Government
Hun Sen slaps freeze on new gov’t positions, departments
Prime Minister Hun Sen last week issued a directive ordering all government bodies to hold off on new hires for the rest of the year except to fill existing positions being vacated, in an apparent bid to keep spending in line with the current state ...
Hul Reaksmey
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-sen-slaps-freeze-on-new-govt-positions-departments-79340/
Environment officials to monitor conditions
The Ministry of Environment is set to join the Ministry of Labour in the monitoring of garment factory workplaces, after creating a working group that will probe the environmental safety of all plants in Cambodia. At a press conference at the ministry yesterday, Minister of Environment ...
Mom Kunthear and Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/environment-officials-monitor-conditions
Thailand deports monks across border
Thai authorities deported 20 Cambodian monks through the Poipet International Checkpoint on Saturday after they illegally crossed into Thailand to seek alms, an immigration official said Monday. ...
Hul Reaksmey
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/thailand-deports-monks-across-border-79346/
NA commission calls ministers over Bokor
The National Assembly’s Seventh Commission, which oversees tourism and culture, summoned four government ministers to answer questions yesterday regarding the development and future of Kampot province’s Bokor Mountain. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/na-commission-calls-ministers-over-bokor
Massive crack in ‘White Building’ widens
A four-story crack in the south-facing side of Phnom Penh’s aging “White Building”—which first appeared in early February as a pile driver broke up earth inside an adjacent construction site—widened over the weekend, shortly after a meeting between worried tenants and the firms behind a ...
Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/massive-crack-in-white-building-widens-79358/
Plantations lose land for encroaching on farms
Environment Minister Say Sam Al on Monday said that more than 9,000 hectares granted to companies as economic land concessions (ELCs) were recently taken back from the owners because local villagers had been farming the land first, and announced that 14 companies had been put ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/plantations-lose-land-for-encroaching-on-farms-79364/
Gov’t to examine Vietnamese grave site on Bokor mountain
In the coming weeks, a task force composed of officials from the ministries of tourism, religion, culture and education will lead an expedition to a remote patch of forest on Kampot province’s Bokor Mountain where Vietnamese tourists pray, the education minister said Monday. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-to-examine-vietnamese-grave-site-on-bokor-mountain-79352/
Inspection guide for SMEs waits for funding
Due to a lack of funding, the Ministry of Industry and Handicrafts has delayed publishing guidelines that are meant to increase clarity on inspection procedures for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). ...
Chan Muyhong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/inspection-guide-smes-waits-funding
Developer sparks another dispute over wall
Families in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district have been protesting since Friday against wealthy businessman Khun Sear’s plan to build a brick wall that will effectively block access to their village. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/developer-sparks-another-dispute-over-wall-79360/
NGOs slam Cambodian political parties over workshop on electoral reform draft law
Representatives of more than 60 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and an electoral reform group on Monday boycotted a national workshop held Cambodia’s ruling and opposition parties on the electoral reform draft law, saying they did not have enough time to review the documents. ...
RFA Khmer News Staff
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/ngos-boycott-workshop-on-electoral-reform-03092015171323.html
New bus links plan between far South, Malaysia
The Transport Ministry is speeding up work on a joint plan for bus services that would link the far South and Malaysia to meet the needs of commuters between the two countries. Thailand also plans to hold talks with Cambodian authorities this month over increasing ...
Amornrat Mahitthirook
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/491558/bus-scheme-seeks-more-malaysia-links
Government: over 14,000 hectares of land cut off to hand over to people in Koh Kong, Preah Vihear provinces
Environment Minister, Say Sam Al, said on Monday that the Royal Government of Cambodia has cut off over 14,000 hectares of land and handed over to citizens, and military forces. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://bit.ly/1AZj6oE
Cambodia's construction sector receives 2.5 bln USD investment last year
Cambodia’s construction sector attracted a total investment of 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2014, down 10 percent from 2.77 billion U.S. dollars in 2013, according to official data on Monday. ...
Shanghai Daily News Staff
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=271483
Acid attacker among 22 released from prison
At the behest of Prime Minister Hun Sen, prisons across the country Sunday marked International Women’s Day by releasing a total of 22 female inmates who are either pregnant or had young children with them in jail, including a woman convicted of attempted murder over ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/acid-attacker-among-22-released-from-prison-79294/
NGOs to boycott election law workshop
Dozens of NGOs are planning to boycott a workshop Monday to discuss the new election law, saying that the CPP and CNRP have not given them enough time to review the draft and that they do not want to give the event a veneer of ...
Alex Willemyns and Hul Reaksmey
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ngos-to-boycott-workshop-on-election-law-79285/
Angkor scrutiny: Commission to investigate park figures
The National Assembly’s Anti-Corruption Commission will visit Siem Reap this month to further probe claims Angkor Archaeological Park’s manager, the Apsara Authority, underreported ticket sales, as new figures show a drop in visitors to the World Heritage site last month. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/angkor-scrutiny-commission-investigate-park-figures-0
Convicted dissident gets green light to register party
The Interior Ministry has given Cambodian dissident Sourn Serey Ratha permission to proceed with the registration of a political party despite the self-exiled government critic’s recent conviction in absentia for plotting an attack on the state. ...
Hul Reaksmey
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/convicted-dissident-gets-green-light-to-register-party-79308/
Criticised training exercises begin anew
An annual US-led military training exercise, which was marred by controversy last year when a major rights group said it was teaching tactics that would assist Cambodia’s “abusive armed forces” in crackdowns, will officially open today in Kampong Speu province. ...
Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/criticised-training-exercises-begin-anew
NA seat count leads to concern
The allocation of two new seats to Preah Sihanouk province and absence of seats for Phnom Penh in the recently distributed draft law on electoral reform has prompted concerns that attempts are being made to manipulate the playing field ahead of the 2018 election. Ou Virak, ...
Daniel Pye and Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/na-seat-count-leads-concern
Gov’t to discuss Bokor mountain management
Two government ministers will meet with a National Assembly commission on Monday to discuss a tourism management plan for Bokor Mountain, according to CNRP lawmaker Yem Ponhearith, who last month visited the mountain to inspect burial sites popular with Vietnamese tourists. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-to-discuss-bokor-mountain-management-79257/
Drug sting snares policeman’s son, commune council member
The son of a police lieutenant colonel and a member of a commune council were among four people arrested Thursday in Kompong Thom province for dealing drugs and were remanded in custody, a court prosecutor said Friday. ...
Kang Sothear
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/drug-sting-snares-policemans-son-commune-council-member-79248/
Parties sign off on final draft of election law
The country’s two major political parties signed off on the final draft of a revised and highly controversial election law on Friday, with civil society groups arguing that the bill is unconstitutional due to a provision that restricts their activity during the election campaign period. ...
Colin Meyn and Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/parties-sign-off-on-final-draft-of-election-law-79243/
Woman gravely injured in suspected ‘love triangle’ acid attack
A 20-year-old woman suffered serious burns to her face and body after being doused with acid in Phnom Penh on Friday in an attack allegedly carried out by a jealous wife who suspected the victim was sleeping with her husband. ...
Official summoned over gross misspending
The National Assembly’s banking and finance commission has called parliament’s chief administrator for questioning on Tuesday over alleged spending irregularities in a 2015 budget that included buying 30 new cars at $200,000 each and spending $25,000 on a flagpole. ...
Holly Robertson
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/official-summoned-over-gross-misspending-79259/