Casey Barnett

“One of the reasons why I am in favor of less government is because when you have more government, industrialists take it over, and the two together form a coalition against the ordinary worker and the ordinary consumer.” — Milton Friedman

【“每天都在被打”：波贝一园区疑涉虐待，多名家属发声】 近日，有多名读者对《金边现场》称，其亲人被困在柬埔寨波贝一处园区内，长期遭受暴力对待，目前处境十分危险。 据多名受害者家属描述，这一园区被称为“宝龙4园区”，也有人称其为“新城7号”或“集梦园区”。 详情点击：jinbiannews.com/archives/8319

Noam Chomsky defended the Khmer Rouge while they were killing 25% of Cambodia's population. He kept his position at MIT. His reputation kept growing. His books kept selling. Thomas Sowell predicted this would happen. He explained exactly why it always does.🧵

Russia's war in Ukraine reaches $677 billion in losses for minimal gains 🧵 1/7 ⬇️

What happens next? Here is what I wrote over two months ago: linkedin.com/posts/caseydba…

Tariffs on all Cambodian exports to the U.S. now reduced by 19%. This is a big boost to Cambodian manufacturers and a win for American consumers.

Blatant and shameful.

Thailand facilitating genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Crickets in Poipet. No compounds emptying. No raids. No mass exodus. Meanwhile, a journalist gets arrested for reporting on alleged scam operations there. Hard not to read into that. What’s happening in Poipet?

@oud999_sk @jacobincambodia @grok I take great risks to support democracy and a free market. Regardless of their government, the Cambodian people don’t deserve to be invaded and killed. You must be a Putin and Anutin lover.

@caseydbarnett @jacobincambodia @grok I hate communism, but it seems you prefer dictatorship.

【U.S. Lifts Arms Embargo on Cambodia, AmCham President Seeks Defense Opportunities in Singapore】 The final regulatory step is now complete. On February 3, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce removed Cambodia from its list of arms-embargoed countries, aligning export rules with a policy decision made in late 2025. Casey Barnett, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, is already in Singapore attending an aviation and defense convention. The U.S. Embassy invited him to connect with American companies now cleared to sell to Cambodia. "I'm here looking for opportunities for both military and civilian aviation and aviation-related sales to Cambodia," Barnett said. The policy shift traces back to October 2025, when the White House announced the embargo would end. The State Department formalized that change in November. What happened yesterday was the Commerce Department updating its export regulations to match, removing the "X" designation that had kept Cambodia in Country Group D:5 (U.S. Arms Embargoed Countries). Cambodia remains in Country Group D:1, and some restrictions on military end-use still apply. But the door is now open for legal purchases of U.S. defense and aviation technology. The State Department cited Cambodia's "diligent pursuit of peace and security," including renewed defense cooperation and efforts to combat transnational crime, as reasons for lifting the embargo.

You’re another stupid one, confusing me for someone else. I’ve initiated an investigation that cleared a scamming center that led to 29 arrests. And for Ukraine, I’ve donated towards military equipment, hosted the Ukrainian consul, and provided 100% scholarships and housing to Ukrainian university students.

@oud999_sk @jacobincambodia @grok The USA was dropping bombs on the Khmer Rouge. I guess you’re a communist?

@jacobincambodia @caseydbarnett @grok Is it true that the USA bombed Cambodia more than during WW2?

有华商表示，目前有许多公司正搬离到靠近边境、比较偏僻的大型园区里，在马德望等地有不少园区正在大兴土木抓紧盖楼，一些园区还在扩张，以收容从财通、西港等地搬来的公司。 据社交媒体的帖子显示，柬越边境的8号路和72号路的园区目前已经容纳了数万人。国公还没完工的数字星城目前也已经有近万人。

不过这一潮流，目前基本还是以“舆论高压、园区自行搬离”的现象为主，警方还没有大规模出动人员，进入园区清查打击，1月31日对木牌A7园区的清查是截至目前仅有的一例比较严厉的警方出动清查园区的行动。 简单来说，目前基本还是“园区自行搬家”的阶段。 那么，警方会不会主动出击到各大园区开展清查？

Poipet has been conspicuously quiet during Cambodia’s crackdown on scam compounds. While operations in Sihanoukville and other provinces have made headlines, Poipet, a city long tied to the industry, has seen little visible enforcement. No major raids. No compound evacuations. No high-profile arrests. On Chinese social media, it’s a different story. Posts continue to surface showing activity at known locations like Baolong Park. Workers sharing updates. Business as usual. The contrast raises an obvious question: why has Poipet been left alone? The city sits directly on the Thai border, a geographic advantage that made it attractive to operators from the start. Easy access, easy exits. Some of Cambodia’s earliest scam compounds took root here before the industry expanded south. If the government’s stated goal is eradicating these operations nationwide, the silence around Poipet is hard to explain. For anyone watching closely, the coordinates for Baolong Park are publicly available: 13°38’56”N 102°35’54”E. The Cambodian authorities know where these places are. The question is whether they’ll act.

@noansereiboth Any news on where foreign workers are not yet evacuating buildings? I hear that Dara Sakor, Pailin, and Poipet still have active compounds.

In less than one month, the situation has completely changed after online scam kingpin Chen Zhi was extradited to China and the Cambodian government pledged strong action to restore its reputation, leading to foreign workers allowed to leave heavily guarded buildings.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Europe’s Russian oil imports: “In the ultimate act of irony and stupidity, guess who was buying the refined products in India made from Russian oil. The Europeans. They are financing the war against themselves. They are financing the Russian war machine. I said there was an act of stupidity.”

In Tbong Khmum Province, a group of Chinese nationals reportedly attempted to flee a compound. They were chased by security guards, beaten, and forcibly dragged back inside. If these scam compounds are opening and there is a nationwide crackdown underway, someone explain why security guards are still beating Chinese citizens for trying to leave.