025, reported accidents fell 31 percent year on year to 1,066, with 694 deaths and 1,476 injuries. A draft Road Traffic Law is under review for the Council of Ministers.
Read more: Khmer Times
Chinese Weigh Timber, Textile Deals
Chinese companies engaged the Council for the Development of Cambodia to look at projects in timber and textiles, adding to a pipeline of interest in export‑oriented manufacturing and resource processing. There’s been a steady flow of deal scouting by Chinese companies as supply chains get re‑shaped and buyers look for ways to keep costs under control in clothing and furniture inputs.
Read more: BERNAMA
Trade With Vietnam Nears $7B
After a recent video call with Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam that reviewed the trade and political status quo between the two countries, Hun Sen said he has plans to attend Vietnam’s National Day on September 2nd. Two‑way trade is about USD 7 billion so far this year, with Cambodia exporting roughly USD 3.8 billion and importing USD 3.2 billion. The two sides have a shared goal of finding USD 20 billion in annual trade.
Read more: Khmer Times
Central Bank Exhibits 1972–75 Economy
The National Bank of Cambodia is using archival material to host an exhibition on the country’s economic history from 1972 to 1975. They say they want to raise public awareness about a volatile period that has had a lasting impact on national monetary policy and financial governance. The exhibition reportedly adds context to today’s reforms by showing how earlier currency regimes, market activity, and institutional shifts came about. For students and researchers, it allows inspection of the collection in one place. For the wider public, it connects past economic choices with present‑day debates on inflation, banking stability, and growth.
Read more: BERNAMA
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