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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The Tourism Ministry also admitted the sector was struggling, but did not provide measures to help struggling tourism operators and workers. This only accentuates their reluctance to heed calls to invest in and diversify tourism options in the country. kouprey.substack.com/p/nbc-quells...

kouprey.substack.com

NBC quells persistent banking rumors

And the tourism ministry comes clean

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The NBC said new rumors about failing banks were untrue, after KB Prasac saw a few messages on social media questioning its stability. The incident illustrates a lack of faith in authorities, who have had to liquidate banks or restrict deposits to clean up the scam-ridden sector.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Last week, we looked at the wide disparity in minimum wage increases proposed by employers, who want it unchanged, and workers, who are looking for a $40 hike in basic wages. Also, Cambodia hosted its scam conference, which ended up being a wet blanket. Post: kouprey.substack.com/p/unions-pus...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Also, we could not under the media and society's obsession with Grade A students, following the release of Bac II results. Lastly, the UN and NBC met to discuss nominal actions taken to address the debt crisis hitting poor and vulnerable families. Link: kouprey.substack.com/p/not-a-scam...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Last week, we looked into the government's claim that no large-scale scam compounds remain in Cambodia. There is still skepticism about the validity of this claim and not to mention the government's failure to prosecute those most responsible for these mass crimes.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Also, @unicef.org has chosen to tie-up with Cambodian conglomerate OCIC, which has a history of forced evictions impacting low-income families. The program intends "to create lasting, positive impact for children, families, and communities.” Post: kouprey.substack.com/p/cpp-wrests...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

This week we crunched the numbers on the potential implications of proposed amendments to the Law on Commune Administration. The amendments will likely result in the CPP getting more first and second deputy positions in commune councils, reducing leadership positions for opposition parties.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

It is now clear that Sokha has taken a decision to benefit his family and turned his back on the opposition movement he led for years. He joins a long list of activists and politicians who have had to apologize for frivolous convictions and defect to the CPP. kouprey.substack.com/p/the-kem-fa...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

This week we looked at the appointment of Kem Monovithya, Kem Sokha's daughter, as a special envoy to the government to increase investment and resolve the border issue with Thailand. The development came as a surprise to some Sokha supporters, who were waiting for his next move.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Additionally, three new scam-linked banks are being liquidated, says the NBC, revealing the financial sector's exposure to scams & money laundering. Lest we forget other troubled banks: Prince Bank, Huione Pay, H-Pay and Panda Bank. This week's post: kouprey.substack.com/p/special-ra...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews visited Cambodia recently & pushed for Cambodians to return to their homes along the border. Also LICADHO, posted maps showing the Thai military razing homes on occupied Cambodian territory. This ignited a heated back-and-forth b/w the two countries.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Also, tourism numbers released by the government for 2026 are abysmal, with Chinese, Korean and ASEAN tourists skipping the country. The reputational damage from scam compounds, and the Thai armed conflict last year, have dealt a heavy blow to the sector. kouprey.substack.com/p/china-thro...

kouprey.substack.com

China throws the book at Chen Zhi

And IOM says we have a trafficking and criminality crisis

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

We also read an astounding report from the International Organization for Migration, which makes it seems like the UN agency just found out about the human trafficking and forced labour linked to the scam sector in the region. Link: shorturl.at/CCDbM

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Ooops we forgot to post this week's post! We looked at charges faced by Prince Group chairman Chen Zhi in a Chinese court. We also discuss the lack of reasoning provided by the government who should have wanted to prosecute Zhi for alleged crimes committed in Cambodia.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Hello hello! This week we looked at the human toll a year after Cambodia and Thailand started firing at each other as the border conflict escalated last July. We also analyzed Japan's decision to give Cambodia defense aid: kouprey.substack.com/p/the-human-...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Read about the First Family's business holdings, which is getting increasingly harder to ascertain because of transparent efforts to obscure public information available on the Ministry of Commerce business registry: kouprey.substack.com/p/private-in...

kouprey.substack.com

Private Interests

Ten years on, the Hun family business empire remains omnipresent

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

This is not an exhaustive exposé of the businesses run by Hun Manet’s extended family. It does illustrate how the First Family’s private interests are deeply intertwined with the Cambodian economy, and that conflicts of interest and kleptocracy are still the modus operandi of the family.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

This week, we looked at the corporate holdings of the First Family, their spouses and a few cousins. We found still vast empires of businesses and brands permeating the daily lives of daily Cambodians. From media, soap, steak houses, cinemas and SIM cards — they have it all.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

After writing about the death of political commentator Kem Ley last week, this week we looked at one of the potential triggers for his killing: comments on the wealth amassed by Hun Sen's family. Day before his death, Ley spoke to the media about the Global Witness report and its findings.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Last week, we looked at the legacy of slain political commentator Kem Ley, who was known for his defiance against the elite, & push for grassroots democracy & political accountability. But he did espouse hateful rhetoric against ethnic Vietnamese groups. kouprey.substack.com/p/a-decade-s...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Tourism numbers reveal the sector is struggling to return to pre-Covid levels and we looked at how young Cambodians had a meltdown after the government blocked the popular networking site Discord as part of its scam crackdown. Read: kouprey.substack.com/p/hun-sen-pr...

kouprey.substack.com

Hun Sen proclaims complete land trade ban with Thailand

And the government hides the history of corporate dealings

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

If you missed last week's post, Hun Sen declared that all land trade with Thailand was outlawed, even though there has been no public announcement from the government. We also looked at attempts to obscure corporate ownership data through updates to the Ministry of Commerce business registry.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

The Interior Ministry is looking to convert a known scam site in Prey Veng into a correctional center, and Amnesty International reports that the ongoing scam crackdown is not all that it's cracked up to be. Read the full post here: kouprey.substack.com/p/hun-sen-bl...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

This week we looked at four different stories using a new format. We assessed Hun Sen's admission that military losses to Thailand were his fault, and that his son should not be blamed. Also, the World Bank said poverty in the country will increase if oil prices remain high.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

We also looked at a potentially new contractor aiding Cambodia's PR overdrive. UK firm Thorndon Partners seems to have been employed to manage the narrative on Cambodia's overlapping claims with Thailand in the Gulf of Thailand. Read more: kouprey.substack.com/p/the-sancti...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Hello World! In this week's post we look at sweeping sanctions placed on Cambodian elites, businesses persons and companies based in the country. The spread shows how the criminal elements of the economy are increasingly overlapping with legitimate parts of the economy.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

The Herd also looked at social media uproar around @WSJ's use of the term "Scambodia" in an enterprise story about the pervasiveness of scam operations in Cambodia. Rather than react to a headline, we think it's better to reflect on why scams are this closely tied to Cambodia.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Hi! This week we looked at the arrest of a trans woman who was detained for posting about a drunk driving fine they were given by police but later charged with falsifying their gender on an ID Card, highlighting the harassment faced by LGBTQ+ people. kouprey.substack.com/p/police-acc...

kouprey.substack.com

Police accuse trans person of using falsified documents

And a lot of hullabaloo over a WSJ story

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

We also looked at the expulsion of Huione's Li Xiong to China last week — similar to Chen Zhi's removal earlier this year — and how the only justice they faced in Cambodia was revocation of his Cambodian citizenship. Kouprey: kouprey.substack.com/p/chens-lega...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

In this week's post, we look at how Prince Group's legal team questioned the provenance of the $15 billion in BTC seized by the US @TheJusticeDept and if it was linked to crimes alleged in an indictment filed last year against Prince founder Chen Zhi and associates.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Also, if you missed our special report on the naturalization of foreigners in Cambodia, here is a link: kouprey.substack.com/p/citizenshi... You can access the data on Mekong Independent: mekongindependent.com/2026/03/camb...

kouprey.substack.com

Citizenship Inc.

A new data project from Kouprey

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

The scam crackdown also reveals a new government media strategy, one that takes a page from Thailand's engagement with the media during the border conflict last year. PM Manet is now actively courting the international media, talking about the scam crackdown and border conflict.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Hello from Kouprey. This week we looked at whether the government's so-called XXL crackdown on scams and whether it is as effective as government surrogates and local media are claiming. Link: kouprey.substack.com/p/cambodia-t...

kouprey.substack.com

Cambodia touts its scam crackdown

And the government likes the media - well, the international kind

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

This week @KoupreyNL looks at Cambodia's trade relations with China & if it is translating to development on the ground. Also, we break down why the government is so skittish about admitting loss of land to Thailand. kouprey.substack.com/p/trade-with...

kouprey.substack.com

Trade with China gets more lopsided

And Manet is beating around the land-loss bush

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

This week we mapped the reported positions of the Cambodian and Thai armies along the border and analyzed which side had gained or lost land. This is based on photos and videos found online, satellite imagery and the claimed positions of both militaries. kouprey.substack.com/p/thailand-e...

kouprey.substack.com

Thailand encroaches past contested zones as conflict settles

And Chen Zhi is deported to China

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Hello hello and happy new year! As promised, we will be more diligent about posting the weekly newsletter on social media. If you are new to Kouprey, you can view our old posts or subscribe on our microsite: kouprey.substack.com

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Plus, we have all the stories you might have missed from last week in our news list. That's it for this week. See you in December! Link: kouprey.substack.com/p/sexual-vio...

kouprey.substack.com

Sexual violence allegation hits border dispute

And the scam sanctions fallout reaches other countries

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

We also looked at how this young woman has been thrust into the middle of a conflict — which is only seeing an increase in vitriolic rhetoric on both sides of the border — with no seeming care or concern for her well-being.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

...that it has properly investigated the gang-rape accusation, and from what we know, it seems like they have not asked for local or international groups to aid in the investigation.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Hello hello! We are back this week with a post on the sexual violence allegations that made news in both countries last week. Kouprey looked at how the Cambodian government, which is allergic to accountability and transparency, has again failed to make a compelling case...

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

You can subscribe to the newsletter here: kouprey.substack.com/subscribe or look out for new posts on the website or social media. You can also email us at kouprey.contact@gmail.com if you have any feedback or want to share any information with us. Thanks!

kouprey.substack.com

Subscribe to Kouprey

Click to read Kouprey, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Note: Malaysian state media Bernama initially reported that a mine that injured four Thai soldiers last week was "not new." However, just as we hit publish on the newsletter, Bernama corrected their article to say the mine was "new." Here is the link: www.bernama.com/en/world/new...

bernama.com

Malaysia Ready To Hold Thailand-Cambodia Talks To Preserve Ceasefire - Mohamad Hasan

Mohamad Hasan, Thailand, Cambodia, peace process,

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

In this week's post, we looked at another flare-up along the Cambodia-Thailand border, plunging the peace agreement into uncertainty, and seemingly dashing hopes for the reopening of the border and resumption of trade. Enjoy reading: kouprey.substack.com/p/peace-deal...

kouprey.substack.com

Peace deal paused as border tensions spike

And anti-scam ops chug along

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

If this interests you and you want to read more, head to kouprey.substack.com where you can dive into the "archives" or subscribe to our weekly newsletter. You can also reach out to us at contact.kouprey@gmail.com and send us your feedback or if you want to share information with Kouprey. Ta!

kouprey.substack.com

Kouprey | Substack

Click to read Kouprey, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

How do I read Kouprey? So, here is our newsletter for this week that follows the sanctions against Prince Holding Group and its owner and adviser to the prime minister Chen Zhi: kouprey.substack.com/p/prince-gro...

kouprey.substack.com

Prince Group in the crosshairs

And Korea gets serious after scam-related death

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Why follow Kouprey? Well, aside from having access to less news, people following news in Cambodia are also lacking insights. It's hard to make sense of the narratives at play — connections between people & companies, historical context & geopolitical significance. And that's where we come in.

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thekouprey.bsky.social @thekouprey.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Hello and welcome to Kouprey, a new (well, new to bsky) Cambodia newsletter launched in May 2025 to help fill the ever-dwindling information landscape in the country. We’ve been a little slow to get Kouprey to the hellscape that is social media but from now we will try to post regularly here.

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