In 2023, U.S. investigators subpoenaed a major U.S.-based pharmaceutical research firm because of exotic monkey shipments it had received from an alleged “international primate smuggling ring” originating from Cambodia. Charles River Laboratories said it would cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice officials, and suspended shipments of primates to its U.S. labs from Cambodia. But as one route for the drug-testing monkeys shut down, another opened wider – from Cambodia to Charles River’s labs in Quebec, Canada. From massive caged enclosures in provinces near Phnom Penh, long-tailed macaq ..read more

Securing a loan can be a life-changing event, allowing people to access the capital necessary to start a business, buy a home, and invest in their future. But for Cambodia’s large underbanked and unbanked population, difficulty in accessing financial services, and an absence of the financial data used to assess creditworthiness, can make getting a loan challenging. According to the National Bank of Cambodia, only 59 percent of the adult population have access to formal financial services, leaving 41 percent either accessing informal financial services or no financial services at all. Howe ..read more

In Vietnam, however, advocates of environmental, climate, community and workers’ rights are unable to weigh in, instead facing threats, intimidation and arbitrary arrest. Discussions about Vietnam’s $15.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) are happening behind closed doors – between banks, government officials and corporations.  Concerned members of civil society have no opportunity to provide meaningful feedback or input, or to engage freely with colleagues in other countries where similar plans are moving ahead.  Six prominent advocates of climate and energy justice ..read more

វល្លិ៍ដ៏ស្អេកស្កះព័ទ្ធជុំវិញរថយន្តដឹកឈើមួយគ្រឿង ដែលគេទុកចោលហាលខ្យល់ហាលភ្លៀង​​ពីរដូវវស្សា​ នៅក្នុងព្រៃជ្រៅ ប្រែទៅជាខ្មោចឡានដែលពោរពេញទៅដោយច្រេះចាប់ និងពុកផុយយ៉ាងខ្លាំង។ នៅតាមផ្លូវដើរក្នុងព្រៃ ខ្ញ៉ំដើរតាមឧទ្យានុរក្ស នៅពេលដែលពួកគាត់ធ្វើការសិក្សា អំពីជីវចម្រុះនៅក្នុងតំបន់អភិរក្ស ដែលភាគច្រើននៃតំបន់នោះ នៅមិនទាន់បានគេចូលដល់់នៅឡើយទេ។ នេះជាឧទ្យានជាតិវីរៈជ័យ ជាតំបន់អភិរក្សធម្មជាតិដ៏ស្រស់ស្អាតមួយ របស់កម្ពុជាដែលមិនមានការរំខានពីខាងក្រៅ ហើយស្ថិតនៅតំបន់មេគង្គដែលមានការអភិវឌ្ឍដ៏លឿន។ លោក ធន់ សុខុន  ..read more

The quiet transfer of a major casino in Vietnam from the former company of an imprisoned gambling tour kingpin to a billionaire Hong Kong family suggests China’s massive gaming industry still sees potential in Southeast Asia. Driven by Chinese government crackdowns from the casino enclave of Macau, some organisers of VIP gambling tours – known as junkets – appear to be enduring the storm while also transferring business elsewhere in their regional networks. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, locally owned gambling operators are restyling themselves to snap up Chinese whales of their own, potentially cutti ..read more

Three years ago Cambodia defied the global push for clean energy by doubling down on fossil fuels. After companies and embassies expressed concerns about coal, the Cambodian government pledged that its plans to develop three new coal-fired power plants would be the Kingdom’s last foray into coal-fuelled electricity. Since 2020, energy production globally has continued to diversify away from coal, as volatile markets rock the industry and spike fuel prices. Despite surviving China’s funding cuts to overseas coal, the planned power plants in Koh Kong and Oddar Meanchey are in varying stages of i ..read more

បីឆ្នាំក្រោយការប្រើប្រាស់ទ្វេរដងលើផូស៊ីលឥន្ធនះ ក្តីសង្ឃឹមរបស់កម្ពុជាលើថាមពលធ្យូងថ្ម កំពុងធ្លាក់ចុះ  ..read more

The skeletal exterior of one of the newest coal power plants in Cambodia sat silent amongst farmland in Oddar Meanchey. On a still afternoon at the very end of June, weeds entangling brick stacks, cement mixers and truck tires showed construction at the Han Seng plant had been long paused. Locals toasting to happy hour down the road from the front gate of the site complained of months of delayed pay for a relative working there as a security guard, adding there was no set date for operations to resume. There was little more information at the nearby Ou Svay commune hall. “Maybe the plan change ..read more

Additional reporting by Anton Delgado, Meng Kroypunlok, Roun Ry and SourceMaterial When the Cambodian rainy season turns dirt roads into rutted mud, the villages tucked into rugged folds of the western Cardamom Mountains can feel far from just about everything.  In the Areng Valley, a river-carved flatland in the range sparsely populated by villages of indigenous Chorng people, that includes any semblance of cellular reception.  This means it’s usually best to meet in-person with Reem Souvsee, the deputy chief of the valley’s Chomnoab commune. Otherwise, Souvsee explained, she might ..read more

This time around, we’re setting our sights on the bustling Phnom Penh, and its multifaceted creatives who are driving a new cultural consciousness for the Kingdom. With a population exceeding 2.2 million, the city stands as the nation’s largest hub. It draws people from every corner of the country, whether for work, leisure, access to essential services, or for artistic exploration. In this episode, Globe Editor-in-Chief Andrew Haffner and his co-host Dy Sereyvoleak explore Phnom Penh’s role in shaping Cambodia’s contemporary culture, focusing on the city’s role in bringing art, music and othe ..read more