Cambodia 20250609
Mekong Memo Cambodia Weekly: Business, politics, finance, trade & legal news.
News from Southeast Asia directly to your inbox every weekday.
The Mekong Memo is proudly presented by:
Horton International is your premier partner for executive search in Southeast Asia. Whether you're a small startup or a global corporation, our reliable and effective recruiting solutions are tailored to meet your unique needs. With extensive experience and offices across the region, we excel at overcoming recruitment challenges and securing top talent for your organization.
Click here to learn how Horton can make your life easier.
The Memo is published weekdays - Cambodia (every Monday), Myanmar (Tuesday), Laos (Wednesday), Vietnam (Thursday) and Thailand (Friday). The Thailand edition is free in its entirety; the others usually abbreviated for non-paid subscribers.
Please go to https://www.mekongmemo.com/account to select country editions you would like to receive without affecting your overall subscription status.
Headlines:
Border Fight Heads to Court
Trade Booming
Cybercrime Gets Hammered
Social Safety Net Gets a Leg-Up
Green Efforts Hit a Rough Patch
Farming Gets a $35M Shot in the Arm
Infrastructure: Airports, Airplanes and Hospitals
Global Connections Improving
Health Front: Wins and Worries
Big Push for the Future of Schools
Opposition Feeling the Heat
Economy Hums Along with Cars, Condos & Tourists
PM Lays Out Gov't Wins, Headaches
Human Rights & Labor: Still A Slog
Border Fight Heads to Court
Parliament has decided to unanimously back the government's decision to refer territorial disputes with Thailand to the International Court of Justice, after a May 28 kerfuffle that left a Cambodian soldier dead. The dispute is centered on four contested areas including Mom Bei and the temples of Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch, and Ta Krabei. Thailand, on the other hand, is opposed to ICJ involvement and has placed border crossing restrictions in place, saying that it want to rely on bilateral resolution mechanisms. Both nations are repositioning troops in the area in an attempt to reduce tensions along their shared 817-kilometer border.
Read more: Cambodia Daily (Parliament Support), Khmer Times (Border Restrictions), Bangkok Post (Troop Withdrawal), Khmer Times (Parliamentary Unity), Cambodia Daily (Diplomatic Note), Pattaya Mail (Defense Position)
Trade Booming
Cambodian trade with RCEP rose 15.4% to $12.92 billion in the first quarter months of 2025, with exports rising 7% and imports climbing 18.9%. The country has come to an understanding with the United States on the terms of a Reciprocal Trade Agreement after a second round of negotiations - a third round is scheduled to be held in Washington. Bilateral merchandise trade with Canada hit $2.4 billion in 2024. The government wants to set Cambodia up as a gateway to ASEAN, using preferential export access and other perceived local advantages to bring more international investment.
Read more: Khmer Times (RCEP Growth), Vietnam Plus (US Agreement), CamboJa News (Canadian Investment)
Cybercrime Gets Hammered
Cambodia's anti-cybercrime team has disrupted almost 50 online scam operations and arrested 5,000 people of 27 nationalities. The majority of arrests were of Chinese nationals in a crackdown led by the Ministry of Interior's Commission for the Suppression of Online Scams. The government has (vigorously) rejected a Harvard University report that links senior officials to transnational criminal networks, saying the report is politically motivated. Interior Ministry officials say they are continuing to work hard on combating scams and trafficking with working with international partners to deport detained foreign nationals and beef up local cybersecurity measures.
Read more: Khmer Times (Arrest Details), CamboJa News (Harvard Report Response), Asia Nikkei (Government Rebuttal)
Social Safety Net Gets a Leg-Up
Deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth released the National Social Protection Policy Framework 2024-2035, providing life-cycle coverage for citizens that including protections for maternity, general health, and occupational hazards. Prime Minister Hun Manet said that social health protection coverage has risen by 3 million people since August 2023, and now benefits almost 8 million people. The National Social Assistance Programme reportedly serves 1.2 million families with an annual budget of $257 million, and the Social Security System covers 3.1 million citizens with $425 million allocated for healthcare and pensions. Senate President Hun Sen has requested an investigation into improper IDPoor card distribution after discovering wealthy individuals were able to get benefits that were supposed to be diivered to the poor.
Read more: Khmer Times (Policy Framework), Khmer Times (Coverage Expansion), Khmer Times (Distribution Issues)
Green Efforts Hit a Rough Patch
Environmental journalist Uk Mao has been arrested and charged with more than 14 offenses as a result of his coverage of illegal logging in Prey Lang wildlife sanctuary. Authorities refuse to recognize him as a journalist. Local protected forests have been reduced by 7 million acres since 2000, a 33% loss. Indigenous Kuy communities are also facing legal threats for documenting allegedly illegal activities. The government has introduced a new platform they’re calling “WildLeaks,” an anonymous way to report crime, as King Sihamoni requested unity for environmental protection during Environment Day celebrations.
Read more: Global Voices (Journalist Arrest), Yale E360 (Forest Defenders), Phnom Penh Post (Reporting Tool)
Farming Gets a $35M Shot in the Arm
The Prime Minister announced $35 million in funding between now and 2027 to support agricultural communities with low-interest loans. The program supports 2,601 communities and 11,421 hectares with almost $20 million in annual production value of crops including rice, cashew nuts, vegetables, pepper, rubber, and durian. Senate President Hun Sen wants better irrigation infrastructure to improve productivity and support multiple annual harvests. Officials want stricter quality control on agricultural imports, particularly fertilizers and seeds, to protect farmers from poor-quality inputs.
Read more: Asian News Network (Funding Announcement), Khmer Times (Irrigation Push), Phnom Penh Post (Export Earnings)
Infrastructure: Airports, Airplanes and Hospitals
Techo International Airport is still expected to open September 9, 2025, with a starting capacity of 13 million passengers a year, expanding to 45 million by about 2050. Emirates has introduced new direct flights to Siem Reap with the Boeing 777-300ER, an addition to existing services. The government is setting aside $12 million a year for healthcare infrastructure improvements, in addition to $18 million for surgery upgrades to hit the goal of universal health coverage.
Read more: Travel and Tour World (Airport Opening), Khmer Times (Healthcare Expansion), Cambodia Investment Review (Emirates Launch)
Global Connections Improving
The EU and Germany have inaugurated the Cambodia Business Partnership Facility, providing co-funding of up to $50,000 per project for agro-processing and food innovation. South Korea's KOICA has provided specialized intellectual property training for 15 government officers and has provided $7.8 million for mine clearance work. JETRO said that it is going to continue to support Japanese investment through specialized Special Economic Zones, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia released information of new models of SEZ development.
Read more: Phnom Penh Post (EU Partnership), Phnom Penh Post (KOICA Training), Construction Property (Japanese Investment)
Health Front: Wins and Worries
In some less happy news, the National AIDS Authority says that youngsters aged 15-24 now account for almost half of all new HIV infections. There are 76,000 HIV-positive people nationwide and as many as 12,000 don’t know it. Cambodia has formalized a tie-up with the Clinton Health Access Initiative to fight malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and problems delivering reproductive health services. The Institut Pasteur du Cambodge has given post-exposure rabies treatment to 58,000 people. The Ministry of Water Resources set up a National Centre for Water Resources Data Management to improve weather forecasting and disaster risk assessment capacity.
Read more: Khmer Times (HIV Concerns), Khmer Times (CHAI Partnership), Khmer Times (Pasteur Institute)
Big Push for the Future of Schools
The PM wants to expand Technical and Vocational Education and Training enrollments to 1.5 million people, especially those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Education Ministry is introducing a few new reforms including standardized teacher accreditation, two-year teaching contracts, and new specialized academic tracks for upper-secondary education. Germany is stepping up to back workforce development with programs that will deliver industry-specific curricula and technical skills. The Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association wants government support for an ILO convention protecting platform economy workers. Roughly 100,000 platform workers currently get inadequate compensation and suffer limited access to social security.
Read more: Khmer Times (TVET Expansion), Khmer Times (Education Reforms), Khmer Times (Platform Workers)
Opposition Feeling the Heat
Two opposition party officials were arrested on June 3 for the crimes of incitement and the forging of public documents. This brings the number of recent opposition arrests to five. Candlelight Party senior official Doeun Chhan allegedly forged a colleague's resignation document, which carries a possible 5-7 year prison sentence. Human rights groups say these arrests are just political harassment and a continuation of a pattern of legal intimidation against opposition members. The arrests come as a remembrance of three CNRP activists' five-year imprisonment. Authorities say the arrests are a result of genuine legal complaints rather than political motivations.
Read more: CamboJa News (Recent Arrests), UCA News (Charges Details), Khmer Times (Document Forgery)
Economy Hums Along with Cars, Condos & Tourists
The new vehicle market benefited from 48% year-on-year growth in Q1. 19,000 units were sold compared to 12,830 in Q1 2024. The condominium market has four fifths of international buyers dominating purchases. American buyers are the leaders there at more than 1 in 10 properties going their way. TotalEnergies has partnered with Wing Bank to provide loans up to $3 million for fuel distributors to expand from 100 to 140 service stations. Chinese tourist arrivals to Angkor rose by almost a third in January-May, contributing to $24.5 million in ticket revenue from 527,577 international visitors from 171 countries.
Read more: Khmer Times (Auto Sales), Khmer Times (Real Estate), Cambodia Investment Review (Energy Partnership)
PM Lays Out Gov't Wins, Headaches
Prime Minister Hun Manet has reported on the nation's progress during a joint congress, celebrating his administration's ability to succeed despite the COVID-19 aftermath, economic pressures, and geopolitical tensions. He spoke of specific security challenges including an August 2024 protest threat and the current border tensions ongoing with Thailand. The administration wants to continue shoring-up institutional capacity, improving public administration, and national self-reliance while reducing reliance on imports. Manet was keen to talk to of his administration’s handling of global uncertainties while preserving stability and at home. He indicated that current challenges were simply opportunities to demonstrate new leadership abilities.
Read more: Khmer Times (Performance Review), Vietnam Plus (Parliamentary Session), Khmer Times (Economic Balance)
Human Rights & Labor: Still A Slog
ActionAid Cambodia released a charter that demands labor protections for female entertainment workers. They say that pressing issues include a lack of basic benefits, discriminatory pregnancy testing, insufficient protection against violence, and inadequate social security coverage. Phnom Penh railside residents have submitted a request for land titles to protect themselves against eviction, saying that the 2001 Land Law allowed occupation claims after five years. The Srepok Dam project is expected to displace 4,270 families in two provinces, offering only $200 in compensation despite environmental concerns that could seriously affect wildlife sanctuaries. An investigation into Nike's labor practices at Y&W Garment factory has shown wage disparities - most workers earn close to minimum wage despite corporate claims that they get paid much more.
Read more: CamboJa News (Entertainment Workers), CamboJa News (Land Rights), CamboJa News (Dam Displacement)
That’s all for this week! Please don’t forget to share this with someone who would find it useful. Also, your voice matters to us. Feel we're missing something? Have additional sources to suggest? Don't hold back— hit reply and tell us what you think.
If you value the Mekong Memo, please consider buying (or gifting!) a paid subscription, sharing it on social media or forwarding this email to someone who might enjoy it. You can also “like” this newsletter by clicking the ❤️ below (or sometimes above, depending on the platform), which helps us get visibility on Substack.