Continued from the previous post, where we'd just read about Hun Sen's lack of concern about Thailand's change in government.

These coup things tend to make despotic leaders edgy.

Hun Sen sent a warning to his own people, joking that when he visits Australia on October 8, similar events in Cambodia will not be tolerated.

'Do not try this when I am in Canberra. I will not let people do what they did to the former king. This is my message,'... more

It's Friday, so time for ... a wrap of news from Cambodia:

An Indonesian company, PT Medco Energi Internasional (MEDC), has taken over 90% of the, "exploration and exploitation fields in Block E off the Cambodian coast from the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority (CNPA)". MEDC has previously paid more than $4.5 million to the "social development project fund" of the Cambodian government.

Their new oil and gas deal gets the company 90% of what comes out of the ground when it starts... more

Another Friday, another post about what's up in Cambodia ...

The US is giving Cambodia pats on the back for being a, "steadfast ally in the war on terror," acknowledging that this very poor country has, " worked hard to root out militancy since the September 11 attacks."

"Over the past five years Cambodia has made great strides in securing its borders and rooting out terrorists that seek to use this country as a base of operations,"... more

Corruption in Cambodia. It happens. Bribes, graft, theft, influence peddling, intimidation ... all of the above and more. International adoptions from Cambodia have been stopped for folks in the US for coming up to five years because of corruption. This year's Global Corruption Report focused on the health sector closely, as "unfortunately, corruption is very high" in that area of national expenditure, and estimates that more than five percent of Cambodia's health budget... more

The coup in neighboring Thailand sent ripples of reaction across the border, but didn't make any real waves. Official statements from Phnom Penh that the situation was, "an internal matter for the Thai government," were immediately followed with assurances that everything in Cambodia is, "quite stable."

Defense Minister Tea Banh told reporters that the Cambodian Military remained united behind the government.

"There... more

Continued from here.

Talking about Cambodia ... Apparently, Indian tourism businesses are looking to invest big time In Cambodia, so are determined to put a happy spin on everything Khmer ...

More than 1.4 million tourists visited Cambodia last year and at least 1.1 million... more

The Cambodian government has managed to impress at least one US official with its efforts to make adoptions by US citizens "more transparent". Could this be the beginning of the end of the horrible suspension that's been keeping thousands of kids held hostage for the past almost five years? Fingers crossed, please ...

Maura Harty, US assistant secretary of state, said she had met with Long Visalo, secretary of state for the... more

And this story REALLY has me steaming ... so mad I could chew up my slow cooker and spit the results, with great accuracy, in a slapping hand pattern at the back of any blue-beret-bearing head in a passing white Land Cruiser ... this morning: Cambodia has made significant achievements in improving children`s health over the past five years, according to the United Nations Children`s Fund (UNICEF), VNA reported. The improvements were seen in child survival, child... more

I've been wondering about the story coming out of Cambodia about the new law passed last week that makes adultery a crime punishable by up to a year in jail. Not that I'm any big fan of philanderers ... there have been plenty of times when I would have loved to have seen my own personal dalliers dangling by their danglies for 365 days ... twelve months in a Cambodian clink seems an excessive penance when polygamy has been the order of the day in the Khmer royal family for centuries.

Ah... more

I've not done any Cambodian news in a while, so it's time ...

More hard luck for the poor in Phnom Penh, as slums are cleared to make way for new developments.

More than 3,000 families have had to leave their homes - and thousands more are set to follow.

... On Wednesday, police moved into one slum community during the night and dismantled dozens of dwellings. The action has continued into the weekend.

Most of the displaced residents have been offered... more