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The Covid-19 Pandemic and Cambodian Government Political Adaptation: Successes and Challenges Pong Pheakdey Boramy and Volker Grabowsky, Work Package 4

Introduction

Covid-19 has a negative impact worldwide. It has not only infected 127,771,302 people and caused 2,796, 139 deaths (as of 29 March 2021) but also changes the way of living of people and shatters the world economy and politics. It confines person-to-person interaction to a virtual relationship due to the compulsory lock-down and work or study from home. This confinement pushes the world economy in 2020 to contract by 5.2 percent and several million people back to poverty and unemployment (World Bank, June 2020). It also entails measures by many governments worldwide in response to direct and indirect consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, based on the promptness and effectiveness of implementing the politics, such as financial assistance and reducing the serious impacts of Covid-19 on economy (in 2020), some governments have received much praise while some have been heavily criticised.

Cambodia is also affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. After the political turmoil and grave poverty of the 1970s and 1980s, , during the last two decades, managed to emerge from poverty and became a low middle-income country with an annual economic growth of 7 percent. However, Covid-19 has seriously affected the growth of economy. As a result, poverty and unemployment are growing. In spite of a relatively small number of registered Covid-19 cases1, the Cambodian economy has been severely hit by the pandemic. Many international buyers of Cambodian manufactured goods decided to cancel or postpone the order that led to the closure of many factories (Pordié, 2020). It was reported that at least 170,000 workers in the manufacturing industry were affected2 (Haffner and Kong, August 10, 2020; Khorn, July 14, 2020). Despite the absence of more concrete data, many people who have still maintained their jobs, have reported that their salaries have been cut by 30 to 50 percent (Amarthalingam, May 14, 2020). The cut in salaries and the loss of jobs make many

1 Until March 28, 2021, the number of Covid-19 patients is officially reported as only 2,273, of which 1748 patients have been inflected only after 20 February 2021. So far 10 persons have died. 2 There are approximately 1087 manufacturing factories in Cambodia. It is reported that 450 factories were suspended, and other 83 factories were completely closed by June 2020 (Haffner and Kong, August 10, 2020). 2 people unable to pay for their micro-finance or bank loans. There are 250,905 people asking for restructuring their loans, which amount to $1.23 billion3.

Severe travel restrictions throughout the world have also led to the collapse of the Cambodian tourism industry. During the first six months of 2020 only 1.183 million tourists visited the country, while in 2019 during the same period the number of foreign tourists was 3.339 million. This marks a decline of 64.6 percent leading to the closure of 3,000 tourism businesses by which around 50,000 workers in tourism and hospitality and 80,000 workers in the entertainment service sector were laid off4 (Ministry of Tourism, 2020; Ou, August 14, 2020; Blomberg, March 27, 2020). It is estimated that the economic loss for the Cambodian tourism industry will amount to $3 billion (U.S.), a projected loss of 60 percent of the earnings from this sector when compared to the $4.9 billion total revenue made in 2019 (Mao, July 16, 2020). The situation became even worse when more than 52,232 laid-off migrant workers returned from might not find other sources of income and end up in taking loan for their survival (Sok, May 15, 2020; Oxfam in Cambodia, 2020).

During this crisis, the government has also been confronted with a number of local protests as well as external pressure from the EU and the U.S. As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the Cambodian economy declined in 2020 by 1.9 percent5 and the poverty rate increased from 10 to 18 percent (Hoekstra, August 13, 2020; UNDP, 2020). Many people came out to the street and demanded the government to address their problems properly. Moreover, the EU also started to withdraw 20% of EBA (Everything But Arms) after the government’s failure to restore the dissolved opposition party and democratic space while the U.S. increased its pressure on Cambodia government’s derailed democratization and its foreign policy towards China. With these internal and external issues, there is the general assumption that the current Cambodian government would be destabilized. However, paradoxically, the government apparently overcomes all the aforementioned issues by successfully putting covid-19 under control and expecting quicker economic recovery.

This paper aims at investigating how the Cambodian government ruling over one of the poorest countries in the world has adapted its policy to successfully put Covid-19 under its

3 Around 2.6 million Cambodians borrowed $ 10 billion from 60 Microfinance Institutions, posing a big challenge to be addressed (Mahanty and Green, August 7, 2020; Ang and Heng, 2020). This means that around 10% of the total borrowers faced financial difficulties and needed to restructure their loans. 4 Thong Khon, the Minister of Tourism, reported that Cambodia lost $3 billion in 2020 due to the 80% decline in international tourism and 50% in local tourism. By his prediction, it might take seven years to reach the level of pre-Covid-19 tourism (Ou, August 14, 2020). 5 However, World Bank reported that Cambodia’s economic contraction is minus 2percent. 3 control, at least in 2020. In particular, it will explore what strategies and resources have been utilized to deal with the impact of Covid-19 on public health and the overall socio-economic situation which potentially poses a threat to the current government’s political legitimacy if it cannot address it properly, especially if we consider that Cambodia has different ethnic groups with different traditions and world views towards epidemic diseases and a recently increased number of people living under the poverty line. We will also discuss what actions Cambodian government has set to confront some political opponents and human right defenders whose actions it perceives as the source of social unrest or social disorder. This discussion will explain how Western values and interests contradict the Cambodian government’s political values and interest .In other words, it reveals how Cambodian government perceives the U.S. and EU foreign policy as an interference in Cambodia’s internal political affairs, which is to be considered as the abuse of Cambodian sovereignty resulting in an increase of Chinese influence.

Politics of Traditions

Covid-19 is not just a disease affecting the physical body but also the mentality of the people. Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, aptly remarks that five of sixteen million Cambodians are survivers of the regime who “with memories of horror and tragedy“ have developed “a greater appreciation for humanity and how fragile human life can be” (Youk Chhang, April 17, 2020). The survivers of the Cambodian tragedy of the 1970s have a level of resilience unmatched by younger generations. Covid-19 is not just a virus attacking our body but also attacking our mind. From the beginning, Prime Minister has clearly stated that fear is more dangerous than Covid- 19 (Cheang, January 31, 2020). Fear, if not properly dealt with, not only causes social disorder, such as the panic buying, but also the social discrimination against one another among various religious groups.

Seng Somony, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Cults and Religion, reported the causes of fear of the people. Every religious building, such as pagoda, mosque and church accommodates many novices and disciples. Some of them go overseas to join religious rituals. These activities are potential causes of spreading the Covid virus from one place to another (Lor, 17 April, 2020).

Therefore, the government depends on the cooperation of various religious organisations with their networks to determine its measures. Especially in a pluralistic society 4 like Cambodia the religions of various ethnic groups have their own traditions to interpret or define the Covid-19 pandemic.

Buddhism has played a vital role for the majority of the Cambodian people over many centuries6. It does not only serve as a focal point to provide the moral guidelines for the population at large and higher education for the children of the poor villagers but also involves in local development, welfare projects, and traditional healing of physical and mental illness. With its significant role in nearly all aspects of life of the Cambodian people, from birth to death and wedding to sickness, Buddhist monks are invited to preside over all ceremonies with the belief that their presence, along with Dhamma recitation, will bring about auspiciousness (Gyallay-Pap, 2007; Harris, 2005).

Aware of the influence of the Buddhist monks the Cambodian government needs their cooperation to help eliminate the fear of the people and educate them how to protect themselves against Covid-19. Through the initiative of the Supreme Patriarchs of Cambodia, on 16 of March 2020, monks of all pagodas in Cambodia were implored to ring the temple bells, chant the Paritta7 and meditate (Khan, March 25, 2020). Apart from boosting the morale of the people so that they are not frightened of Covid-19, the monks are also asked to participate in the educational campaign, during which governmental anti-covid-19 guidelines are disseminated, the people are advised on Covid-19 and its proper protection. (Phin, March 17, 2020). Furthermore, all the Buddhist pagodas conceded to postpone Khmer New Year, the most important national religious ceremony in Cambodia, prepared hand sanitizers and masks for preventing the transmission of Covid-19 during any religious gathering in the pagodas.

Similar strategies are employed with regard to the Khmer Islam or Cham. After some Khmer Islam had been infected with Covid-19 during their religious excursion to Sri Petaling Mosque in , and some of them tried to circumvent the quarantine regulations, critical remarks were exchanged in Facebook8.

As a result some Cambodians have stopped doing any business with Khmer Islam to avoid any contact with their communities (Louis, April 2, 2020). To reinforce interfaith and religious harmony, Prime Minister Hun Sen condemned the discrimination of Khmer Islam

6 According to 2019 national census, 97.1% of Cambodian population are Buddhists; 2% are Muslims; 0.3 % are Christians; and 0.5 % are others (National Institute of Statistics, Ministry of Planning, 2020). 7 Paritta is a chant used for protection against evil, disease, bad luck, etc. For details, see Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera. (1987). What Buddhists Believe. Retrieved on August 30, 2020 from https://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/main.htm. 8 The most popular social media in Cambodia. 5 and managed to express how he cared and respected Islam, with the expected cooperation of those Khmer Islam with the government.

ៃថ្េនះ េយើងមននិសិតែខ្រេយើងែដលកន់សសនឥសមមកចូលរួម ភពងយ្សួលេន កែន្ងេនះ ទីមួយគឺេយើងអត់មនករែបងែចកជតិសសន៍សសនអីេទ។ ្បយ័ត្កែន្ងហ្ឹង កុំ េឃើញថ បងប្នែខ្រឥសមមនេកើតជំងឺ េហើយេធ្ើករេរសេអើង។

ៃថ្េនះ ក៏យកេវជ្បណិត និង្គេពទរបស់ឥសម ៣០នក់ េដើមីចូលរួម្បតិបត្ិករេនះ។ េន េពលែដលេយើងេទយកសំណកេនក្ងភូមិឥសម ប្នក្យៗហ្ឹងេទ វ ្សួល េហើយក្ង េពលែដលគត់្តវករពបល គឺេយើងយក្គេពទែដលជឥសម េទពបលងយ្សួល ជង េ្ពះ្តណមខុសគ។ ឧទហរណ៍ ជួនកលបយែដល ែខ្រយកេទេនះ មិនដឹងថ េតើ មនសច់្ជកឬអត់ េ្ពះឥសមតមសច់្ជក។ ឯអ្ក ែដលកន់បយយកេទឱគឺែខ្រ អ្ឹង គឺមិនដឹងថមនសច់្ជកឬអត់ ជួនកលអត់ ទទួលទនេទៀត។ េរឿងេនះ េយើង្តវេរៀបចំ គិត គូរឱបនម៉ត់ចត់។ និយយអ្ឹងថេរសេអើង អត់េទ មិនែមនេរសេអើងែតជវធនករេដើមី េឆ្ើយតបជមួយនឹងសភព ករណ៍ ែបបេនះ។

អ្កកន់សសន្គីស្ វអត់មនបេទ ប៉ុែន្អ្កកន់សសនឥសមេគមន្តណមរបស់េគ សូមីែតករេស្កពក់។ េនះក្យៗ្តវចំ េន្បេទសដៃទេគមិនឱពក់(ទទូរ្កណត់)េធ្ើ អ្ឹងេទណ ជពិេសសនិសិត ែតកម្ជអចអនុតឱនិសិតឥសមេ្ជើសេរសនូវសេម្ក បំពក់ណក៏បនែដរ។ ចង់េស្កឯកសណនតមរេបៀបកូនសិសែខ្រ ឬចង់េស្កតមឥសម ក៏េស្កេទ េហើយេពលេចញ្បតិបត្ិករេស្កេម៉ចេស្កេទ។ Today we have Cambodian students who believe in Islam and have come to participate [in the event]. It is quite easy, first we do not have any religious and ethnic discrimination. Prudently, do not discriminate them only because they get sick [Covid-19] … Today we also accept 30 Muslim medical doctors and nurses to join this mission. When we take tests from [members of] the Muslim communities, we will send you there, it will be convenient. During the treatment, it is easier to send Muslim medical doctors to treat patients because the Muslim patients have some religious prohibition. For instance, sometimes the rice the Khmer bring to the Muslim patient, they are not sure if it has pork or not because Muslim do not eat pork. If the person who delivers the food is Khmer so they might not know whether there is pork inside, so they do not eat the food. So, we need to carefully. Speak like this, some might think it is a kind of discrimination. No, it is not discrimination, but it is a measure in response to a situation of that kind. Christians have no problem with it, but the Muslims have their religious prohibition even concerning the use of clothes. My dear nephews and nieces, you should remember that in other countries they will not allow the Hijab wearing, especially for the students but Cambodia can allow Muslim students to choose whatever clothes they like. Whether you want to wear uniform like the Khmer students or Muslim Students, you can decide, and when you go out for work, wear whatever you want (Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers, March 25, 2020). Through the help of the Khmer Islam officers and their media network, the Cambodian government has successfully convinced the Khmer Islam to pray at home, stop travelling to risky places, and seek for their own medication without consulting doctors. The regulations of 6 the Cambodian government, such all the Khmer Islam are to pray at home instead of at the mosque, Islam and other religions are to be treated equally, and the regulations are in accordance/comply with Islam, are justified by Osman Hasan, a Khmer Islam Senior Minister in Charge of Special Missions.

សូមសំណមពរដល់បងប្នមូស្ីមទំងអស់ សូមឲមនករអត់ធ្ត់ េហើយក៏សូមបងប្នម៉ូស្ីម េយើងទំងអស់្តវែតេគរពេហើយនិងអនុវត្តមករែណនំរបស់្បមុខរជរដភិបលេ្ពះថ កម្ជបនផ្ល់ឱកសជេ្ចើនេន្គប់សសនទំងអស់េធ្ើឲសសន ទំងអស់មនសុខ ដុមរមនីយកម្ អំពវនវចុងេ្កយដល់បងប្នមូស្ីមែដលរស់េនកម្ជគឺសូមឱ្បតិបត្ិករ ថយបង្ំ ក៏ដូចជករបំេពញកតព្កិច្េផងៗ េយើងេធ្ើេនតមផ្ះេរៀងេរៀងខ្នគឺមិនខុសេទ េ្ពះថចប់របស់សសនឥសមេនក្ងកលៈេទសៈណមួយ គឺឥសមអចអនុតអច អនុេ្គះអចេលើកែលងបន I appeal to all Muslim brothers and sisters. Please be tolerant, respect and obey the guidelines of the government. Cambodia provides many opportunities for all religions to live together in harmony. I have a final appeal to Muslim brothers and sisters living in Cambodia, Please perform your worship and other Islamic obligations at your own house. This is not against the Islamic laws because under certain circumstances it is allowed to make that religions observation (Suphea, March 21, 2020). “Islamic Information of Cambodia”, which is a news agency of the Muslim community in Cambodia, has not only distributed all the government guidelines on protecting people against Covid-19 to Khmer Islam, but also has persuaded those who might have contracted Covid-19 to be tested and treated only at the government authorized hospitals and medical specialists; otherwise, this will be against Islamic laws. According to Muhammad, a person without medical knowledge and practice is not allowed to treat a patient. The person will be held responsible if his treatment has endangered the patient.

An article published in the Newsweek magazine9 stating that Muhammad provided a guideline to protect the Muslim from the pandemic 1300 years ago has been translated and announced in the Facebook social media of “Islamic Science and Knowledge10”. Banners bearing the slogan/catchphrase of Muhammad prohibiting all Muslims to go to places infected with the pandemic and those in the affected areas were to be locked down, were made. In other words, it is said that Muhammad had prohibited the sick people to spread the virus to the healthy people.

9 For this article, please see Considine, C. (March 17, 2020). Can the Power of Prayer Alone Stop a Pandemic Like the Coronavirus? Even the Prophet Muhammad Thought Otherwise. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/prophet-prayer-muhammad-covid-19-coronavirus-1492798. 10 Please see https://www.facebook.com/www.islamicscienceandknowledge.com.kh/photos/ ពករមូហំមត់បន ្បប់អំពីវធីទប់សត់កររករលដលៃនជំងឺឆ្ងដូចជ-ជំងឺកូវ/1324721604389078/. 7

Jointly Prevent the Covid-19 The Prophet Muhammad said: wherever an epidemic breaks out, do not go to that place. When you are in the place where the epidemic outbreaks, you should stay there, do not leave that place. The Prophet Muhammad also said: Those who are sick shall not infect those who are healthy.

As for the Christian community in Cambodia, the outbreak of Covid-19 in the churches of South Korea in early March 2020 had also drawn the attention of the Cambodian government and the same cooperation and measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 as the other religious groups were needed (Cambodian Peace Channel, 9 March, 2020).

During the annual meeting with Christian leaders at the Royal Cabinet held on 28 April 2020, the Christian leaders in Cambodia vowed to follow all the measures introduced by the government, especially the postponing of the worship at church. They also promised to design and distribute the educational posters and recorded videos on anti-Covid-19 measures such as praying at home and gathering restrictions (Radio Veritas Asia Khmer, 28 April, 2020).

Apart from the cooperation with the three main religions, some local traditions were tolerated by the government during the Covid-19 pandemic. For instance, some rural Cambodian people have the habits of putting scarecrows (called ting mong in Khmer), at their front gates to ward off the virus. The scarecrows, which look frightening, are dressed like human beings and they also carry weapons. People believe that any devils or evil people with the coronavirus would be frightened away by the fearful scarecrows. They would run away and dare not enter their houses (Goldberg, March 31, 2020). This practice, which has been gradually integrated into Cambodian Buddhism, could be traced back to the traditional animistic beliefs that prevailed before the introduction of modern medicine. Placed in front of the gates of temples and pagodas, mythological animals such as lions or ogres are expected to protect these sacred places. 8

Source: Cambodia New English, March 22, 2020 Source: Fullerton, April 16, 2020

With the approval from the commune chiefs some Cambodian indigenous groups also took some action against Covid-19. For instance, the Bunong minority, one of the biggest minority groups in Cambodia, locked down their villages for seven days, until the end of the epidemic. During the lockdown, the villagers will be mobilized to perform a ritual and their ancestors would be asked to help protecting them from the epidemic (Puy, March 29, 2020). Either strangers were barred from entering their villages or the villagers were not allowed to have contact with them. Those who infringed upon the regulations would face a fine of up to $ 12511. This lock-down is not valid for the villagers who are seriously sick. They can be sent to a hospital and will not be allowed to return to their villagers during the lock-down.

However, not all local traditional customs are allowed, especially those which have negative impacts on society or entail economic disadvantages. For instance, around mid- March, a woman from Siem Reap spread the news that a two-day old baby was able to speak. Another one claimed that eating chicken eggs could help to protect them against Covid-19. Aggi Netra, a medium in , tried to promote his special amulet, by claiming that

11 In some villages, the fine is heavier, requiring money from $ 125 to $ 250, 50 kg of pork, 50 liter of white wine, and 10 chickens. Due to the heavy fine, some Cambodian people who do some business or work in the indigenous villages also filed verbal complaints to the local authorities. However, some indigenous group justified their lock-down as their tradition and some villages just locked down for a week, especially to prevent the Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand to enter their villages since they did not know whether they were inflected with Covid-19 or not. 9 the owner of his amulet would be protected against Covid-1912. They were later arrested but released only after making a public apology and issuing a written statement not to repeat the spreading of such rumours. Somebody spread the news that eating garlic and other traditional herbs could effectively protect against a Covid-19 infection. This was considered fake news and officially denounced (Sao, March 27, 2020; KBN, March 18, 2020). Prime Minister Hun Sen also urged people not to use fire to ward off the deadly virus and bad spirits because fire could be set during the dry season.

Source: Fresh News, March 28, 2020

Since the early outbreak of the pandemic, the prices of facemasks increased continuously. A box of facemasks before the Covid-19 cost only $ 2.5, but has gone up to $ 30 (Phoung, March 25, 2020). In light of the high price and the shortages of surgical masks, the Cambodian government also depends on local products and encourages the popular ways of greeting one another among Cambodian people. The Prime Minister has started to promote the use of krama13 and the Sampeah14, i.e. a greeting by placing the hands palm against palm

12 He was temporarily arrested and released after he signed a pledge not to do it again. 13 Sometimes wrongly perceived as a symbol of the Khmer Rouge, the krama, is actually one of the Cambodian identity markers. Mostly used by the farmers in the countryside to wipe out their sweat or cover their head from the sun when they are farming. To enhance its function as a marker of Cambodian identity, very often the Cambodian flag with the silhouette of Angkor Wat is embroidered with the krama. 14 The Sampeah is believed to have originated from India. It is known as Namaste, Namaskar or Añjali Mudrā in India. It might reach Cambodia through the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in the ancient time. 10 and raising them to the face or forehead to pay respect, which is very similar to the Thai and Lao Wai.

Slogans, such as “A krama is better than a mask” and “Let’s use [a krama] to prevent the Covid-19 virus instead of wearing a face mask to promote the national identity and create jobs for the Cambodian people15”, have become the rhetoric of the Cambodian government. Its aim to nurture the image that the government supports local products, and at the same time instils a sense of national pride is well reflected in the speech of Prime Minister Hun Sen during the graduation day at the Vanda Accounting Institute. He insisted on wearing a krama until the end of the pandemic.

ៃថ្េនះ ពក់(្កម)មកកន់ទីេនះ េហើយពីេពលេនះរហូតដល់ប្ប់វរុសកូរូណ ខ្ំេនែត ពក់ែបបេនះ។ ខ្ំគិតថ វក៏ជែផ្កមួយេដើមីេដះ្សយេរឿងមសេឡើងៃថ្។ មស់វមិន សូវមន្បេយជន៍ប៉ុននេទ យងេ្ចើន៥េមង្តវប្រវម្ង។ ្កមអត់មនបេទ េ្កម ពកេសក ្កមែខ្រែថសុខភព។ អ្ឹងេទ អ្កែដលចង់បង់ក្កមក៏បង់េទ អ្កែដល ចង់ពក់មសក៏ពក់េទ គឺជេរឿងែដលទក់ទងជមួយ សុខភពរបស់េយើង។ Today I am wearing a krama, and from now until the end of the corona virus, I will be wearing it. I think it is also part of tackling the soaring mask prices. A mask is not very useful; it should be changed after five hours of use. The krama does not have that problem under the slogan “Khmer Krama Health Care.” Well, those who want to use the krama, they can do that; those who want to wear masks can also use it in the same way to protect our health (Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers, March 10, 2020). The promotion of wearing the krama by the Prime Minister as a symbol of national identity and his vow have encouraged many government officials to wear a krama at state events and during their official visits to the provinces. The medical staff of the provincial hospital in Siem Reap have started demonstrating to people the proper use of the krama and that the mouth and nose have to be covered.

15 For details, see Prathna. (March 9, 2020). PM Hun Sen calls on Cambodians to use the traditional Khmer scarf, the krama, instead of face masks. Khmer Post. https://en.khmerpostasia.com/2020/03/09/pm-hun- sen-called-on-cambodians-to-use-khmer-scarf-krama-instead-of-facemasks/. 11

Source: Chanreth, March 9, 2020

Later, the prime minister found out that some business people had designed a mask made of krama. This fashionable mask was promoted with the slogan “Krama Mask, Khmer Mask”. Hun Sen agreed that the krama Masks were cheaper and ensured a better circulation of air for breathing than the surgical masks. Thereafter, many Cambodians both local and from overseas, NGOs, and provincial authorities in particular, started ordering the “Krama Mask Khmer Mask” to be distributed to the provinces.

េដើមីសនំសំៃចលុយ េ្បើ្បស់មស្កមរែដលផលិតក្ង្សុក។ មស្កមេនះមួយអច េ្បើបនមួយែខឬេលើសពីហ្ឹង។ េបើេយើងេ្បើេហើយ េយើងេបក។ មសេ្បើបនែត៣េមងេទ ្តវេបះេចល។ ឥឡវេរងច្ករបស់េយើង សិបកម្របស់េយើងមនសិបកម្មួយែដលខ្ំ ទិញយកមកេ្បើគឺេគដក់ថមស្កមមសែខ្រ... សូម អំពវនវឲពក់មសេហើយេដើមី សនំសំៃចគបីេ្បើមស្កម។ To save money, use krama masks that are produced locally. A krama mask can be used for more than one month. We just need to wash it after using. A [surgical] mask can be used for only three hours then we need to discard them. Now our factory, one of the handicraft workshops, where I bought [my Krama mask] was promoted as Krama Mask Khmer Mask… I appeal to wear a mask and to save money, please use a Krama mask (PRESSCOCM, July 21, 2020). The Sompeah, which is considered to be the most appropriate way of maintaining social distance, was also recommended by the prime minister to the Cambodian people. This is a formal greeting used by the Cambodian people. The way of greeting each other expresses the differences of one’s own age and social position. It is taught in public schools as a characteristic of Cambodian cultural identity. However, mainly because of Western influence, some people, especially those living in urban areas, often greet each other with handshake. 12

Before Covid-19 epidemic, the Prime Minister himself liked people to shake his hand and hug him during his visits to the provinces as such greetings demonstrates intimacy akin to the relationship between father and children. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the prime minister has reverted to the Sampeah, the former practice of greeting people, during his provincial visits. He has also suggested that the officials and people should follow suit.

ស្មប់ែខ្រេយើង ករសំពះជវធីសគមន៍ដ៏ល្បំផុតេដយមិនចំបច់ប៉ះៃដគ េហើយក៏ជ វធីយងល្ក្ងករករពរពីករឆ្ងេមេរគ-19េនះែដរ។ េហតុេនះេនេពលជួបគ េយើងអចសំពះបន េហើយកុំមនអរម្ណ៍ថេគមិនសូវរក់ទក់ ឬស្ិទ្សល េនេពលេគ មិនចប់ៃដ េហើយសំពះ េ្ពះករសំពះេនះជវធីសគមន៍ និងរក់ទក់ របស់ែខ្រេយើង។ To us Cambodians, the Sompeah is the best [etiquette of] greeting without [physical] contact. [Thus] it is the best method of preventing the transmission of Covid-19. Hereby, when we meet each other we can perform the Sompeah greeting [freely] instead of handshake without having to feel that we are not friendly or intimate [enough]. [Indeed.] Sompeah is a friendly greeting gesture of us Cambodians (La Reine Media, March 5, 2020).

Revamping the image of the Government

The Cambodian government often comes under the criticism of the local and international organizations for its abuse of human rights. In particular after the dissolution of the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was the main opposition party, in 2017, its leaders, including members and supporters, are continuously arrested. However, during the Covid-19 crisis, the government has an opportunity to revamp its image by showing that human lives are respected. A total of 2,257 passengers on board of the Westerdam cruise ship16 were rescued after many countries had denied the ship entry to the port (Niem, July 02, 2020).

្បសិនេបើកម្ជ មិនទទួលេគ សួរថអ្កទំងេនះនឹងរស់េនក្ងនវេនះ ជង២ពន់នក់ េតើពួក េគេទទីណេទ? ... អ្កដៃទ ឬ្បេទសដៃទអចយល់ថ...ឬក៏អចេចទជសំណរថ ចុះេបើ មនជំងឺកូរូណេនះេនេលើនវ, កម្ជអនុតឱចូលេទ, ខ្ំអចេឆ្ើយតបយងចស់ថ ្បសិនេបើមនអ្កជំងឺេនះេនេលើនវខ្ំនឹងឲចូលយងេលឿនបំផុតតមែដលអចេធ្ើេទបន។ េនះជបែដល្តវេឃើញ អំពីករទទួលខុស្តវរបស់ពិភពេលកក៏ដូចជករទទួលខុស្តវ

16 Westerdam is a operated by . It carried 1455 passengers and 802 crew from U.S. Canada, UK, the , Germany, and Australia. However, since first February, it was refused to debark by many Asian countries, with the fear that some passengers might be infected with Covid-19 after its previous stop in Hong Kong, considered as one of the risky places for Covid-19 transmission. Only on 13 February, Cambodian government allowed it docked in Sihanoukville port and the passengers could fly back to their countries. For details, see Julie (March 4, 2020). Updated Statement Regarding Westerndam. https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/ships/ms-westerdam/statement-regarding- westerdam-in-/. 13

របស់េយើង ក្ងឋនៈជសមជិកៃនសហគមន៍អន្រជតិ ែដលមនករទទួលខុស្តវ ... ៃថ្េនះ ្បសិនេបើខ្ំមកទទួល្បជពលរដ្ៃន បណ្បេទសរហូតដល់ ៤១ សតិេនទីេនះ េបើសិន ជេ្គះថក់ដល់ខ្នខ្ំ វក៏ សកសមនឹងពលិកម្ែដលខ្ំេធ្ើ េដើមីមនុសជតិផងែដរ ។… េតើ ឲេយើងនិយយអំពីករេគរពអំពីសិទ្ិមនុសយងេម៉ចេទ្បសិនេបើ សិទ្ិរស់រនមនជីវតមិន ្តវបនេគរពផងេនះ? កម្ជយកករទទួលខុស្តវមួយក្ងករេគរពសិទ្ិមនុសជចមង េដយដំបូងបំផុត គឺេគរពដល់កររស់រនមនជីវតរបស់មនុសែដលមនជង ២ពន់នក់េន េលើនវេនះ ែដលមនរហូតេទដល់ ៤១សតិ ។ If Cambodia were to deny them to debark, then where shall the over 2,000 passengers go? … Some people or some counties might ask are there any passengers being infected with Covid-19? I can clearly answer that … I will allow them to debark as soon as possible. This is a matter involving the responsibility of the world; it is also our responsibility, in our capacity as members of international community… Today, I come to welcome the citizens of a total of 41 countries. If the danger [of Covid-19] were exposed to me, it would be right for me to make the sacrifice to save the mankind … How could we talk about Human Rights, if the right of to live is not respected? Cambodia upholds one responsibility for fundamental human rights by first of all respecting the right to live of more than 2000 passengers from a total of 41 nations. Although an article in BBC remarks that helping the passengers is a tactic/plot to divert the public attention from the decision of the European Union of withdrawing 20% of EBA17, the new image gained has at least won the hearts of the passengers, the thanks of the leaders of the passengers’ homelands, such as the former U.S. President Donald Trump, and the recognition of the European Union. The WHO praises the help of the Cambodian government and regards the act as an example of international solidarity (Reuters, s, 15 February, 2020; C. Nika, February 13, 2020; Pordié, 2020; Seewald, 2020).

In addition, the government has decided to provide free tests for foreigners and those who have contracted Covid-19 would be given free treatments in Cambodia. Prak Sokhonn, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, considers the generosity of the Cambodia government towards foreigners as a ‘small country [with a] big heart’. The humanity of its government should be a widely adopted (DeFalco, August 3, 2020; Neim Chheng, July 02, 2020).

Within Cambodia the government tries to portray the image of the government as always eager to share the happy and difficult times with its people, whereas some human right

17 The article was written on 20 February by Jonathan Head but he later was responded by Prime Minister Hun Sen that the saving of Westerdam was purely humanitarian. He was also criticized by the Prime Minister as the “well educated in the civilized country have a dirty attitude towards the humanitarian gesture of a small country” and the person who is “inhumane” and “lacks the compassion to save humanity” (Khmer Times, 25 February, 2020). 14 activists and the CNRP are branded as attempting to create social unrest without sincere intention to help the people.

The Prime Minister Hun Sen has donated seven months of his salary to the Covid-19 cause. Forthwith widespread donations are received from the civil servants, business people, and other wealthy civilians. His government also put aside nearly $ 2 billion to fund the anti- Covid-19 measures.

The foremost measures, which the Cambodian government takes, are to proclaim the general guidelines for the outbreak of covid-19, such as preparing the places for quarantine, training the healthcare staff, and improving services. The guidelines include early detection of cases, early isolation, early contact tracing, early treatment and, imposing a 14-day quarantine for those returning from overseas or those having contact with patients with covid-19 (Sim, 2020).

To curb the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, the government closed all schools and resorted to online education, banned the entertainment establishments, casinos, gyms, and religious gathering. The Khmer New Year gathering was also prohibited (Heng, 2020; Chea, 2020; Nit et al., 2021). It also campaigned for the “Three-Dos”: To wear a facemask, wash hands often, and maintain a 1.5 meter social distance, and for the “Three Dont’s”: To avoid the crowded places, avoid the confined rooms or buildings without the good air ventilation, do not turn on the air-conditioners too often, and avoid close or intimate contact with people, such as hand-shaking and hugging (Heng, February, 2021).

On top of the above measures, 3,000 rooms of the current hospitals, hotels, schools, and student dormitories are converted into isolating rooms for quarantine and patients infected with Covid-19. Tests for those with symptoms of Covid-19 are given and the treatment is free. Moreover, 2,000 medical staff specialized in epidemic diseases and 422 volunteers are recruited for providing medical treatment to Covid-19 patients.

The volunteer staff of the anti-Covid-19 task force is given a lump sum of $250 per person for his or her volunteer service and receives a monthly salary of $250 during the first three months18. Each is given $20 as his or her per diem payment during the training, and each is given $35 as his or her per diem allowance during their work19 (Kolap, March 25, 2020).

18 This three-month salary was claimed to be a donation from Prime Minister Hun Sen’s family that should spend around $375,000 (Cambodia New Vision, June 1, 2020). 19 Other existing Covid-19 medical staff also get $35 as their per diem pay. Later, when more Covid-19 cases were reported, their per diem was also increased (Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers). 15

The government has stocked up with enough masks and protective equipment to make sure that all the medical staff of Covid-19 will have the necessary equipment at their disposal to protect themselves from infection. Ten factories are encouraged to open or to be converted into producing masks and protective equipment with the promise that the government will buy them20.

Apart from granting six months to one year of tax breaks or holidays and a electricity tariff 25%, the government also provides a total of $600 million for stimulating the economic growth, for credit guarantee fund, and the establishment of the state-run Agricultural Rural Development Bank and SME Bank, where registered businesses in SMEs can borrow money at an interest rate as low as 5% or 6% per annum21 (Sim, 2020).

Although the government does not intervene in the individual contract of bank loans and of the micro-finances, there are governmental regulations stating that the banks are required to restructure their loans for those who are affected by Covid-19 and reduce some restrictions on reserve requirements, borrowing, and the exemption of taxes, with the expectation that loan application is made easier. (Hutt, March 25, 2020). The government has also saved $400 million by budgeting the expenses of several ministries (Sun, March 8, 2020), for providing financial stimuli to those working in the most affected sectors, like textile production and the tourism industry. According to its guidelines, the government would pay $40 and the owner of the business would pay $30 for each worker during the temporary suspension or closure of the business.

After the economic contraction, the government also provides financial support to the people classified as “ID Poor”22 through a cash handout program. Each urban household gets a financial aid of $30 per month, while those in rural areas each household gets $20. A member of every household belonging to the ID Poor will get an extra amount of money from $4 to $13.

Many other vulnerable people, including children below the age of five, persons with HIV, disabled persons, and elderly people above the age of 60, would also receive aid from $4 to $10 (New Straits Times, June 22, 2020). By December 16th, 2020, the government had

20 According to Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers, the government had already stocked 11 million facemasks (June 22, 2020) and According to EuroCham Cambodia, 5000 medical suites were also reserved for medical usage (March 30, 2020). 21 The interest rate from a regular bank, on average, is 12% per year. 22 ID Poor is a nationwide system for identifying extremely poor individuals and households in Cambodia. The system was implemented in 2006/07 in one third of the country’s provinces and was completed by 2010 in all rural areas where about four-fifths of the total population live. 16 distributed a total of $160 million out of its reserves for the poor and the vulnerable. A decision is reached to extend another three months of governmental help if the epidemic is not yet under control (Saut and Ouch, June 22, 2020; Sok, July 10, 2020; Kunthea, 16 December, 2020).

In addition to the calling for investigations and warning that legal measures will be taken against those considered to be economic opportunists (Khan, January 27, 2020; Soth, March 8, 2020), the government also ban the export of husked rice, fish, and some other staples to curb the shortages of food and soaring prices. Moreover, a total loan of $50 million is given to various rice millers for purchasing rice from farmers as a means of preventing a price decline, of helping them to stabilise their incomes, and of covering the necessary expenses during the crisis (Sok, March 31, 2020; Chea, 2020).

The government is proud of its new image and believes that its anti-covid-19 measures are correct. The government has helped Cambodia to avoid a severe economic crisis, gained the trust of people in the government healthcare service of which all the Covid-19 patients can be treated, in preventing the community transmission of Covid-19, and in laying the foundations for its quicker economy recovery, and the GDP growth of 4.3 in 2021 and 5.2 in 202223.

According to Prime Minister Hun Sen, several developed countries have predicted the failure of the Cambodian healthcare system in curbing the large-scale Covid-19 transmission. To the surprise and fortunately this did not happen. On the contrary, the countries that might have looked down upon Cambodia’s ability of handling and protecting its own people and have expected that Cambodia would become the second Asian epicentre of Covid-19 transmission (Press OCM, March 25, 2020), have become themselves epicentres.

Helpful Stimulus Program but Incomprehensiveness

The measures taken by the government to safeguard the laid-off workers and the SME are helpful but nevertheless inadequate; moreover the financial aids are granted exclusively, i.e., they are provided only to the dismissed workers of the manufacturing and tourism industries, not the workers in the entertainment industries. As a result about a total of 80,000 workers of the entertainment industries are left without help even they have appealed for the aids (Blomberg, March 27, 2020, Keo and Degenhardt, June 16, 2020).

23 Please see this prediction by World Bank in http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/112311563917601421/mpo- khm.pdf 17

Moreover, the financial aid of $70 per month is not sufficient for food and other expenses. According to the interview conducted by CARE International Cambodia with the recipients of the aids, 84% of the 307 respondents have to reduce their expenses on food, and 41% faced food shortages, while 53% have difficulty to pay the interests of their loans (2020).

In order to make ends meet, these impoverished people have no choice but to work, thus increasing the chances of being exposed to the virus (Oxfam in Cambodia, 2020). The choice confronting them is well-reflected in the sayings “ខចដច់េពះជងកូវដ [More afraid of death by starvation than of Covid-19] (Ou, March 29, 2020)” or “ខច្គឹះសនឥណទន

របអូស្ទពបំជង បរម្អំពីវរុសកូរូណ [More afraid of having [our] property confiscated by the micro-financiers than of the Corona virus] (Phorn and Khan, May 16, 2020)”.

The government manages to persuade all the micro-financiers to restructure the schemes of their loans, including deferring the repayments of interests and principals during the Covid-19 crisis. However, the eventual outcome is not beneficial to the debtors as the creditors still add the “exempted” interests and the redeemable load to the principal of the loan after the Covid-19 crisis (HRW, July 14, 2020; Brickell et al., 2020). Without a good alternative, out of the 162 respondents, LICADHO, Cambodian Trade Unions, and Centre for Alliance of Labour and Human Rights have interviewed 15% of the respondents who have taken the micro-finance loans have already sold their land, and 30% of them have decided to sell their land in the near future to repay their debts (LICADHO et al., 2020).

The access to the low interest loans of SMEs allocated by the government is still a challenge for SMEs companies that represented 36.4 of Cambodian GDP in 2019 (Hin, 25 August, 2019). The loan targets only those who have legally registered their businesses (White, April 1, 2020). About 95% of the SMEs are informally run and these are not entitled to the benefit of the loan, just because they are not officially registered (Center for Strategic and International Studies, no date; White, April 3, 2020). According to Te Taing Por, the president of the Federation of Association for SMEs of Cambodia, although the government has offered many promising benefits, such as information sharing, trainings, and some tax exemptions for those who voluntarily registered their businesses, those applicants for loans might be confronted with the challenges of imbalanced and not transparent enforcement on taxes, a lack of protection from competitors, Thailand and , and the complicated procedures, including collateral requirements (Amarthalingam, May 21, 2020; White, April 3, 2020). 18

The current government has also been criticised because it failed to increase the production of local agricultural products to meet the demand of the Cambodian people (White, March 27, 2020; Sok, May 15, 2020). Panic buying of food and the closure of borders with Thailand and Vietnam as a result of Covid-19 demonstrate that Cambodia increasingly relies on the food supplies of its two direct neighbours (Keo and Degenhardt, June 16, 2020). This panic-buying situation causes the prices of some goods doubled and invites criticism of the official policies (Khmer Times, March 19, 2020). In response to the criticisms, the government calls for urgent reforms and setting-up various special programmes to boost the productions of agricultural industry. With fertile and extensive arable land and huge labour force, thus, people hope for the success of these reforms so that imported goods are no longer needed and the soaring prices are curbed (Sok, May 15, 2020; Un, 2020).

Lack of Transparency of Budget and Corruption

Cambodia has confronted with many challenges including the lack of transparency of budget and corruption. The public is neither well-informed nor consulted about matters on national budget consultations and spending (Mom, August 25, 2020; Amarthalingam, May 21, 2020). According to the Open Budget Survey of 2019, Cambodia ranked 32/100, which means that the Cambodian government did not release all relevant information on budget to the public. Worse than this, Cambodia also scored a rank of 20/100 in the 2019 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which means Cambodia was placed at 162 out of 180 countries. Based on this index, Cambodia was rated as “highly corrupt” by Transparency International (Taing, January 30, 2020; Transparency International, 2020; Heng, 2020).

The handling of the government’s Anti-Covid-19 related budget is of no exception. It is an issue of public doubt. For instance, the Cambodian government was accused of using around $20 million from the anti-Covid-19 donations to purchase 290 military trucks from China. Critics questioned whether buying military trucks at such a time was more urgent than funding anti-Covid-19 programs (Sao, June 12, 2020). Similarly, the $30 million spent on the construction of a new Cambodian People’s Party headquarters has also been criticized. However, it is later claimed that the order of the military trucks was made before the outbreak of Covid-19 and that the money, either for the military trucks or for the new building, are from the charity donations initiated by the Prime Minister. It is not from the state budget24 (Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers, June 22, 2020). The Prime Minister

24 The Prime Minister himself also reported that, after his call, private donors donated $70 million, leaving the government with an expense of only $30 million to modernize Calmatte Hospital, the biggest state hospital in Cambodia (Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers, June 22, 2020). 19 taunts the critics with the remark ‘beast-like’ for being displeased to see the military using the equipment for the sake of the defending nation (Niem, June 22, 2020).

កលពីប៉ុននៃថ្មុនេនះ េនេពលែដលកងទ័ពេជើងេគករួមជមួយអគ្ស្ងករនគរបល ជតិ េធ្ើពិធីែចករថយន្ចំនួន២៩០េ្គឿង េទចំេពះកងទ័ពនគរបល និង អវុធហត្ែបរជ (មនអ្ក) និយយថដំណក់កល Covid-19 ចំបច់អីេទទិញឡនយកមកបំពក់? េនះ (ជករ)គិត(ែបប)តិរចនពិត្បកដេហើយ។ A few days ago, when the Army and the National Police handed over 290 vehicles to the Army, Police and the Armed Forces, some people questioned why [military] trucks should be bought during these Covid-19 times. This is really beast-like thinking (Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers, June 22, 2020).

Widespread corruption is also a public concern in Cambodia. After the Cambodian government has decided to grant financial aids to the poor and the vulnerable people, surprisingly roughly 10,000 people are found to be qualified for the “ID poor” even though they are disqualified (Kroma News, September 23, 2020; Seav, October 8, 2020). The Prime Minister has warned that he would take legal action against the corrupt officials, but so far no one has been arrested (Voun, July 02, 2020).

In mid-February 2021, a few brokers and Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand bribed a police inspector of Kamrieng District, Battambang province, so that they need not have to observe the regulation governing the 14-day quarantine. The police inspector was arrested, stripped of his ranking and sent to the court; however, the brokers and the migrant workers managed to travel to Takeo province before the local authorities arrested them (Muny, 15 February, 2021; Kien, February 15, 2021). Another case which is even worse. After four Chinese had bribed the security guard of one hotel in Phnom Penh they were able free themselves from the quarantine and infected several people with Covid-19, which is the so-called Event of the 20th February25 (Taing, 9 March, 2021).

Political Opportunism

During the Covid-19 crisis, abuses of human rights and arrests of activists are on the rise in Cambodia. However, it is misleading to say that Covid-19 alone has contributed to the increase of abuses of human rights and the arrests. It is commonly acknowledged that prior to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic various countries in are reported to

25 0ut of 2273, the Cambodian total Covid-19 cases reported by 29 March 2021, the number of people inflected after this event is 1748 with 10 death. 20 have cases that have infringed upon human rights (Agarwal, June 11, 2020). The pandemic provides the Cambodian government with an opportunity to promulgate laws that otherwise might have been more difficult to enforce in pre-Covid-19 times.

The attempts by the government to introduce three laws and strict enforcement of the 2018 anti-fake news decree, known as “Publication Controls of Website and Social Media Processing via the Internet”, have raised the concerns of the public. The first law on the National Management in the state of emergency was criticized when its draft was released. Local and international human rights advocates called for the law to be abrogated or revised because the motives of government to pass the aforementioned law was suspicious and not in line with the rule of law (Heng, 2020). As it is expressed in the joint statement of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia), CIVICUS, Civil Rights Defenders, and Frontline Defenders:

Cambodia has a history of misusing legislation for silencing critics and human rights defenders, and to consolidate power in the hands of the ruling party. Its human rights record over the last years has been increasingly dismal. The dissolution of its political opposition and jailing of opposition members, as well as attacks on the press and against NGOs and unions, have shown that authorities are already willing and able to use and misuse the not explicitly worded laws to stifle dissent. This civic space backsliding over the past three years has, furthermore, meant that the law cannot be scrutinized by either an opposition party, or independent civil society. Such scrutiny is crucial for the principle of governing by consent (Forum-Asia et al., April 6, 2020). However, the law on Nation Management in a State of Emergency was eventually enacted on April 29, 2020. For the government, this law is supposed to help prevent any harm to the country and re-establish order, not to suppress anyone (Prak, April 10, 2020). However, according to Rhona Smith, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights issues in Cambodia, the law was not in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is meant to endow all people with the right to freedom of expression, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and freedom of movement (Phoung, April 18, 2020, Seewald, 2020).

The HRW, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), and many other local organizations, including the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) have voiced their concerns, particularly over the Articles 5 to 9, which allow the government to intrude into the privacy of individual via means of telecommunication, prohibit media and social media dissemination as a means of maintaining a vaguely defined “national security,” and the severe punishment of up to 10-year of imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 (HRW, April 2, 2020; ICJ, April 8, 2020; Pordié, 2020; Seewald, 2020). 21

The Cambodian Human Rights Committee, the Cambodian government agency, and Koeut Rith, the Minister of Justice, have justified the law as an indispensable legal means to protect the Cambodian people, maintain peace in Cambodia, and for social stability and development. The Cambodian Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva has attempted to point out that the criticism is baseless. It is directed only to Cambodia, whereas no similar criticism was given to more than 70 countries, which have enforced the same law during the Covid-19 pandemic26 (Seewald, 2020).

Another law that has been enacted is related to the public order. This law ostensibly aims at cracking down on illegal wandering street food vendors, but some people are concerned that it might be used to suppress freedom of speech and freedom of demonstration, since the local authorities are empowered to decide who is allowed to stay on the streets or in public places (Heng, 2020). This law also tries to keep a or physical distancing of 1.20 meters apart (Romdoul, August 4, 2020).

These concerns are understandable, as it occurs quite often that the government interprets the laws in doubtful ways. For instance, as in the case of the 600 workers protesting for a guarantee of their seniority payments and benefits from their factory, the Violet Apparel (Cambodia) Co., that has been closed down. Even the protest was peaceful, legally allowed by the law, was cracked down by the authorities for the simple reason that it was not permitted by the local authority or not in line with the Ministry of Health’s anti-Covid-19 guidelines (Khy, July 3, 2020).

Similarly, some activists known as the Khmer Thavrak Group were arrested on May 14, 2020 during a peaceful demonstration demanding a loan repayment for the poor and laid- off workers during the Covid-19 pandemic that has been suspended. Again some people were arrested on August 13 for holding a peaceful rally to demand the release of Rong Chhun, the president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions. He was detained after he had reported on the newly demarcated Cambodia-Vietnam border. According to the new demarcation rice- farming land belonging to the Cambodian province of Tbong Khmum (formerly the eastern part of Kampong Cham) is lost to Vietnam.

Hun Manet, the deputy commander-in-chief and eldest son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, justifies the arrest. He maintains that it is legal because he considered that the nature of the protest is an act of incitement encouraged by the overseas Cambodians and the members of

26 According to Seewald, the criticism was not made only to Cambodia, even Australian’s national security law or Northern Ireland’s Covid-19 emergency law faced similar review and criticism (2020). 22 the former opposition party, who asserted that the anti-protest measures of the government have infringed upon the human rights in Cambodia. This kind of protests should be contained; otherwise, it could topple public order, threaten national security, and endanger the peace that the legitimate government has nurtured (Jivita, September 10, 2020).

To support the stern measures of the Cambodian government taken to curb the protests, Khiev Sopheak, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, cites as a warning the anti- government protests of the Arab Spring, the uprisings that had overthrown several governments in the Middle East. He compares metaphorically the protests in Cambodia with “a small fire that could destroy the whole house” and maintains that if such small protests were prevented at the beginning, some of the Arabic governments could have successfully [stop the social unrests during the Arab Spring]. Therefore, we have to resort to the policy of “we meet one, and arrest one.” (Ben, September 9, 2020).

However, Sophal Ear, a Cambodian American associate professor based at Occidental College, considers the drastic measures of the government as “unlawful actions against national security and public order”, which have been decided and taken simply by whoever are in power (Heng, 2020).

Because some people ran away and did not observe the measure of 14-day quarantine, which is a precautionary measure taken against spreading of Covid-19, and as a result after 20 February, several hundred people have been infected, the Cambodian government has proposed a law on “Measures to Prevent the Spread of Covid-19 and other Serious, Dangerous and Contagious Diseases”.

The law was enacted on March 11. According to Article 7 and Article 8, people who ignore the guidelines on quarantine or measures taken, such as absconding from the obligatory quarantine [hotels] and have inflected others, will be sentenced to imprisonment for up to three years and pay a fine of between $500 to $2500. Those who are infected with Covid-19 but have absconded from the centres for compulsory treatment will be sentenced to 1 to 5 years of imprisonment or pay a fine up to $ 5000; if they have infected others they face an imprisonment of 5 to 10 years.

Although the law is drawn up with the good intention of improving the health system, the administration, and essential measures taken to fight against and prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other contagious diseases, and of mitigating socio-economic impacts, it is 23 criticized because of the heavy penalties imposed and hasty enactment without consulting the public or the stakeholders (Voun, 7 March, 2021; Human Rights Watch, 5 March, 2021).

Furthermore, while the law permits the government to legally assign a compulsory quarantine hostel or a treatment centre, the law does not set the quality or standard of the quarantine hostel or treatment centre. After one Chinese Covid-19 patient has died of toxin of consuming illicit drug, the prime Minister criticizes the treatment centre of the man where he was sent to. It does not meet the hospital standard and being sent to such a place even a healthy person would be sick (Heng, 7 March, 2021).

The government has issued a decree to prohibit the spread of fake news with serious consequences. The Government acknowledges that some Facebook users disseminate fake news related to the Covid-19 to create fear and attack the government (Voun, March 23, 2020). Hence, the Cambodian government regards those who spread fake news during the Covid-19 pandemic as terrorists; they are unlike ordinary criminals (Khuon, March 3, 2020).

However, the interpretation of the decree is disputable. For instance, Sovann Rithy, the director of the digital media network TVFB, was arrested because he reported that Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, had suggested that motor taxi drivers could sell their motorbikes to relieve their economic difficulties since the government had no financial aid for them. Sovann Rithy was charged with inciting chaos and jeopardizing social security27 (Reporters Without Borders, April 8, 2020; Seewald, 2020).

Moreover, the advocators of the local and international human rights still believe that the decree enforced is to a certain extent targeting at members of the dissolved Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), as nearly half of the arrested are former members of that party28 (HRW, April 29, 2020; Seewald, 2020). After May 30th, 2020, opposition leader Sam Rainsy appealed through his page in Facebook to Cambodian people. They are told to refuse to repay their bank-loans and micro-financiers until jobs are given back to them. The Prime Minister Hun Sen characterises the appeal as inciting social unrest and decrees that all appropriate measures are to be taken to enforce the repayment of loans, so much so that

27 Due to this arrest, he was awarded the 2020 Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award (DW, 3, May 2020). 28 Mu Sochua, an exiled former member of the dissolved CNRP aptly remarks: “There is no doubt that misinformation surrounding the coronavirus can be dangerous – leading, for instance, to false treatments or the scapegoating of vulnerable populations. But governments in Southeast Asia are resorting to disproportionate methods to fight misinformation by censoring both legitimate information and valid criticism that are vital to the promotion of transparency and accountability.” See Mu, May 22nd, 2020. 24 confiscation of the properties of the supporters of the appeal of Sam Rainsy is allowed (Morm, June 3, 2020; Maung, August 22, 2020; Brickell et al., 2020).

Gareth Evans, former Australian Foreign Minister and one of the architects of the Paris Peace Agreement of October 1991, criticized the Cambodian government of using Covid-19 as a pretext to silence any political opposition:

Ostensibly designed to save the community from the ravages of the coronavirus, there is already evidence that the new wide-ranging powers of surveillance, media and information suppression, and response to “obstruction” are being used to crack down on those who dare to question the government’s authority, with arrests, increased surveillance and public attacks on human rights activists (Evans, April 15, 2020). By observing the restricted space of civil society and substandard human rights practices, the Swedish government has decided to stop providing development aid to the Cambodian government from July 1, 2021 on (Phoung and Flynn, June 12, 2020; Neim, June 14, 2020). In a similar vein, the EU also has also decided to withdraw 20% of EBA aid from Cambodia after they could not see any outstanding restoration of human rights in Cambodia (European Commission, 2020).

Contested Geopolitics between China and the West The Covid-19 pandemic in Cambodia reflects that the Cambodian politics is increasingly leaning towards China (Heng, 2020; Seewald, 2020). Since the first few cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Cambodia, demands to close the airline routes with China and the evacuation of Cambodian students in Wuhan have been largely ignored by the Cambodian government.

The Prime Minister even brands those calling for imposing the travelling ban on China as malicious and irresponsible (Taing, March 14, 2020; Seewald, 2020). To demonstrate his solidarity with China, the Prime Minister decided to visit Beijing in February to show that he is a friend in need. He was applauded by the Chinese media as a handsome man who dared to go against the current to fight Covid-19 and is regarded a true friend of China (Grundy-Warr & Lin, 2020). While China was still the foremost epicentre with 81,000 Covid-19 cases and 3,218 deaths by March 16, 2020, the Cambodian government still agreed to continue the Dragon Gold 2020 military drills [with China] from March 15 to 30 (Khaliq, March 16, 2020; Jennings, March 18, 2020).

The friendly policy towards China can also be seen in the call of the Prime Minister Hun Sen for the non-discrimination towards the Chinese, even after the outbreak of the 25

Covid-19 on 20 February 2021 that was prompted by the bribery of some Chinese to abscond from quarantine, and resulted in more than 600 people in the community were infected and one death (Global Times, 26 February, 2021).

For the Prime Minister, Cambodia is economically dependent on China in terms of direct foreign investment, tourism, and the low interest loan. Chinese investments in Cambodia comprised 40% of the total 2019 FDI inflows//revenues ($ 2,845 million), and the Chinese tourist accounted for 32.6% of the total foreign tourists (6.61 million) in the same year. The trade volume between these two countries has reached $ 9.42 Billion and the Free Trade Agreement was already signed on October 12, 2020 with the expectation that the Cambodia-China trade volume will reach $ 10 billion in 2023 (Suy, September 16, 2020; CGTN, October 13, 2020).

Many development projects, especially the infrastructures in Cambodia are financed by the loans granted by the Chinese government, which recently reached nearly $ 5 billion or 38% of the total public debts (Ministry of Economy and Finance, September 2020). With this amount of loan, Cambodia is the sixth largest global debtor of China (Sun, December 20, 2020). China shows more favour to the Cambodian government. Either loans or grants received are perceived as unconditional that will not impair the independence of Cambodia or put its sovereignty at risk.

During his official visit to Cambodia on October 12, 2020, apart from addressing Cambodia as an old and true friend, Wang Yi, the Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, also assured Cambodia of China’s continuous support out of respect for the conditions of Cambodian national development, its national sovereignty and dignity. The relation of the two lands is based on the principal of non-interference of domestic and foreign policies of the partners 29 . In other words, Chinese government does not interfere in Cambodian internal affairs but instead supports Cambodia to overcome its challenges, especially the impacts related to Covid-19. For instance, China has promised to facilitate the supply of 1000 containers of raw materials to factories in Cambodia facing severe shortages, despite the Chinese supplying factories and shipping have not yet normalized (Hun, March 9, 2020).

Moreover, the Chinese government provides medicine and sends medical doctors to Cambodia to help treating patients infected with Covid-19 (Grundy-Warr & Lin, 2020; (Pordié, 2020). China also provided 600,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Cambodia as a

29 Please see https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/t1823800.shtml 26 gratitude to Cambodian prime Minister who visited China as a bosom friend when China confronted difficulties and was isolated by some countries (Khann, October 13, 2020; Hunt, 26 February, 2021; Xinhua, 8 February, 2021).

Source: Courtesy of Youk Chhang, Documentation Center of Cambodia

In contrast to the donations received from the Chinese, the donations, loans, financial assistance or trade preference provided by the West are perceived by the Cambodian government as given with conditions, especially in exchange for the recognition of western democratic values, such as human rights. The Cambodian government sees that some of the Western values are not suitable for the Cambodian society, and some could be regarded as meddling into Cambodian internal affairs.

Under the current government, the scanty democracy gained by Cambodia is backsliding prompting the condemnation of the U.S. and EU. The dissolution of CNRP in 2017, followed by the victory of the 2018 election without CNRP, Cambodia has a repressive environment. Under such political atmosphere, any critics of the government, such as the former CNRP members, independent press reporters and demonstrators are arrested (Morgenbesser, 2019). However, in the eyes of the Cambodian government it is necessary to take action against the CNRP and other critics since their actions are considered as attempts to destabilise the Cambodian society.

In 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation wrote an article in defence of the actions of the government. The article explains that the government ought to protect “Cambodia’s Ultimate Core Interest of Peace, Stability, Growth and Prosperity’ in 27

‘the Cambodian way”, which is the way to give more priority to “the rights to food, to housing, to health, to education, to create jobs than to give the rights to defame and insult, to publish fake news, to exacerbate racial hatred, and to provoke incidents with neighbouring countries.” The article also condemned the western countries for their interference and their support for the opposition to challenge the legitimate government, with the intention to shatter Cambodia’s peace and stability.

Since 1991, some Western governments have endeavoured to bring back their protégés/collaborators to rule Cambodia. During the 1993 UN organized elections, a senior UN officials of US nationality boasted that their goal was to expulse the CPP from power. In 1997, the same governments condemned the CPP for its efforts to prevent a coup the aim of which was to bring the Khmer Rouge back to power. Ever since the opposition enjoyed the financial and political support from the same Western governments. As grateful as Cambodia can be towards Western assistance throughout these years, the Royal Government still had to shoulder the main tasks of strengthening its democracy and nation building. History has proved that foreign-imposed agenda has never been favourable for Cambodia and, far on the contrary, it has led to bloodshed and senseless destruction. That cruel reality notwithstanding, some of those countries are bent on repeating their past mistakes as they push to provoke regime change albeit in more sophisticated and covert forms (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international Cooperation, 2018).

Of all the Western countries the discord between Cambodia and the U.S. is the earliest. The tensions between Cambodia and the U.S. were discerned even before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. government enforced sanctions on Hing Bun Heang, the head of the Prime Minister Bodyguard Unit, in June 2018, and Kun Kim, the former Chief of Joint Staff in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, in 9 December 2019. They were accused of involving in the grenade attack on opposition party members in 1997 and corruption respectively (Young, 2020).

The HR 526 Cambodia Democracy Act which Ted S. Yoho, the U.S. Representative of Restoring Democracy and Human Rights to Cambodia, has tried to introduce, is considered by the Cambodian authority as an act of limiting the sovereignty and inciting tensions in Cambodia. If this Act were passed then Cambodian Generalized System of Preferences status (GSP) and U.S market costed around $ 5 billion or 27% of Cambodian exported 28 manufacturing products might be affected and the Cambodian top leaders might be sanctioned, which means their assets could be frozen and travelling to U.S. banned. It is known that the Cambodian government has tried to mend this trouble relationship, but it seems to be in vain. Around mid-2019, the government spent $ 1.2 million to hire nine lobbyists to restore Cambodia-U.S. relation (Willemyns, June 7, 2019).

During the Covid-19 crisis, DeFaclco doubted the intention of the Cambodian government of rescuing Americans from the Westerdam. The donations of around $ 11 million by the U.S government to Cambodia for fighting against Covid-19 could have repair their souring relations (August 3, 2020). However, since recently the relations between the two lands have deteriorated again. The U.S government imposed sanctions on the Union Development Group (UDG) because the U.S. accused Cambodia of helping the Chinese government to redevelop a military base, to confiscate land illegally, and destroy local resources.

The Cambodian government vehemently rejects the U. S. accusations, but at the same time fuel is added to the flames. One of the buildings in the Ream Navel Base repaired with the U.S fund has been destroyed and reconstructed with Chinese support (Prak, October 4, 2020; Heng, 2020).

Similar tensions between Cambodia and EU could be observed, especially after the disbandment of the CNRP in 2017. The EU decided the conditions and told the Cambodian government to restore democracy and reinstate the commune and parliamentary membership of the CNRP, if it were to wish to retain the trade preference agreement for Cambodian export that costed up to 4.6 billion, comprising 25% of the total Cambodian export of manufacturing products in 2019 (Heng, 2020).

The Cambodian government defended its standpoint and maintained that the disbandment of the CNRP had nothing to do with violating human right or anything to do with restricting space of democracy. The CNRP was in fact an accomplice of the U.S., plotting to topple the CPP led government, which was the legitimate winner of the 2013 election (Phnom Penh Post, 4 September, 2017; Ben, March 25, 2019). To ease the tensions with the EU, the government consented to pardon the members of the dissolved party and allowed them to resume political life and create a new political party, on the condition that they would submit a written request for pardon (Taing, 4 June, 2019). 29

Even though the EU agreed to provide around $ 64 million to help Cambodia fight against Covid-19, it decided to deduct 20% from its trade preference granted to Cambodia because the progress of democracy in Cambodia remained stagnant, the arrest of alleged opponents continued, the travelling ban was not lifted, and the rights of Fair Trial for the CNRP’s leaders and senior members refused (Prak, December 10, 2019).

Nevertheless, the Cambodian government takes the reduction of 20% hard, and considers it bias and unfair towards Cambodia, especially when there is no reduction of any percent of aid granted to other communist countries, such as Vietnam. The deduction is decided during the Covid-19 pandemic, during a time when Cambodia is suffering great difficulties (Sun, September 28, 2020).

So much so that the Prime Minister Hun Sen warned the EU and the U.S. that they were repeating the same mistake they did in 1970s and 1980s for supporting the anti- government movements mainly the Lon Nol’s military coup and the Khmer Rouge, the chief perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide from 1975–79. In response to EU’s 20% withdrawal, Cambodia decided to have the FTA with China, South Korea, and Eurasia, with the expectation that Cambodia could still retains its rights to be a sovereign country, and could deal with its own internal affairs without any external interference.

Conclusion The Covid-19 epidemic is often wrongly treated as a hoax that has metamorphosed into a deadly pandemic. It was detected just slightly more than a year ago, but has killed more than 2.7 million of people worldwide; several millions of people are forced to hospitalise. The governments of many countries in the world have to readjust the life of the people and imposing strict measures of lockdown to restrict the spread of the lethal virus.

The unexpected outbreak of Covid-19 is a heavy blow to Cambodia. The government’s efforts to reduce poverty are disrupted. Currently, the country is suffering from a severe economic recession. Many people are unemployed and hundreds of thousands of workers are impoverished. Poverty is rising in Cambodia.

In response to damages caused by Covid-19, the Cambodian government has implemented various unprecedented remedial measures, such as tax breaks, extra holidays for affected businesses, as well as a nearly $2 billion financial stimuli for poor and vulnerable people, and laid-off workers in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. 30

Agricultural and SME related businesses have been given aid in the form of low interest loans. Although Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world, the government is humane. This is manifested in the provision of free treatment for both local and international patients and the humanity shown towards the passengers of the Westerdam cruise ship, which has been praised by the international community.

Compared with many other countries, Cambodia has hitherto been very fortunate to be able to avoid the most destructive impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, though its public healthcare system is still underdeveloped.

Apart from increasing the salaries and offering incentives to the medical staff, and improving the authorised hospitals and quarantine services, the government also shows understanding that various ethnic and religious groups have different views and perceptions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus the government uses their agents and networks to help explaining to the peoples so as to gain popular support for the government guidelines.

Buddhists are the majority in Cambodia. The monks are asked to perform the rituals and preach to the people not to fear the Covid-19. They should understand the danger and take precautious. The government recognises all religions. The traditions of Islam, Christianity, and indigenous religion are treated equally and seriously. Their religious interpretations of the epidemic are observed and they are shown to be in line with the government’s measures.

By recognising the values of the various religious groups and their interpretations of the Covid-19 pandemic, consequently the safety guidelines drawn by the government against the pandemic, such as praying at home, the hygiene of washing hands, seeking medical care from authorized hospitals and specialists, and the travelling ban to risky places, are supported by the people.

Encouraging the people to wear krama or krama masks and to practice the Sompeach, as both are icons of Cambodian national identity, the preventive measures against Covid-19 have to some extent convinced the people to fight against Covid-19 with national pride. However, Cambodia is still in troubled waters and needs to be very cautious. For example, the alarm bells sounded again from mid-February to 10 March 2021, when a total of 613 people, most of them Chinese, were tested positive for Covid-19.

To some extent, the Cambodian government’s measures have also been criticized for abusing human rights and not comprehensive enough. The attempt to enforce the new laws, such as the Law on National Management in the State of Emergency and the Law on Public 31

Order, have been criticized as not in line with international law. They could be used to silence dissenters, especially the former members of the dissolved opposition party.

During the Covid-19 crisis, a number of people were arrested during peaceful protests. They were charged with inciting riots in a public place. Some were detained and charged for the crime of disseminating fake news.

It is generally believed that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a crisis in Cambodia that required the unity of people from all corners of society to fight the pandemic effectively. The government should use appropriate measures, including providing the necessary information to the people, allowing public participation, mutual dialogue, and ensuring compliance with international law, instead of cracking down on critics. Threatening to use oppressive legal actions during these difficult times may prove to be more divisive than unifying the people of Cambodia.

The geopolitical rivalry between China and the West has become rather grave in Cambodia during the Covid-19 crisis. Cambodia depends on Chinese direct investments, loans, and tourism. Moreover, the political friendliness of China towards the Cambodian government, the Chinese generosity expressed in donating medicines, sending medical staff, and the promised of giving anti-Covid-19 vaccines, have made Cambodia lean more towards China than to U.S. and EU. The Cambodian government does not trust the governments of the US and the EU completely. The government suspects that their help has ulterior motives, i.e., interfere in internal political affairs of Cambodia and their assistance is given not unconditional. The Occidental governments at least hope that the Cambodian government will restore the dissolved opposite party, accept the Western concepts of democracy and human rights.

Nevertheless, the Cambodian government should be careful with China. Chinese loans to some developing countries have turned out to be a debt-trap; as the economy of the country is ruined by heavy debt more people of the country are landed in poverty. Cambodia’s tilt towards China could put the country in a disadvantageous position during negotiations of trade agreements or implementing foreign policies. Phnom Penh should try to balance its relations with China and the West since Cambodia still depends on Western tourism and investments very much. About 50% of exports of Cambodian manufactured goods are destined for the markets in the EU and the U.S.

32

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Tomas Larsson and Youk Chhang for many helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this paper. We are grateful to Foon Ming Liew- Herres for her substantial proof-reading and editing of the final version.

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Lor, S. (17 April, 2020). Covid-19 មិនបនរតតតេនវត្អរមនិងវហរសសនេនកម្ជេទ ( Covid- 19 did not transmit in Pagodas and other religious worshiping places in Cambodia). CCP. https://www.cpp.org.kh/details/197963?view=. Louis, J. (April 2, 2020). Covid-19 and Cambodia’s human rights concerns. The ASEAN Post. https://theaseanpost.com/article/covid-19-and-cambodias-human-rights-concerns Mahanty, S., & Green. W. N. (August 7, 2020). The evidence around Cambodia’s microfinance debate. SE ASIA GLOBE. https://southeastasiaglobe.com/unravelling-cambodias-microfinance-debate/.

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Morm, M. (April 24, 2020). កម្ករកម្ករនីកត់េដរបរម្ពីហនិភ័យៃនករឆ្ងកូរូណេន ក្ងេរងច្កនិង មេធបយេធ្ើដំេណើរដ៏ចេង្ត (Garment workers fear the risks of transmitting Corona in the factories and on the way travelling to and from work on crowded [roads]). VOD. https://vodkhmer.news/ 2020/04/28/garment-workers-risk-their-life-on-road-to-and-from- work-revised/. Morm, M., & Khut, S., Surrusco, M. (June 3, 2020). Hun Sen Vows to Arrest Economic Subversives, Three From CNRP Jailed. VOD. https://vodenglish.news/hun-sen-vows-to-arrest-economic- subversives-three-from-cnrp-jailed/. Mu Sochua. (May 22, 2020). Coronavirus ‘Fake News’ arrests are quieting critics. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/22/coronavirus-fake-news-arrests-quiet-critics-southeast- asia/.

Muny, R. (15 February, 2021). សេម្ចេតេជហ៊ុនែសន បឲបកសក្ិអធិករនគរបល្សុកកំេរៀងនិងចត់ករ តមផ្វចប់េរឿងេដះែលងេមខល់នំ មនុសឆ្ងែដនខុសចប់ (Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered to strip the Kamrieng District police inspector of his rank and filed lawsuit against him for his release of the brokers who smuggled people across the border). Rasmei News. https://www.rasmeinews.com/archives/431787. New Straits Times. (June 22, 2020). Cambodia to provide handouts to millions affected by Covid-19. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2020/06/602383/ cambodia- provide-handouts-millions-affected-covid-19. Niem, C. (July 02, 2020). Minister: Kingdom deserves applause. Phnom Penh Post. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/minister-kingdom-deserves-applause. Niem. C. (June 22, 2020). CPP to inaugurate new $ 30 million headquarters. Phnom Penh Post. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cpp-inaugurate-new-30-million-headquarters. Niem, C. (June 14, 2020). Sweden urges focus on democracy. Phnom Penh Post. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/ national-politics/sweden-urges-focus-democracy. Nit, B., Samy, A, L., Tan, S, L., Vory, S., Lim, Y., Nugraha, R, R., & Lin, X. Understanding the slow Covid-19 trajectory of Cambodia. Public Health in Practice, 2(2021), pp.1-3. https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S2666535220300720?token=C3EB5E22DBFA39D00 4413AECE9CF95B6748B8B1BE7752B7F11774E0A7051C3FB23AE08EE67B31D8D074CF CA1AF7F85A8. 39

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Ou, S. (August 14, 2020). Covid-19 េធ្ើឲកម្ជបត់ចំណល៣,០០០លនដុលរ ពីវស័យេទសចរណ៍ក្ងឆំ ២០២០ (Covid-19 causes Cambodia to lose credits worth of 3,000 million dollars from the tourism sector in the year 2020). Thmey Thmey. https://thmeythmey25.com/detail/88442?fbclid=IwAR3UHs- zgxv_yV0qZdH_sC7MIZAMcTEvRrNTc3m4-PjFGU6meqcf82owFRc. Pordié, L. (2020). Aid, Diplomacy, Autocracy: Entering the Covid-19 Crisis in Cambodia. Science, Medicine, and Anthropology. http://somatosphere.net.

Pech, S. (August 18, 2020). អជធរេខត្េសៀមរបផកករកមន្េនទីតំងផប់ស្ីក េ្កយមនមនុស្បមូល ផ្ំេ្ចើន (The authorities in Siem Reap province interrupt the Pub Street because of having too many people coming together). VOD. https://vodkhmer.news/2020/08/18/siem-reap-authority-close-pub-street-temporary-cause-of- worry-covid19/?fbclid=IwAR3_ TkQ6ZOBAlKIiwk7EeJtLu9eXm- YipJPk9mamfYerFbl_gFPKiFerjoM. Phin, S. (March 17, 2020). គណៈសងនយកឲ្គប់វត្អរមេទសនអប់រវធនករករពរ ជំងឺកូវដ១ ៩ដល់ពុទ្បរស័ទ (The Supreme Patriarch ordered all pagodas to preach people about the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic within the Buddhist community). VaYo. https://vayofm.com/news/detail/101117-415896895.html Phnom Penh Post. (4 September, 2017). Sokha arrested for ‘treason,’ is accused of colluding with US to topple the government. Phnom Penh Post. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sokha-arrested-treason-accused-colluding-us- topple-government. Phoung, V. (January 27, 2020). Ministry of Health tells mask sellers not to increase prices. Cambodianess. https://cambodianess.com/article/ministry-of-health-tells-mask-sellers-not-to- increase-prices. Phoung, V. (March 25, 2020). The prime minister threatened vendors caught price gouging with legal action as cost of masks and hand sanitizer soar amid COVID-19 fears. Cambodianess. https://cambodianess.com/article/hun-sen-orders-vendors-not-to-increase-price-of-facemasks. Phoung, V. (April 18, 2020). Cambodia Responds to U.N. Special Rapporteur’s Critique of the State of Emergency Draft Law. Cambodianess. https://cambodianess.com/article/ cambodia- responds-to-un-special-rapporteurs-critique-of-the-state-of-emergency-draft-law. Phoung, V &., Flynn, G. (June 12, 2020). Sweden to Cut Bilateral Aid to Cambodia Next Year. Cambodianess. https://cambodianess.com/article/sweden-to-cut-bilateral-aid-to-cambodia- next-year. Pierson, D. (April 15, 2020). New clothes pile up at Cambodian factories. Coronavirus forces U.S. brands to cancel orders. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/world- nation/story/2020-04-15/coronavirus-cambodia-garment-industry. Phorn, B.,& Khan, S. (May 16, 2020). ពលរដ្បរម្ខច្គឹះសនឥណទនរបអូស្ទពបំជងបរម្អំពី វរុសកូរូណ (Citizens fear banks more than the corona virus as loans loom over their heads).VOA https://khmer.voanews.com/a/families-fear-banks-more-than-virus-as-loans-loom-over-their- heads/5421925.html. 40

Prak, C. T. (December 10, 2019). U.S. Imposes sanction on Cambodian PM’s Associates over alleged corruption. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cambodia-usa/us-imposes-sanctions- on-cambodian-pms-associates-over-alleged-corruption-idUSKBN1YE0CF. Prak, C.T. (April 10, 2020). Cambodia adopts law to allow for emergency powers to tackle the coronavirus. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus- cambodia/cambodia-adopts-law-to-allow-for-emergency-powers-to-tackle-coronavirus- idUSKCN21S0IW. Prak, C.T. (October 4, 2020). Cambodia Says It Razes U.S.-built Naval Facilities to Move it. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cambodia-military-idUSKBN26P0JA Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers (Press OCM). (March 10, 2020). ស្មង់្បសសន៍សេម្ចេតេជ ហ៊ុន ែសន ពិធីែចកសប្តដល់និសិៃនវទ សនវន់ដ (Extracts of a speech by Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the ceremony of handing over certificates to students of Vanda College). https://pressocm.gov.kh/ archives/64440.

Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers (Press OCM). (March 25, 2020). ស្មង់ ្បសសន៍សេម្ចេតេជ ហ៊ុន ែសន សំេណះសំណលជមួយ្កុម្គសរស្័្គចិត្្បយុទ្ ្បឆំង ជំងឺ Covid 19 (Extracts of a speech of Samdech Techo Hun Sen in a friendly conversation with families volunteering in the fight against Covid-19).. https://pressocm.gov.kh/archives/65186.

Press and Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers. (June 22, 2020). ស្មង់្បសសន៍ សេម្ចេតេជ ហ៊ុន ែសន អេ្ើញពិនិតេមើលករដនសងសង់អកសយនដន អន្រជតិភ្ំេពញថ្ី (Extracts of a speech of Samdech Techo Hun Sen on the invitation to investigate the construction of a new international airport in Phnom Penh). https://pressocm.gov.kh/archives/66491.

Puy, V. (March 29, 2020). បុណ បិទភូមិ របស់ជនជតិព្ងេបើមនអ្កេចញឬចូល្តវផកពិន័យ (Village Lock-down Ceremony of the Bunong, if someone enters or depart will be fined). Kohsantepheap Daily https://kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh/article/1059621.html Radio Veritas Asia Khmer. (28 April, 2020). ្គប់និកយ្គីស្សសនេនកម្ជេប្ជរួមគទប់សត់ករឆ្ង រករលៃនជំងឺ Covid-19 (All Christian sects in Cambodia vowed to curb the Covid-19 pandemic). Radio Veritas Asia Khmer. https://khmer.rvasia.org/ពត៌មន /រគប់និកយរគីសតសសនេនកមពុជេបតជញរួមគនទប់សកត់ករឆលងរីករល-ៃនជំងឺ-covid-19. Reuters. (15 February, 2020). Trump Thanks Cambodia over Ship in Rare Message to China-ally. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/china-health-cambodia-cruiseship-idUSL8N2AF027

Romdoul, C. (August 04, 2020). េសចក្ី្ពងចប់ថ្ី ហមករជួបជុំេលើស២នក់ក្ង១, ២ែម៉្ត្កឡ, បរម្ពីកររតតិតសិទ្ិពលរដ្. ថ្ីៗ (About the draft of a new law prohibiting the gathering of more than two persons on 1.2 square metres. NGO fear about the curbing of civil rights). Thmey Thmey. https://thmeythmey.com/?page=detail&id= 94354&fbclid=IwAR0IhgRw65mBYuH_yQDB_uMIfg7f46cDV-RVFFlHquYTwfB67lK4- 8rB4GI. Ralph Jennings. (March 18, 2020). Shrugging Off Covid-19 Fears, China & Cambodia Hold Joint Military Drills. VOA. https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/shrugging-covid-19-fears- china-cambodia-hold-joint-military-drills.

RFI. (May 28, 2020). េលកសម រងីថធនគរេនកម្ជមួយចំនួនធំអចដួលរលំែតអ្កវភគេសដ្កិច្ ថមិនអចេនះេទ (Mr. Sam Rainsy says that a large number of banks in Cambodia might collapse but economic analysts say that this will probably not happen). RFI. https://www.rfi.fr/km/កមពុជ/20200528-សម-រងសុី-េសដឋកិចច-ធនគរ-សងគម-កមពុជ 41

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Sot, S. (March 31, 2020). Human Rights Watch េស្ើរដភិបលធនបប់ករេ្បើ្បស់ ពក េពចន៍េរ សេអើ ងជនរងេ្គះ (Asking the government to demand the stop of using insulting words against disadvantaged groups). VOD. https://vodkhmer.news/2020/03/31/hrw-ask-to-stop- discrimination-to-foreigners-and-minority-in-cambodia/. Sun, M. (March 8, 2020). $400 Million to fight Covid-19. Khmer Times. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/ 699477/400-million-to-fight-covid-19/. Sun, N. (September 28, 2020). At U.N. Meeting, Hun Sen Blasts E.U. Trade Sanctions As “Biased and Unfair”. VOA. https://www.voacambodia.com/a/at-un-meeting-hun-sen-blasts-eu-trade- sanctions-as-biased-and-unfair-/5600399.html Sun, N. (December 20, 2019). Ordinary Cambodians Can Only Look On, As Cambodia Ranks Among Most Indebted Countries to China. VOA. https://www.voacambodia.com/a/ordinary- cambodians-can-only-look-on-as-cambodia-ranks-among-most-indebted-countries-to- china/5212914.html. Suy, H. (September 16, 2020). The Cambodian Government must ensure its free trade agreement with China Has its People’s Interests at Heart. Policy Forum. https://www.policyforum.net/cambodias-free-trade-agreement-with-china/. 42

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