Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet capped his first 100 days in office with a highly successful Water Festival, which marked the return of dragon boat racing for the first time since 2019 and – as many said privately – hopefully better days ahead.
The importance of the boat races should not be underestimated after their recent cancellations due to drought, the COVID-19 pandemic, and security concerns amid last year’s ASEAN summits and the Southeast Asian Games.
In 2019, the festival was shrouded with concerns after opposition leader in exile Sam Rainsy made a failed bid to return on November 9 and oust then prime minister, Hun Manet’s father, Hun Sen. And officials were also mindful after a bridge stampede during the Water Festival in 2010 that left 347 people dead.
In full: https://thediplomat.com/2023/12/cambodian-pm-hun-manet-poised-for-bureaucratic-shake-up/
