While the majority of Cambodians are living in poverty and hardships compounded by the recent floods during the pandemic, the powerful few enrich themselves by trading off profitable lands among themselves. Prime Minister Hun Sen on November 2 issued an order to allocate nearly 105,000 square meters (25 acres) of state land to the daughter of the Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction. This parcel of land is part of Ta Mok Lake, a key lake in the capital Phnom Penh that has been filled partially for the development of other infrastructure and private projects. The environmental watchdog Mother Nature raised public awareness that such allocations often involve corruption and money laundering that are against public interests.

Sol Bolyma, the wife of a former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was injured in a staged accident on Nov. 4, 2020 when 3 men drove a motorbike into her vehicle then fled from the scene. She is the latest victim of at least 20 individuals affiliated with the CNRP who have been attacked or beaten by state agents since early 2020. This “accident” is another attempt by the local authorities to stop her from campaigning to free her husband and other political prisoners.