You know those police check-points where you thought the authorities were controlling dangerously overloaded vehicles or illegal trafficking ? In reality, it turns out that the police were stopping motorists for bribes, and the government have said they are putting a stop to this shocking behavior.

Mobile checkpoints suspended countrywide
Breaking news - 8 January 2018
Interior Minister Sar Kheng has ordered all mobile checkpoints on roads and waterways in the country to be suspended immediately.

Mr Kheng revoked the right of administrations in the capital and at provincial, city and district levels to place checkpoints. Ministries and institutions will also be barred from setting them up.

According to a letter on the issue of checkpoints signed by Mr Kheng, checkpoints placed by various authorities at different levels were a burden for citizens, and were affecting their freedoms and rights.

“The elimination of checkpoints is aimed at implementing government policy to provide services and to improve the public’s standard of living by promoting a daily life free of disturbances,” the letter said.

The letter also said that if a situation calls for the implementation of checkpoints, relevant institutions or authorities will have to submit a request to a command committee, which would scrutinise each request to avoid anarchy on the roads and waterways.

Kin Seyma, a taxi driver between Phnom Penh and Kratie province, said he had not seen a mobile checkpoint in the past few days.

“Checkpoints were supposedly put in place to check overloaded vehicles and search for weapons or explosives, but really they just stopped overloaded trucks or trucks carrying timber to get a bribe,” Mr Seyma said.

He said he never carried anything contrary to regulations, so police never asked him to pay money. He added that if vehicle inspection were carried out according to regulations by competent authorities, it would be good for all passengers, but he believed officers at mobile checkpoints were not doing it for the people’s safety but for money...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50100578/mo ... untrywide/

that will take huge bite out of revenue

"that will take huge bite out of revenue."

Agreed, but none of that revenue ends up in the National Treasury. I highly suspect they will be reinstated before Choul Chham.

instant gratifications to change moods & minds on the run up to elections?

Given that this has now happened and they have lost a source for supplementing their wage
Will they now target "tourists" more aggressively for what ever reason
To try and make up for their lost income?

they confiscated more than 60 motos by lunchtime here in Kampot yesterday for no papers.
hitherto unknown type of action

were affecting their freedoms and rights

You gotta laugh.

i suppose the bribes at the land borders will continue since barang cant vote.
was also of the impression that a substantial part of bus fare near borders were for the checkers, judging by distance covered and place of fare costs

There was a major checkpoint near the Vietnam embassy, just west of Monivong this morning at 9:30 when I drove through the area. The men in tan uniforms had about 10 bikes off to the side of the road. At lot of confused faces.