The opening of the new National Assembly building in Phnom Penh is timed to coincide with the ten-year anniversary of Prime Minister Hun Sen's victory over Prince Ranariddh.

I suppose that's appropriate.

Too bad it marks a time when scores of people lost their lives in political in-fighting and the beginning of an era that's seen no serious challenge to the CCP ... the PM's party ... since.

The government does happily point out, however, that the country is developing by leaps and bounds and that the elections held earlier this year were deemed 'free and fair'.

If you're near Long Beach, California, you probably already know that an area of that city has been official designated as "Cambodia Town".

Anaheim Street between Junipero Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard will now officially be recognized as the heart of the 17,000 member strong Cambodian-American community in Long Beach.

Cool.

Meanwhile, back in Cambodia ...

Scientists are worried about the population of water snakes in the Tonle Sap.

Asia's largest freshwater lake is being depleted of snakes ... a tasty treat in Cambodia ... to the tune of about seven million each and every year.

There's no hope of banning the slaughter, but there are suggestions of suspending snake killing activities during the breeding season in November and December.

Here's a story that comes as no surprise ... the Khmer Rouge tribunal could soon run out of money.

A budget of $56.3 million and not yet one case heard. If this doesn't have UN written all over it, I don't know what does.

For more, here's news from the horse's ... um ... okay, mouth -- that would be the UN-- making a pitch for KR trial funds. Not pretty, but worth a look.

Especially telling?

How about this?

At Monday's briefing, the chief of the UN's Office of Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel whispered to his associates, and then announced that the second half of the meeting was for "interested delegations" only. It does not appear that any audits were released, even after the press was, in essence, ordered out of the room.

Lest anyone thinks the Cambodians provide all the corruption in Cambodia ... well, them and big old multinational organizations that go through money like a hippo goes through grass -- and with about the same result ... here's a look at a former senior Australian cop who has been shipped back to PP to face charges of armed robbery and drug dealing.

The VOA has another story on land-grabbing that deserves a read.

It's pretty much another look from other angles at the fallout from the Global Witness report I've written about before, but does quote from some different people, including the executive director of the Community Legal Education Center, which provides legal aid to victims.

Unfortunately, news like this isn't going to make the situation any better: Vietnamese and Cambodian companies have inked a deal to explore mining possibilities in Cambodia over the next few years.

Great.

In response to the horrific plane crash last week that took the lives of 22 people, the government has announced that they will introduce a safer air route between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. This will take twice as long, but avoid the mountains.

From the London Times Online, "A Plague in Paradise", an extensive report of sex slavery in Cambodia.

In addition to some fine reporting, the article lays out these figures:
30,000 -- the number of sex slaves in Cambodia today
8,000 -- the number in Phnom Penh alone
124 -- the number of brothels in PP
83 -- the number of massage parlours
56 -- the number of karaoke bars
5 -- a common age for a sex slave

Read it and weep.