Vendors with a licence to forge

On the side of a well-trafficked street in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district, a man with a razor blade bends over a small rectangle of sheet metal overlaid with a vinyl stencil. As letters and numbers are lifted away, the plate begins to take on a familiar appearance – a line of Khmer script at the top, followed by a five-digit numeric sequence below and “RCAF” at the bottom,...

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Pawn shop rise proves a quick fix

Pawn shop rise proves a quick fix Pawn shops have been on the rise considerably since the licensing started in 2009. Sear Rithy, chairman of Cash U Up, talks about the development of the pawn shop industry over the past five years. Fri, 27 June 2014 Telecoms warned over ID lapse Senior government officials yesterday issued a stern warning to the country’s largest mobile...

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The ineptitude at the border

At the two major border crossings of Poipet in Banteay Meanchey and Cham Yeam in Koh Kong, the Thai immigration police’s caged trucks discharged their loads of illegal Cambodian migrant workers.Tue, 24 June 2014Can the CNRP appear credible?Last month, I was again hopeful as leaders of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party and ruling Cambodian People’s Party announced...

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US aids bid to stem drug traffic

US anti-narcotics expert has given Cambodian customs officers a three-week course on drug detection techniques in the hope of slowing a growing trend for heroin to be shipped through Cambodia. Edward Schach, the US Customs Inspector whose coordinating the program, said: "We suspect Cambodia is the new vulnerable region for the international shipment of heroin to the United States and Europe. At this point we have to stop the problem before...

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Subedi wraps visit with warning

United Nations rights envoy to Cambodia Surya Subedi says Cambodia risks more violence if reforms are not enacted. Subedi, an international law professor, was concluding his 11th mission as special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia, a position he took up in 2009. Among the many concerns Subedi raised were the endemic series of long-running land disputes...

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100k plus Cambodians flee Thai junta

More than 100,000 terrified Cambodian migrant workers caught up in the unfolding political turmoil in Thailand have fled back to their homeland fearing they have become the latest target in the country's descent into martial law. The Thai military junta has both threatened to launch a campaign to rid the country of undocumented migrant workers and denied...

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Compromise of sorts on dam

In an unexpected decision yesterday, Lower Mekong countries opened a two-day meeting in Bangkok by jointly agreeing a controversial hydropower dam must undergo regional consultation but could continue construction. Laos’s delegation to the Mekong River Commission – the intergovernmental body responsible for facilitating cooperation along the river – announced...

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Phin Sodalis

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Thai Politics Challenges Fortune-Tellers

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND — In Thailand, fortune-tellers have long been sought out for spiritual advice and guidance. But since last month’s military takeover of the country, even spiritual ceremonies can take on political overtones. Given the uncertainty following the May 22 coup, many are seeking guidance from spiritualists and fortune tellers. Popular Thai soothsayer...

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Syria, Iran Join Fight Against Iraq's Militants

Syria and Iran have joined the fight against militant Sunni insurgents attempting to take over Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Thursday that Syrian warplanes targeted militants earlier this week on the Syrian side of the Iraqi-Syrian border. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has used the border area as a gateway to take over large areas in...

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