Keat Soriththeavy
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on August 18, 2021 (Danielle Keeton-Olsen/VOD)

10-Year Study Reveals Aftermath, Exploitation of Sex Trafficking Survivors

A first-of-its-kind, 10-year study tracking the lives of 128 Cambodian sex trafficking survivors reveals frequent shock and re-exploitation as they try to reintegrate into the community, and fears and intimidation while navigating the justice system, according to a series of research reports published this week.

Srey Sokha, a resident and Dob Buon village community leader, gestures along the newly carved path where residents used to have gardens, in Phnom Penh's Boeng Kak I commune on August 19, 2021. (Danielle Keeton-Olsen/VOD)

Residents Wary as Three-Day Deadline Passes for Boeng Kak I House Demolitions

A three-day teardown deadline handed to 69 families living along a canal in Boeng Kak I commune passed without a clash on Thursday, but after authorities previously allegedly ripped out their gardens and descended on their homes with axes, residents say they don’t believe an official’s offer that they will be allowed to resettle there if they temporarily move out.

A forestry official holds up confiscated dead geckos from containers that were confiscated in Siem Reap province, in a photo posted to Khieu Khanarith's Facebook page on August 17, 2021.

66 Kg of Trafficked Geckos Seized From Vehicle in Siem Reap

Nine-hundred-eighty-four geckos being shipped out of Preah Vihear province were rescued from a vehicle in Siem Reap, according to officials, who said they had cracked down on gecko trafficking before but didn’t know its purpose.

Former French Ambassador Eva Nguyen Binh examines pages printed from a Braille printer at the Institute for Special Education for Deaf and Blind Children in Phnom Penh, in a photo posted to NGO Krousar Thmey's Facebook page on July 28, 2017.

Blind Students Face Additional Difficulties Studying Online

For Cambodia’s blind students, school closures and the pandemic have added new difficulties to their studies. Video chats have left them with only portions of lessons, Khmer-language screen reading technology has been lacking, and one of the country’s only braille publishing houses has been temporarily shut due to Covid-19.