SOPHENG CHEANG

Cambodian prominent opposition politician Rong Chhun greets his supporters near the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian court convicts prominent politician of incitement in latest legal move to stifle opponents
A Cambodian court has convicted a prominent opposition politician of incitement and sentenced him to four years in prison, in the latest legal move to stifle criticism of the government of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
 
In this photo released by Japanese Embassy to Cambodia, A Japanese warship docks at a naval base's pier during a four-day visit at the Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, southwestern of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Japanese Embassy to Cambodia via AP)
Cambodia welcomes Japanese navy ships to naval base that US suspects is for China’s special use
Two Japanese naval ships have docked at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, whose recently completed Chinese-funded upgrade has heightened U.S. concerns that it will be used as a strategic outpost for China’s navy in the Gulf of Thailand.
 
A view from a water gate to the Funan Techo Canal connecting from Mekong River at Prek Takeo village, eastern Phnom Penh Cambodia, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
China and Cambodia agree on financing for a 94-mile canal linking the Mekong to the Gulf of Thailand
Cambodia and China have signed a $1.2 billion deal to finance an ambitious canal project that aims to boost trade efficiency by linking a branch of the Mekong River near Phnom Penh to a port on the Gulf of Thailand.
 
In this photo released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), Chinese President Xi Jinping reviews the Royal Palce honorary guards as he is accompanied by Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, right, during a send-off ceremony at Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AKP via AP)
China’s leader ends Southeast Asia tour touting Beijing’s reliability vs. US tariff threats
Chinese President Xi Jinping has capped a three-nation Southeast Asian tour in Cambodia by promoting Beijing’s reliability as the region faces U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs that threaten its export-oriented economies.
 
In this photo released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, right, and Chinese President Xi Jingping attend a welcome ceremony at Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AKP via AP)
China’s leader Xi Jinping holds talks in Cambodia to wrap up his 3-nation Southeast Asia tour
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Cambodia for a two-day state visit that serves as an opportunity to further strengthen already robust relations.
 
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet arrives for presiding over an official inauguration of the Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, southwestern of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodia’s leader presides at ceremony for upgrade of naval base with help from China
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has presided over the opening of an expansion of his country’s main naval base, which analysts and the U.S. government suspect will be used as a strategic outpost by China.
 
Cambodian workers work inside an under construction of a new airport of Techo International Airport at the outskirts of Phnom Penh Cambodia, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
A major new airport to serve Cambodia’s capital and boost tourism is due to open in July
Cambodia expects its new airport to serve the capital Phnom Penh will open in July. It’s a major step forward in boosting the country’s lucrative tourism sector whose growth was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Cambodian navy crew stand on a patrol boat at the Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, southwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
Cambodia says expanded port funded by China opening next month - with first call from Japanese navy
A Cambodian naval port expansion funded by China that has raised concerns over Beijing’s growing military reach has been completed and a Japanese vessel will be the first foreign warship to make a port call.
 
In this photo taken between 2020- 2021 and released by Fauna & Flora, elephants roam at Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia. (Fauna & Flora via AP)
The Asian elephant population in Cambodia is more robust than previously thought, a study finds
A genetic study of Asian elephants in northern Cambodia reveals a larger and more robust population than previously thought, raising hopes the endangered species could slowly recover.
 
This February 2025 image provided by the Apsara National Authority, shows a headless statue excavated by archaeologists at the Angkor temple complex in Cambodia's Siem Reap province. According to archaeologists, the head of the same statue was dug up in 1927 and is now in Cambodia's National museum in the capital Phnom Penh, and the two parts may be reattached for display. (Apsara National Authority via AP)
The torso of a Buddha statue has been found at Cambodia’s Angkor temple complex
Archaeologists in Cambodia are celebrating an unexpected find at the country’s centuries-old Angkor temple complex: the torso of a statue of Buddha that matches a head found nearly a century ago at the same site.
 
In this photo released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, right, shakes hands with Gen. Ronald P. Clark, left, the commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, left, during a welcome meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AKP via AP)
Top US general in Asia-Pacific visits Cambodia to boost relations
The top U.S. Army officer for the Asia-Pacific region was in Cambodia in the latest visit by U.S. officials aimed at improving estranged ties between the two nations and their militaries. The two-day visit by Gen. Ronald P.
 
This photo provided by Cambodia Mine Action Center shows a deminer from the Cambodia-Mine Action Center inspects fragments of a decades-old rocket-propelled grenade that killed two cousins, a girl and a boy both two years old, when it exploded Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025 in Kranhuong village in Siem Reap province’s Svay Leu district in Cambodia. (Cambodia Mine Action Center)
A decades-old rocket-propelled grenade kills 2 toddlers who found it in the Cambodian countryside
Officials in Cambodia say a rocket-propelled grenade believed to be more than 25 years old has detonated and killed two cousins, a girl and a boy both 2 years old. It blew up Saturday near their homes in rural northwestern Cambodia, officials said.
 
The front gate of Tuol Sleng genocide museum in Pnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
Cambodia passes bill toughening penalties for denial of Khmer Rouge genocide
Cambodian lawmakers have approved a bill that will toughen penalties for anyone denying that atrocities were carried out in the late 1970s under the rule of the Khmer Rouge, whose brutal policies are blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people.
 
FILE- A Cambodian National flag flutters above barbed wire set up by police near the Council of Ministers building while garment workers gather for a rally in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Dec. 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
Concerns grow over press freedoms in Cambodia after British journalist blacklisted from the country
Cambodia’s Interior Ministry confirmed Wednesday it had blocked a British journalist known for his reporting on human rights abuses and environmental issues from the country, an incident that comes amid growing concerns over press freedom in the Southeast Asian nation.
 
Cambodian police detain a Thai man suspected of gunning down Cambodian ex-lawmaker in Bangkok
Cambodian police say they have apprehended a Thai man suspected of gunning down a former opposition politician from Cambodia in a popular Bangkok tourist area.
 
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet sits as his attends an opening the 11th plenary session of the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP), in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
Cambodian court gives an opposition leader 2-year prison term, keeping pressure on critics
A Cambodian court has convicted an opposition party leader of inciting social disorder and sentenced him to two years in prison, the latest legal assault on opponents and critics of the government of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
 
A Cambodian police officer, foreground, walks in front of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Jan. 14, 2020 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
Court sentences Cambodian businessman to 31 years in prison for killing of young couple
A Cambodian real estate entrepreneur, whose killing of a young couple sparked public outrage, has been sentenced to the maximum 31 years in prison.
 
Cambodian naval troop stand for welcoming USS Savannah as it arrives for a port call at Sihanoukville port, Cambodia, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
For the first time in 8 years, a US Navy ship makes a port call in Cambodia, a top Chinese ally
A U.S. Navy warship has arrived in Cambodia, the first such visit in eight years to a nation that is China’s close ally in Southeast Asia. Cambodia’s government has suggested the port call reflects an upgrade in often-strained relations.
 
In this photo released by the official Facebook page of the Ream Naval Base, Cambodian navy crew stand on a patrol boat at the Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, southwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. (Ream Naval Base's Facebook page via AP, File)
A US Navy ship will make its first port call in 8 years in Cambodia, a close ally of China
A U.S. Navy warship will make a port call next week in Cambodia, China’s close ally in Southeast Asia, the first such visit in eight years.
 
FILE -A Cambodian vendor transports lotus flowers past King Norodom Sihamoni's portrait in front of Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith), File)
13 women convicted in Cambodia of acting as pregnancy surrogates for foreigners
Thirteen women from the Philippines have been convicted on human trafficking-related charges for acting as surrogates in Cambodia for a ring selling babies to foreigners for cash.
 
FILE - Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet attends the East Asia Summit at the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Thailand deports 6 Cambodian activists facing treason charges over critical Facebook comments
Six Cambodian activists charged with treason for comments criticizing the government on Facebook have been deported from Thailand to stand trial, a pro-democracy group said.
 
A Cambodian Mine Action Center, CMAC, staff member checks a mine detector at a minefield in Preytotoeung village, Battambang province, Cambodia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
The UN chief and pope call for nations to end the use of antipersonnel land mines
The U.N. chief, Pope Francis and others are calling for nations to end the production and use of land mines, even as their deployment grows. They made the appeal Monday at a conference on the 25-year-old Mine Ban Treaty that opened in Cambodia.
 
FILE - Cambodian freelance journalist Mech Dara, who was released on bail waves from a car in front of the main provincial prison of Kendal Province, southern Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
After his arrest for Facebook posts, a Cambodian reporter says he will become a farmer instead
It’s tough being a reporter in Cambodia, whose government frowns on independent journalism that questions authority.
 
This handout photo provided by Apsaras National Authority shows a centuries-old sandstone statue being measured at Angkor Thom in Cambodia, Oct. 24, 2024. (Phouk Chea/Apsaras National Authority via AP)
Cambodian archaeologists discover a dozen centuries-old sandstone statues at Angkor UNESCO site
Archaeologists in Cambodia have unearthed a dozen centuries-old sandstone statues in a “remarkable discovery” at the Angkor World Heritage Site near the city of Siem Reap.
 
Pregnant Philippine women arrested in Cambodia for surrogacy could be prosecuted after giving birth
A senior government official in Cambodia says that 13 pregnant Philippine women accused of illegally acting as surrogate mothers in Cambodia after being recruited online may face prison terms after they give birth.
 
FILE - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, centre left, stands next to his father and former prime minister Hun Sen, center right, during the country's 70th Independence Day, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith), File)
Cambodian maid is arrested and deported by Malaysia for criticizing Cambodia leaders on social media
A Cambodian woman who worked as a maid in Malaysia has been arrested and deported to her homeland for comments she posted on social media criticizing Cambodian government leaders.
 
Cambodian freelance journalist Mech Dara in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Feb. 21, 2021. Mech Dara was arrested on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 while driving with his family to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
A Cambodian reporter who exposed scams charged over online posts
A Cambodian reporter who exposed online scams and corruption was charged with a criminal offense that could land him in prison for two years for material he posted on social media.
 
Cambodian freelance journalist Mech Dara in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Feb. 21, 2021. Mech Dara was arrested on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 while driving with his family to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
A Cambodian reporter who investigated online scam centers has been arrested
A Cambodian freelance reporter noted for his bold investigative reporting in a country with limited press freedom has been arrested.
 
Chhim Sithar, president of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld, gestures as she meets her supporters in a club at the outskirts of Phnom Penh Cambodia, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, after the union leader was freed from prison on Monday after serving time for her part in a strike against the country's biggest casino. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
A union leader freed from prison vows to continue a strike against Cambodia’s’s biggest casino
A Cambodian union leader freed from prison after serving time for her part in a strike against the country’s biggest casino has vowed to continue the labor action until justice is done.
 
In this photo released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), Cambodian tycoons, Ly Yong Phat, left, attends the welcome the return of cultural treasures of artifact statues ceremony in Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Aug. 22. 2024. (AKP via AP)
Cambodia decries US sanctions against one of its top tycoons implicated in forced labor
Cambodia has decried newly imposed U.S. sanctions on one of its tycoons who has been implicated in forced labor, human trafficking and lucrative online scams.
 
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