BUSINESS IN BRIEF 27/2: Cambodia, Laos Rubber
The area under Viet Nam Rubber Group’s cultivation in Laos and Cambodia totals 100,000 ha, including 27,000 ha under the group’s seven rubber projects in Laos. By the end of 2012, VRG had 21 rubber projects in Cambodia, including 19 rubber tree plantations and ...
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/67334/business-in-brief-27-2.html
Foreign activists detained
Police arrested five activists from labour-rights group Clean Clothes Campaign yesterday outside the E Garment factory in Kandal province. Neuv Sakhan, deputy director of the Kandal provincial immigration police, told the Post four women and one man, from Norway, Belgium, England and Austria, had been taken ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013030661780/National/foreign-activists-detained.html
Majority of Unions Reduce Wage Demands
Six of the 10 labor unions negotiating with the country’s garment manufacturers over a new minimum wage for factory workers dropped their demands yesterday to $73 per month, breaking previous commitments by unions to stand at $91. Ken Loo, secretary-general of the Garment Manufacturers Association ...
Japanese grants set to aid local farmers
The Japanese government has provided $118,996 for constructing a cassava propagation and distribution centre in Battambang province. The fund comes in response to the recent challenges facing farmers in the province who are facing a shortage of cassava trees to plant. Kumamaru Yuji, Japanese ambassador to ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013032864733/Business/japanese-grants-set-to-aid-local-farmers.html
Adhoc defends Staffer in Incitement Claim
Human rights group Adhoc yesterday criticized a commune official in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district for accusing one of its staff of incitement and spreading disinformation after villagers traveled to Phnom Penh in March to protest over a land dispute with well known businessman Try ...
Chevrolet autos aim to tap into demand for new cars in Cambodia
Chevrolet, one of America’s iconic brand autos, officially launched its first dealership here on Monday, aiming at tapping into the country’s growing market for new vehicles. Martin Apfel, president of the US’ General Motors to Southeast Asia Operations, said at the launching ceremony at the cars’ ...
SL reps, unionists to sign deal to end strike
A nearly four-month strike, punctuated by a violent clash between unionists and police that left one bystander dead, could come to an end this afternoon. Officials from SL Garment Processing (Cambodia) Ltd and the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CAWDU) – which represents a ...
Sean Teehan and Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sl-reps-unionists-sign-deal-end-strike
Buildings Near Palace to Be Partially Demolished
Phnom Penh municipal governor Pa Socheatvong maintained Wednesday that the city would partially demolish two buildings near the Royal Palace because they exceed the height limit stated in their contracts, though he did not specify when the demolition would occur. One building, owned by Vattanac ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/buildings-near-palace-to-be-partially-demolished-48635/
Opposition party wants equal committee posts in parliament: Sar Kheng
Acting Prime Minister Sar Kheng on Wednesday said that opposition leader Sam Rainsy, now doesn’t want the parliament chairmanship chair post, but equal committee posts within the parliament. Speaking to reporters after delivering certificates to 3,000 police officers, he said Sam Rainsy phoned him and told ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=NGUwNzE2ZmZkYjA#sthash.zE5aIsK1.dpuf
Barricades led to chaos: NGOs
Following two dramatic incidents of violence in the capital on Sunday evening, rights groups yesterday pointed to heavy police blockades at dozens of streets around Phnom Penh, including at several city arteries, as being partly to blame. Clashes broke out at Sisowath Quay on Sunday afternoon ...
Kevin Ponniah and Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/barricades-led-chaos-ngos
ILO-BFC unveils worker mobile phone call-in project report
The International Labour Organisation’s Better Factories Cambodia program (BFC) releases the first report from its mobile phone call-in project aimed at educating garment and footwear workers. The mobile phone project entitled Kamako Chhnoeum (‘Outstanding Worker’ in Khmer) received 3,245 valid phone calls in its first two ...
Fibre2Fashion News Staff
http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=154799
A confronting force on streets
As protests against land grabbing have increased in Phnom Penh in the past five years, so too have violent crackdowns by the authorities. Police have been criticised for their treatment of protesters – which has included beatings with electric batons and kicks to the stomach of ...
Shane Worrell and Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/confronting-force-streets
CPP wants leash on watchdogs
The ruling party wants “biased” election watchdogs to be on a tight leash by the next election and wants the opposition to agree to it, senior Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Cheam Yeap said yesterday ahead of the third meeting of a bipartisan election reform committee ...
Vong Sokheng and Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cpp-wants-leash-watchdogs
Buddha relic at palace: gov’t
A golden urn police maintain was the one stolen from Oudong mountain in December – sparking a furore and police investigation – was taken to the Royal Palace on Friday, police have said. Deputy Prime Minister Kong Sam Ol on Friday transported the relics – said ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/buddha-relic-palace-gov%E2%80%99t
‘Gangsters’ target rights worker
A land dispute in the capital’s Tuol Kork district escalated further on Friday when a group of “gangsters” allegedly threatened the life of a human rights worker taking video footage for a documentary on the conflict. “Six men pushed me off the site. One screamed: ‘I ...
Amelia Woodside
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/%E2%80%98gangsters%E2%80%99-target-rights-worker
Y Chhien to be replaced as Pailin Governor
Y Chhien, who has served as the governor of Pailin province since former Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister Ieng Sary led his rebel forces in the area to defect to the government in 1996, will step down from his position on Saturday, his cabinet chief said ...
Saing Soenthrith
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/y-chhien-to-be-replaced-as-pailin-governor-after-18-years-60027/
After jail, Pov gains following
Before he was arrested in January, Vorn Pov and the union he created were not widely known outside of activist circles. But when he emerged from Phnom Penh’s CC1 prison on Friday, he walked away as one of the highest-profile unionists in the country, and a ...
Kevin Ponniah, May Titthara and Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/after-jail-pov-gains-following
Chinese firm takes over bus service, no bid needed
The Chinese-owned Global (Cambodia) Trade Development company takes over today as Phnom Penh’s new municipal bus operator, although City Hall said Tuesday that the company did not have to go through a bidding process to get the contract. The creation of a permanent public bus system ...
Simon Henderson and Sek Odom
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/chinese-firm-takes-over-bus-service-no-bid-needed-53513/
De Castle Royal partners with The Place for first-class gym workout
The management of the 32-storey De Castle Royal condominium project in BKK1 has announced that the The Place, widely regarded as Phnom Penh’s only independent five-star gym, will manage the development’s fitness centre. This means the air-conditioned De Castle Royal gym will be fully fitted out ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/de-castle-royal-partners-place-first-class-gym-workout
Gov’t as legit as junta: premier
In a bid to reinforce the legitimacy of his government amid an ongoing parliamentary boycott by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday looked west for an analogy. He chose one that didn’t involve a ballot box. Instead, he pointed to Thailand’s National ...
Vong Sokheng and Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/gov%E2%80%99t-legit-junta-premier