Japan diversifies Cambodia investments
While more Japanese companies are flocking to Cambodia for investments in recent years, they are more diversified, ranging from restaurants to manufacturing industries and electronics. Yoshihito Katsuo, first secretary in charge of trade at the Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh, told Kyodo News on Friday that ...
Bangkok Post News Staff
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/396322/japanese-firms-diversify-investments-in-cambodia
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
Union leader appeals court orders restricting his activities
Ath Thorn, the president of the country’s largest independent labor union, said Friday thAt he has appealed court orders restricting his unionizing activity and is seeking support from internAtional labor organizAtions as he faces charges of incitement. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has ordered Mr. Thorn, ...
Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/union-leader-appeals-court-orders-restricting-his-activities-57425/
Ministry fails to settle fears over Koh Kong dam
A meeting at the Ministry of Mines and Energy on Friday about plans for a controversial hydropower dam in Koh Kong province failed to assuage fears among those trying to stop the project that construction had already been approved. During Friday’s meeting, officials from the ministry ...
Zsombor Peter and Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ministry-fails-to-settle-fears-over-koh-kong-dam-58021/
Back on timber patrol
When Cambodia’s most prominent forest activist, Chut Wutty, was gunned down in April 2012, the community network he created to sabotage the rampant deforestation of this vast forest fragmented. The forest patrols that he organised nearly ground to a halt. Without money to fund large-scale expeditions, ...
May Titthara and Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/back-timber-patrol
Gov’t begins effort to send workers back to Thailand
With Thailand and Cambodia both feeling the pinch from the sudden exodus of more than 200,000 Cambodian workers out of Thailand, the two countries are now working together to try and get them back to their old jobs legally, as fast as possible. Some 225,000 Cambodians, ...
Phorn Bopha
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-begins-effort-to-send-workers-back-to-thailand-62083/
Stolen Buddha urn reclaimed
Authorities say they have recovered a priceless gold urn believed to contain the ashes of the Buddha from a house in Takeo province’s Traing district. Kandal provincial police chief Eav Chamroeun said officers arrested two suspects yesterday, in the process seizing back the urn, along with ...
Chhay Channyda, Shane Worrell and Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/buddha-urn-found-police
Bail denied for 21 detainees
Defence attorneys will now turn to the Supreme Court after a Court of Appeals judge denied bail this morning for all 21 people still detained from clashes with authorities during garment strike demonstrations last month. The presiding judge said he decided not to allow bail based ...
Sean Teehan and May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/bail-denied-21-detainees
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/
Disability initiatives launched as jobs quota not met
For Cambodians with disabilities, the launch of two major initiatives in the past two days designed to improve their lives has brought some optimism about the future—tempered by a note of caution. at Koh Pich island on Thursday, in front of a crowd of more than ...
Holly Robertson
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/disability-initiatives-launched-as-jobs-quota-not-met-63276/
CPP faithful ‘burning with hatred’ of CNRP
Ruling party supporters are “burning with hatred” towards the Cambodia National Rescue Party leadership and are ready to take to the streets, according to a Facebook post by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s second-eldest son, Hun Manith. Hun Manith, who is deputy head of the powerful ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cpp-faithful-%E2%80%98burning-hatred%E2%80%99-cnrp
Suppliers to Global Fund back in biz
Two suppliers of mosquito nets to Cambodia found to have bribed officials to gain contracts under the Global Fund’s health grant scheme have had their contracts renewed. The two firms, Sumitomo Chemical and Vestergaard Frandsen, were found by the fund’s Office of the Inspector General in ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/suppliers-global-fund-back-biz
Cambodia: Bail refused for 21 workers and human rights defenders
The Cambodian government must immediately and unconditionally release the 21 garment workers and human rights defenders who have been detained since early January, FIDH and its member organizations Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human ...
FIDH News Staff
http://www.fidh.org/en/asia/cambodia/14627-cambodia-bail-refused-for-21-workers-and-human-rights-defenders
Six tried for their part in deadly monivong bridge clashes
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday began the trial of six people for their involvement in clashes that broke out between civilians and police near Monivong Bridge after a protest on September 12. The six men were all charged with intentional violence with aggravating circumstances ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/six-tried-for-their-part-in-deadly-monivong-bridge-clashes-52459/
Friends in high places
A Chinese developer with a “family-like” relationship to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit has accelerated construction at its $5 billion resort – ostensibly cancelled by royal decree in 2010 – in a protected national park in Preah Sihanouk province. The 3,300-hectare Golden Silver Gulf resort ...
Daniel Pye and May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/friends-high-places
Labour leaders decry bail payment and nine arrests
Labour union leaders denounced the government yesterday, alleging unfair treatment in the wake of nine union worker arrests last week and a hefty bail payment by a union president yesterday. ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (C.CAWDU), yesterday paid $25,000 ...
Sean Teehan and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/labour-leaders-decry-bail-payment-and-nine-arrests
Cambodian authorities take two more opposition MPs into custody
Thursday while a court summoned its deputy chief for questioning following violent clashes when party supporters tried to force the reopening of Freedom Park in the capital. Elected members of parliament Nut Rumduol and Long Ry were taken into custody by policemen in plain clothes from ...
Parameswaran Ponnudurai
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/violence-07172014203608.html
Petrol firms told to open books
Cambodia’s petrol retailers have been ordered by the government to hand over import information and financial records in what looks to be the first steps toward installing fuel-price legislation. The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) announced publicly yesterday via state-owned media Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) ...
Eddie Morton
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/petrol-firms-told-open-books
Rule changes give assembly president broad new powers
National Assembly President Heng Samrin has given himself the power to deny access to the assembly compound, including the offices of all lawmakers, to anyone not employed by the government and has barred all private citizens from testifying before—or sitting in on—assembly commission meetings. In ...
Kuch Naren and Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/rule-changes-give-assembly-president-broad-new%E2%80%88powers-68216/
Minister says wage agreement must be reached next month
Negotiations held on Friday between garment factory owners, union leaders and government officials failed to set a new industry minimum wage for next year, but a final decision will be reached by October 10, according to Labor Minister Ith Sam Heng. The tripartite Labor Advisory Council ...
Sek Odom and Holly Robertson
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/minister-says-wage-agreement-must-be-reached-next-month-68532/