A sombre Khmer new year break

Across Southeast Asia, Covid-19 has dampened spirits for what is usually a joyous jubilee, with government’s putting the kibosh on large-scale festivities that usually usher in the traditional new year.

Perhaps that sombre mood is most salient in Cambodia, whose “Choul Chnam Thmey” (Enter New Year) during April 14-16 was cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, the country’s strongman prime minister of 35 years, was recently granted a series of draconian powers ostensibly intended to battle the viral outbreak.

In full: https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1902740/a-sombre-khmer-new-year-break

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