The area around a military base in southwestern Cambodia was very safe on Sunday. This was because a big explosion had happened there the day before, which killed 20 soldiers, hurt others, and caused damage to nearby homes.
Guards tried to keep reporters away from the place in Kompong Speu province.
Hun Manet wrote on Facebook on Saturday that he was very surprised when he heard about the explosion in Chbar Mon district. It wasn’t clear right away what caused it.
A person who lives in a nearby village told The Associated Press on Sunday that they shook with fear when they heard the blast because they had never heard such a loud explosion before.
Chim Sothea said, “I was repairing my house with some builders when the explosion happened. ” All of a sudden, there was a big boom and it made my house shake. It also broke some tiles on my roof. They tripped but thankfully they didn’t fall into the house.
Pictures from the area showed many buildings in bad shape, some with their roofs missing. Also, soldiers were getting help at a hospital. Other pictures showed houses nearby with holes in their roofs.
Four buildings were destroyed, three were for storing things and one was a place to work. Some military vehicles were also damaged. ColYoueng Sokhon, a soldier at the site, told the army chief Gen. in a short report. Mao Sophan shared something on the internet. He also said that 25 houses of the villagers were damaged. Pictures of the base showed the broken buildings in a big empty space, with no houses nearby.
Another person from the village, who didn’t want to share their name, said they heard a loud noise and saw smoke coming from the army base, so they knew there had been an explosion at the weapons store. Then he quickly ran home from the little store where he sells food and drinks to be safe inside with his wife and two kids.
He said the army quickly blocked the road to the base and the people in the village were scared and looking for a safe place. So, he took his family to his parent’s house, which was farther from the base. When he got back home, he saw that his house was okay, but the other people in the village had broken windows, doors, and roofs.
Cambodia, along with many other countries in the area, has been having really hot weather. The province where the explosion happened had a temperature of 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday. High temperatures can’t make ammunition explode, but they can make explosives less stable over time. This means there is a risk that a small explosion could start a fire and make other explosives explode too.
Kiripost, an online news service in English, reported that a villager named Pheng Kimneang said there was a big explosion around 2:30 p. m, and then more smaller explosions for about an hour.
In March 2005, there was a big explosion at a place where weapons were stored in the town of Battambang. The explosion went on for hours, and at least six people died. It scared the people who lived nearby.
A report in 2014 from the group Small Arms Survey in Switzerland said that storing and handling weapons and explosives badly is a big problem all over the world. It also said that between 2013 and 2019, there were over 500 accidents where weapons and explosives exploded unexpectedly.
“One accident at a weapons site can hurt or kill a lot of people and force many to leave their homes,” it said. “The infrastructure can be damaged over a large area, covering many square kilometers. ” Moreover, the economic impact can be very big, causing millions of dollars in losses and affecting people’s lives and the environment for a long time.
Hun Manet expressed sorrow for the soldiers’ families and said the government will pay for their funerals and give money to the families of those who were hurt or killed.
He graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point. Before becoming prime minister last year, he was in charge of the army. He took over as prime minister from his father, Hun Sen, who was the leader of Cambodia for 38 years.
WUS Ambassador is a person who represents the United States government in another country. Patrick Murphy, on the social media site X, said he was sorry for the families of the soldiers hurt in the explosion.
Tag: Cambodia
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20 soldiers killed by amunitions explosion at Cambodian army facility
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Foreign minister of China arrives in Cambodia
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Cambodia on Sunday for a three-day visit to strengthen the relationship between China and Cambodia, which are very close allies in Southeast Asia. He went to three countries for a visit – Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and now he’s in the last one.
He is visiting Cambodia and there are worries about two big Chinese projects there – a canal and a naval base. Some people think these projects could help China’s military plans in Southeast Asia.
China is Cambodia’s best friend and supporter, and it has a big impact on its economy. Many Chinese-funded projects, like airports and roads, as well as hotels, casinos and buildings, show the strong involvement of China in different areas. Cambodia owes more than 40% of its $10 billion debt to China.
Wang will have two meetings, one with Prime Minister Hun Manet and another with his father, Hun Sen. Hun Sen used to be the leader of Cambodia for 38 years before stepping down last year and his son took over. Hun Sen is now the president of the Senate. Wang got to meet with King Norodom Sihamoni.
Hun Manet is following his father’s pro-China foreign policy without changing it. In August 2023, Wang went to Cambodia not long after Hun Sen said he would stop being the prime minister and let his oldest son take over.
Beijing helps Cambodia to not care about what the Western countries are worried about, like their treatment of people and their political rights. In return, Cambodia usually agrees with Beijing about things like who owns the land in the South China Sea.
Cambodia wants to build a 180-kilometre long canal with the help of China. It will cost US$1. 7 billion and connect Phnom Penh to the Gulf of Thailand.
Neighboring Vietnam is worried about the plan. Some experts think that the 100-meter wide and 5. 4 meter deep canal could help China send military forces closer to Vietnam’s southern coast. Vietnam and China don’t get along because China says some of Vietnam’s land and ocean is theirs. In 1979, China also came into Vietnam for a short time.
The United States has also given its opinion on the project and asked the government of Cambodia to be open and honest about it. Wesley Holzer, a person who works for the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, said that people in Cambodia and nearby countries would be helped by knowing about any big projects that could affect water, farming, and safety in the area.
Hun Manet, speaking on Thursday to government officials and villagers in southern Takeo province, ignored the worries of Vietnam and promised to continue with the project. He believes the project will be very helpful for Cambodia.
China is building a navy base in Thailand that worries other countries, like the United States, because they think it will help China’s navy become stronger.
The Ream base became known in 2019 when The Wall Street Journal said a first version of a deal would let China use the base for 30 years. They could have military people there, keep weapons, and park warships.
Hun Sen said there was no agreement and that Cambodia’s constitution doesn’t allow foreign military bases. He also said that ships from any country are welcome to visit.
The base is located by the Gulf of Thailand, next to the South China Sea, where China has been very forceful about claiming almost all of the important waterway. The US doesn’t agree with China’s claim of owning a huge area of water, and often sends its military there to show that it’s open for everyone to use.
On December 7th, two Chinese navy ships were the first to park at a new pier at the base, while China’s top defense official visited Cambodia. -
Cambodian youths advised not to “lose dignity” on Valentine’s Day
The authorities in Cambodia are advising young people to be careful on Valentine’s Day and not to engage in premarital sex in order to avoid losing their self-respect.
The education ministry told schools to stop any inappropriate activities on Valentine’s Day.
It said that the event was “not part of our Khmer culture. ”
In Cambodia, people think it’s wrong for women to have sex before they get married.
Valentine’s Day has become popular with young people in Southeast Asia. Many shops and street stalls sell flowers, like roses in pink and red wrapping, and heart-shaped items around this time.
But some people who like traditional things and don’t like change see Halloween as a foreign holiday that may harm the Buddhist culture of the country.
The Chbab Srey is a set of rules for women and girls in Cambodia to follow. It tells them how to act and behave. The UN says that women should be “good” and important in their homes.
The women’s affairs office is asking couples to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a better way because some people don’t understand what it really means.
The culture department asked parents and officials to remind kids to celebrate the day in a way that respects their honor and dignity, following the Khmer tradition.
Cambodia’s National Aids Authority said people should not have sex and should instead celebrate their love for family and friends.
Other countries have also had problems with 14 February in the past, not just Cambodia.
From 2008 to 2019, the religious police in Saudi Arabia said people couldn’t buy Valentine’s gifts like red roses because they thought it goes against their religion.
In India and Pakistan, some religious groups used to protest against Valentine’s Day, saying it disrespects Hinduism and Islam. -
Christopher Behn, confesses to 21 further sex abuse charges
A convicted paedophile has admitted to committing 21 further cases of international sexual assault on young boys.
For molesting 11 children in Myanmar in 2016, Christopher Behn, 68, of Colchester, is already serving a nine-year prison sentence.
The fresh accusations centred on the maltreatment of boys in Vietnam, ages six to eleven.
Next month, Behn—whom authorities called a “committed and prolific transnational child sex offender”—will receive his punishment.
By using a video link, the retired engineer appeared in person at Chelmsford Crown Court from HMP Albany on the Isle of Wight.
Behn was recognised by investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA), Europol, and Dutch police as a member of a network operating across Europe that travelled together to abuse children all over the world.
He was detained at Gatwick Airport in February 2020 when detectives noticed him in photos with a Dutch national who had been found guilty in his home country.
Officers stopped Behn from boarding a plane bound for Vietnam.
From encrypted electronic devices, photos taken by Behn showing him molesting children were retrieved.
According to the NCA, he has travelled to Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, India, and Myanmar in addition to Vietnam 18 times since 2006.
Additionally, the abuse that he and the Dutch national had perpetrated together on numerous of these excursions was recounted in graphic detail in their journals.
The NCA claimed that Christopher Behn and his network “conspired via encrypted chats in the hope of concealing their horrific offending.”
Behn was additionally charged in June of this year with 23 charges of inducing a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual abuse between the years of 2008 and 2018.
Two of the charges, which he rejected, will not be the subject of a trial.
Behn was described as “a committed and prolific transnational child sex offender, who dedicated years of his life to this criminal network” by Phil Eccles, NCA operations manager.
“Behn and his like-minded friends conspired together via encrypted chats in the hope of concealing their horrific offending from law enforcement,” he added. “Behn and his like-minded friends conducted their offending in remote parts of the world.”
The agency reported that investigations were still going on in several European nations and that it has identified an additional five males who were based in the UK and thought to have connections to the network.
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Cambodia’s prime minister’s son, Hun Manet, formally installed as new ruler
A formality verifying the transfer of power has approved the long-reigning leader of Cambodia‘s eldest son to be the nation’s new premier.
Hun Manet will succeed Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 38 years, according to a decree the country’s king issued on Monday.
Just days after the 23 July election, which detractors claimed was not democratic, Hun Sen made the announcement that he would retire.
After the main opposition was disqualified from voting, his party won every seat in parliament with the exception of five.
Hun Sen requested the official note in a letter, and King Norodom Sihamoni responded by issuing the royal proclamation.
The Royal Cambodian Army‘s 45-year-old commander, Hun Manet, has long been cultivated for a position of authority.
Although Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party now holds 120 of the 125 members in the National Assembly, the confirmation of his appointment by parliament is still pending as of August 22.
The appointment is the result of a dynastic succession plan that Hun Sen had been indicating for a while.
Younger people are anticipated to be in Hun Manet’s new government. Many of the individuals who rose to power alongside Hun Sen during the Khmer Rouge revolution and civil war of the 1970s and 1980s have also left their positions, often giving them to their own children.
Prior to July, it was unknown when the change would take place after it was first mentioned in 2021.
But only three days after the election, Hun Sen made his resignation public. He has ruled the 16 million-person South East Asian country for nearly four decades, making him one of the world’s leaders with the longest terms in office.
He claimed at the time that he was stepping down to maintain stability in Cambodia.
Hun Sen will continue to be the leader of the Cambodian People’s Party, which political observers claim still gives him total authority.
Since taking office in 1985, his administration has grown more autocratic, and he has suppressed critics by imprisoning or expelling them.
Hun Sen celebrated his 71st birthday over the weekend and also announced the party’s resounding victory in the July election, which the US, EU, and other Western countries have criticised as being neither free nor fair.
In honour of the election outcome on Saturday, Hun Manet shared a photo on Instagram with the remark, “Happy birthday to respected and beloved father.” The snapshot showed his son giving Hun Sen a bunch of flowers.
Hun Manet’s election as a Phnom Penh MP was also recognised by the departing leader on Saturday, removing the final formal barrier to his rise to power.
Hun Manet will face few threats from outside the ruling party because all significant opposition has been silenced in Cambodia in recent years. Maintaining the intricate network of ties his father established with other affluent and prominent families, however, will be difficult.
To keep potential rivals satisfied and the economy expanding, Hun Sen granted them political and commercial rights. However, he also left Cambodia with alarmingly high levels of corruption and inequality, which could cause problems for his young kid.
Some have hypothesised that Hun Manet, who attended the University of Bristol and the US military institution West Point, will run a less harsh government than his father and will be more sensitive to Western concerns for human rights.
Analysts claim that there is no proof that he might be more open, though. Hun Sen has also stated that he will have a strong grip on the country’s governance for at least another 10 years.
Hun Sen stated of his son’s appointment in a telegraph message on Monday: “It is not the end yet. I’ll keep working in other capacities at least until 2033.
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One of the longest-serving dictators in the world, Hun Sen to transfer power to his son
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen announced his resignation and the impending election of his son Hun Manet in a speech on Wednesday.
He also stated that this would take place in the following weeks and that Hun Manet would be appointed prime minister on August 10.
Hun Sen, who has ruled Southeast Asia for over 40 years, was speaking just a few days after the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) scored a resounding victory in the nation’s general election despite facing virtually no opposition.
He announced, “I’ll keep leading the ruling party and serving in the National Assembly.
A new cabinet will be sworn in on August 22 and the freshly elected parliament will convene on August 21, according to Hun Sen.
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Cambodia deports 19 Japanese cybercrime scam suspects
Tokyo police say suspects were allegedly running phone scams from Cambodia and targeting people in Japan.
Nineteen Japanese men detained in Cambodia in January on suspicion of participating in phone and online scams have been deported to their homeland, according to the police.
The group boarded a chartered flight organised by the Japanese government on Tuesday at Phnom Penh International Airport, Cambodian National Police spokesperson General Chhay Kim Khouen said.
The Immigration Police, part of Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, said in a statement that the men were deported because they violated immigration law by living and working in Cambodia illegally. They will not be allowed to re-enter the country for three years, it said.
Tokyo police have obtained arrest warrants for the 19 men on suspicion of running phone scams from Cambodia that targeted people in Japan, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.
NHK said Cambodian authorities searched the men’s hotel rooms and “discovered a list of Japanese citizens believed to be targets in a fraud scheme”.
The suspects were taken into custody in the southern city of Sihanoukville on January 24 and sent to the capital, Phnom Penh, where they were held after being investigated by the interior ministry.
A Cambodian official at Phnom Penh International Airport who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media said the men were taking a chartered Malaysia Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur, where they would transfer to a waiting Japanese plane.
He said a group of Japanese policemen came from Japan to escort the 19 men home.
At Phnom Penh’s airport, a convoy of several vehicles with heavy protection from Cambodian and Japanese police quickly drove directly to the waiting plane on the tarmac.