The Phnom Penh Post

Speed At least 17 people died in traffic accidents during the three days of the traditional Khmer New Year festival, from April 14 to 16. Despite the tragic losses, this year’s death toll fell by nine when compared to last year’s new year period. Touch Sokhak, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, reported that 27 traffic accidents were recorded across the Kingdom during the three-day holiday period. He explained that alongside the fatalities, 45 injuries were reported, some of them serious.

Speed April 17 marks the 51st anniversary of the rise to power of the Khmer Rouge regime, a date widely regarded as one of the darkest turning points in Cambodia’s modern history. More than four decades after the fall of Democratic Kampuchea, the legacy of the regime continues to shape national discourse — not only in terms of justice and remembrance, but also in how history itself is understood and interpreted.

Speed Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow has claimed that Thailand is ready to engage in bilateral negotiations with Cambodia to resolve the ongoing border dispute. His position appears to be in response to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s declaration that Phnom Penh has changed its focus from the International Court of Justice to bilateral talks.

Speed Walk through any rice paddy in Southeast Asia, any market in the Pacific islands, any fishing village along the Bay of Bengal — and you will find women working. Planting, harvesting, processing and selling. Nearly 58 per cent of employed women across Asia and the Pacific work in agriculture. They are the backbone of how this region feeds itself. And yet, for all their labour, women farmers continue to face persistent and systemic barriers.

Speed The recent observance of the traditional Khmer New Year occurred against the backdrop of ongoing border frictions with Thailand, sparking a rigorous domestic debate on how a nation should conduct itself during times of external pressure. Senate president Hun Sen’s assertion that a wound on one little finger should not make the entire body disabled encapsulates a pragmatic reality of governance.

Speed April 2026 marks a pivotal moment in Southeast Asian diplomacy, as Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and President, To Lam, conducts a state visit to China. This event is far more than a routine diplomatic exchange; it is a strategic milestone that will shape the future of China-Vietnam relations and, importantly, reverberate across the region – including Cambodia.

Speed The Songkran Smoke Screen At first glance, the announcement by the Thai 2nd Army Region to “open” Prasat Ta Krabei (referred to in Thailand as Prasat Ta Kwai) to the public for the Songkran festival appeared to be a rare olive branch. For four days — April 13 to 16 — the gates of a flashpoint that defined the 2025 border crisis have been swung open.

Speed I write this with the heavy heart of a Khmer soul, but with the unwavering conviction of a witness to injustice. The recent decision by Thai authorities to unilaterally open Prasat Ta Krabei to tourism is not a “friendly” gesture of cultural sharing. It is a calculated act of normalisation—an attempt to wash away the blood and ink of history through the casual footsteps of tourists. To the world, these are stones.

Speed Senate president Hun Sen has taken to social media to address opposition groups who have criticised both the public and the government for organising Khmer New Year celebrations in the face of territorial encroachment by Thai troops. He stated, “A wound on one little finger should not leave the entire body paralyzed”. Posting on April 14, the first day of the traditional Khmer New Year, Hun Sen noted: “A wound on one little finger should not make the entire body disabled.

Speed The top diplomats agreed on the importance of maintaining maritime safety and security and upholding freedom of navigation and overflight in straits used for international navigation.