Seven experts and administrators associated with an Angkor Wat oversight body and the current French ambassador were given honorary medals following a request from former Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose government has been accused of forcibly evicting residents around Angkor Wat.

Book 4 of the Royal Gazette was published on June 26, 2023. The fifth entry is for medals for 10 international cooperation partners on December 2, 2022. The recipients include members of ICC Angkor, an intergovernmental body that has endorsed the relocation of people from around the heritage site.

The four ICC Angkor experts are: Mounir Bouchhenaki, Jean-Marie Furt, Shinji Tsukawaki and Bernard Hubert. Takeshi Nakagawa also got a medal and is cited in recent media reports as the co-chair of Japan-Apsara for the Preservation of Angkor body.

Two other recipients, Azedine Beschaouch and Chau Sun Kérya, are listed as members of the secretariat of ICC Angkor. Sun Kérya is also an adviser and spokesperson for the Apsara Authority, which has vociferously defended the relocation of residents to underdeveloped sites with little to no infrastructure.

Current French ambassador Jacque Pellet also got one of the tens of thousands of medals given out by the government last year. ICC Angkor documents list the ninth recipient Bruno Favel as an employee of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

The 10th person to get a medal is Seang Sokhoeung, who appears to be related to business person Sieng Chanheng, who heads Heng Development. It is unclear how they are related to the nine other recipients who have a connection to ICC Angkor.

In a separate document dated December 2, 2022, Paul Dubrule is given an honorary medal. Dubrule opened the l’École d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme in Siem Reap which provides hospitality training, including for “vulnerable Cambodian youth.”

Lastly, Dy Rado and Mom Puthita were made deputy governors of Oddar Meanchey in a decree signed on the same day as the others.