prey nob
Preah Sihanouk military police (Military police Facebook page)

Body Dug Up in Preah Sihanouk, ‘Monkey King’ Arrested

A corpse was dug up in Preah Sihanouk’s Prey Nob district, a man soon arrested in a neighboring province for murder, and now Sihanoukville’s Chinese community is full of talk about what may have happened between “Blue Star” and the “Monkey King.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen walks with four bodyguards Nam Phiron, Long Da, Khut Sokhon and Orn Sothyrath. (Fresh News)

PM Bodyguards Promoted to Be Official Assistants

Prime Minister Hun Sen has promoted 25 people to be his official assistants, including a bodyguard who has received land on Phnom Penh’s Boeng Tamok lake and another who was nearly scammed online by a 14-year-old.

A fence with the Khmer word for "disputed" written in red, in Preah Sihanouk province's Prey Nob district on December 1, 2020. (Danielle Keeton-Olsen/VOD)

Land Dispute Representative Arrested a Year After Court Verdict

A community representative in a Preah Sihanouk land dispute was arrested in a case in which three Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community members were also sentenced to jail last year, and which has previously been reported as involving Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly.

A fence being built near plots granted to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s daughters Hun Mana and Hun Maly across the hilly terrain of Prey Nob district's Ream commune in Preah Sihanouk province, on December 1, 2020. (Danielle Keeton-Olsen/VOD)

Villages Emptied Amid an Extensive Web of Elites’ Landholdings

In the past several months, some of the most powerful people in Cambodia have been granted Preah Sihanouk land that boasts stunning ocean views and proximity to key tourist developments. Much of the area sits empty, and interviews with hired guards and local officials suggest there is a web of elite landholdings as many hold onto the plots while their value steadily climbs.

A scuffle over a land dispute breaks out in Preah Sihanouk province’s Prey Nob district on December 20, 2020, in photos posted to the district police Facebook page.

Brigade 70 Official Listed as Oknha Investigated in Prey Nob Dispute

After a Preah Sihanouk province land conflict took a violent turn and resulted in eight arrests last week, a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces spokesperson said officials would investigate a high-ranking military official claiming the land in Prey Nob district.