With the passing of another week ... and, yes, we are almost through the first quarter of 2007! ... it's time for another wrap of news from Cambodia.

I'll start out a Heng Pov update ...

We've been following the saga of this former PP police chief turned fugitive for months now, ever since Singapore kicked him out and he vanished before reemerging in Malaysia where he had temporary asylum, then was on his way maybe to Finland, then caught and brought back to Cambodia to face charges of kidnapping and ordering murders. (Whew ... that is a saga!)

Well ... surprise, surprise ... he's been cleared of the kidnapping charges.

The kidnapping charges seemed likely to lengthen his time in jail.

But the court dismissed claims that Heng Pov was involved in detaining and extorting money from a group of people accused of human trafficking.

It will not be his last court appearance of the week. The former police chief still faces murder charges relating to the death of a woman in custody.

He has alleged that he has been targeted because of his criticism of the government.

No doubt friends and enemies are a huge factor in the workings of Cambodia, and relatives perhaps even more so ...

A report on family ties in Cambodian politics is getting attention.

Last month the Phnom Penh Post published, without comment, a family tree that showed clearly how the leaders of the ruling party, the Cambodia People's Party, or CPP, have married themselves into an intermingled power base.

For instance, there is Hun Sen's brother, Hun Neng, currently serving as governor of Kompong Cham, whose daughter, Hun Kimleng, is married to the deputy commissioner of Cambodia's National Police, Neth Savoeun. Meanwhile, Hun Neng's son, Hun Seang Heng, is married to Sok Sopheak, the daughter of Sok Phal, another deputy commissioner of the National Police. Hun Sen's 25-year-old son, Hun Manith, is married to Hok Chendavy, the daughter of Hok Lundy, the National Police commissioner.

What a tangled web has been woven.

Of course, there's nothing new about nepotism and cronyism in politics anywhere, and Cambodia is certainly not an historic exception in any way. It was, of course, the King's son deposed by Hun Sen in the first place.

He's not a happy camper. Click here to read a transcript of him condemning his fraud conviction and talking about upcoming elections.

Can I suggest he might have a bit of an ego problem?

Oh, I think madam, I can have a party which bears my own name. There is no doubt about it and so I will continue to have my party, my canidates, who very, very eager now to compete in the elections. As for my political career, I think that the national community will realise once again that we cannot talk about democracy, about liberalism, about pluralism if Norodom Ranariddh and his party are not allowed to participate in the next general elections.

I bet he winks at himself in the mirror.

Continued ...