 Hun Sen has dominated Cambodian politics for two decades |
Anniversary of Cambodia upheaval Cambodia elite 'stripping jungle', Trafficking crackdown in Cambodia and US ship's landmark Cambodia visit
A bloody battle between supporters of the two main figures in Cambodian politics for leadership of the country is marking its 10th anniversary.
Scores of people died in three days of fighting, and the power-sharing deal between co-prime ministers Hun Sen and Prince Norodom Ranariddh was shattered.
The effects of those days are still being felt. Hun Sen's victory now appears more complete than ever.
Over the past decade, he has led a succession of coalition governments.
But now his party, the CPP, is in total control of the National Assembly.
And his old adversary, Prince Ranariddh, is in self-imposed exile in France.
Improving economy
The anniversary of the events of July 1997 is not officially being marked.
But the extravagant new National Assembly building is opening on the same day the fighting ended 10 years ago. It seems more than a coincidence.
Critics say the anniversary is a reminder of what Cambodia has lost.
Democracy was only restored in 1993, after decades of civil war.
But since the factional fighting there has been no serious challenge to the CPP's dominance.
Opposition leaders have occasionally found themselves on the receiving end of legal action - and even jail sentences.
Prince Ranariddh currently faces 18 months in prison if he returns to Cambodia.
But the government points out that the country is enjoying rapid growth and increasing prosperity, and independent monitors described this year's local elections as "free and fair".
 Swathes of Cambodia's rainforests have been lost to logging |
Global Witness claims that legitimate land concessions are being used as a cover for criminal activity.
The London-based organisation has also accused international donors of failing to act to stop the trade.
The Cambodian authorities, as well as officials named in the report, have dismissed the allegations.
Forestry Administration director Ty Sokhun, one of the officials accused, described Global Witness as "insane, unprofessional people" with no knowledge of forestry.
A company director also named in the report described the charges as "unacceptable".
'Ransacked forests'
Global Witness accuses ministers, business people and relatives closely linked to Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as the military and police, of involvement in the alleged asset stripping.
The non-governmental organisation said that "legally dubious" permits for plantation developments and harvests are being handed out to a small group of people close to senior politicians.
Valuable, high-quality timber is being described as firewood to avoid detection and taxation, the group goes on.
"Logging is part of a massive asset stripping for the benefit of a small kleptocratic elite," Simon Taylor, Global Witness director, said.
"The forests of Cambodia have been ransacked over the past decade by this mafia with little or no benefit flowing down to the ordinary people," he added.
The 95-page report comes ahead of a meeting of international donors to discuss future aid to Cambodia.
"If Cambodia's donors want the country's natural resources to be managed in a way which benefits the Cambodian people, then they must confront the high-level corruption which allows [these groups] to operate," Mr Taylor said.
Global Witness used to act as the Cambodian government's official forestry monitor, but was expelled from the country a few years ago after relations between the two sides deteriorated.
Trafficking crackdown in Cambodia
The Cambodian government has launched the country's first national task force to combat human trafficking.
Thousands of people are trafficked in or through the south-east Asian nation every year.
The new task force will bring together government ministries, law enforcement groups and international agencies.
Cambodia has hundreds of different anti-trafficking organisations, and reducing duplication of effort will be one of the task force's main goals.
Clearer picture
Anti-trafficking is a fashionable cause, and donors have poured untold millions of dollars into efforts to help victims and punish traffickers.
But in Cambodia at least, that eagerness to help has also been the cause of consternation.
There are so many organisations operating here that it can be difficult to measure the success of anti-trafficking efforts, and many of them are competing for donor funding, muddying the waters still further.
The new task force hopes to co-ordinate efforts and get a clearer picture of what is actually going on.
"The problem up until now has been that we have about 200 organisations at least, and international organisations and government ministries," said Mariel Sander Linstrom of the Asia Foundation, who is the technical adviser to the task force.
She said that probably more than 5,000 people were all over Cambodia trying to stop trafficking, but they were not speaking to each other or following the same systems or standards.
Improving law enforcement is another goal. In the past, police efforts to arrest traffickers have been undermined by courts failing to prosecute suspects or throwing out cases.
Despite the problems, there are signs that Cambodia is making some progress.
Last year, the United States elevated the country from the lowest level on its human trafficking watch list. 
US ship's landmark Cambodia visit
The Cambodian port of Sihanoukville has given a warm welcome to a visit from the US Navy.
It is the first time since the Vietnam war that an American warship has docked in Cambodia.
The arrival of the USS Gary is a symbol of the closer military and political ties between the two states and part of a concerted charm offensive by the US.
The crew have instructions to engage with the local community through outreach projects.
The local governor and Cambodian navy officers were guests on board the Gary as it arrived at the port.
The ship's crew manned the rails in their crisp, white dress uniforms.
Unhappy memories
The commanding officer, Joe Deleon, described it as the highlight of his time with the ship.
Over the next five days Sihanoukville and the surrounding area will see plenty of the US sailors.
They will be helping with construction work, and hope to attract thousands of people to medical and dental clinics.
Some basic training for the Cambodian navy is also on the agenda.
Cambodian waters hold unhappy memories for US forces.
Their last major operation here was a mission to rescue the crew of a merchant ship captured by the Khmer Rouge.
It was successful but at a price - 41 US troops died and it marked the start of a long period of US antipathy towards Cambodia.
Thawing relations
During the 1980s, the US refused to recognise the new Vietnamese-backed government in Phnom Penh.
Members of that regime have continued to dominate Cambodian politics, which explains why US ambivalence continued beyond the return of democracy.
But, recently, relations have thawed remarkably and it is not the first time that the USS Gary has played a played a diplomatic role.
It is one of several US warships to have made port calls in neighbouring Vietnam over the past four years.
US officials are also keen to increase the frequency of visits to both South East Asian countries.
The Vietnamese response has been cautious - but with limited forces of its own, Cambodia may be a more enthusiastic partner.
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