Human rights

A Ministry of Information spokesperson has reminded all media representatives — professional, non-professional and social media users — to avoid publishing information that could harm national security, damage relations with other countries or endanger law enforcement officials and personnel as they carry out their duties. ...

The Court of Appeal of Phnom Penh on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a lower court against union leader Morm Rithy — a decision which has been condemned as unjust by his lawyer and unionists who attended the trial. ...

UN experts are sounding the alarm over a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Southeast Asia, urging immediate, human rights-based action to dismantle scam compounds—including in Cambodia—where hundreds of thousands of people are “trafficked, trapped, and forced into online criminal operations”. ...

The Ministry of Information has criticized non-governmental organizations and press groups for “pursuing their own political agendas”, portraying negative press freedom in Cambodia, in relation to jailed environmental journalist Uk Mao’s case. The ministry claimed that Mao “violated journalistic ethics”. ...

Former Okhna Heng Sithy, who has levelled accusations of corruption and complicity in online scam operations at senior members of the Cambodian government, has been extradited from Russia to face charges of “aggravated blackmail”. He arrived in the Kingdom last night, May 24. ...

Journalists and editors from leading Cambodian media outlets gathered today, May 23, for a landmark training session on the ethical and responsible portrayal of children and youth in media coverage. ...

Cambodian authorities have announced that they intend to seek the cooperation from Thai authorities to extradite a Cambodian woman named Chou Chhin, who they say broadcast misleading information about the Kingdom’s ongoing trade negotiations with the US, via her “Women Overseas” Facebook page. ...

Ministry of Information spokesman Tep Asnarith has expressed concerns over the spread of misinformation regarding a recent tragic case that appalled the Kingdom – the murder of a 14-year-old school girl. ...

 CamboJA News has been awarded the World Justice Project’s Anthony Lewis Journalism Prize, recognizing our investigative reporting and daily coverage of issues undermining the rule of law in Cambodia. ...

A blistering report by a prominent U.S. crime expert, disallowed from returning to Cambodia by his employer in 2023 over alleged threats, has triggered a wave of condemnation from Cambodian officials after calling for expanded U.S. sanctions on elites linked to the country’s online scam ...

Cambodia and Indonesia have reaffirmed their shared commitment to intensify cooperation in combating transnational crime, following a series of high-level meetings between an Indonesian law enforcement delegation and key Cambodian institutions on May 20. ...

The Cambodian government has dismissed a recent international report alleging that the Kingdom is a global epicentre for transnational cybercrime, calling it politically motivated and lacking in scientific credibility. ...

The Census of Agriculture Cambodia 2023​ was launched this morning, May 19. The data generated by the census is expected to become a key driver in enabling the government and all relevant partners to develop effective plans for advancing Cambodia’s agriculture sector. ...

A series of deaths resulting from falls from high-rise buildings have raised public concerns, with some observers questioning the haste with which authorities appear to have ruled the cases suicides. ...

Two of the Kingdom’s top officials have raised concerns about online security challenges in 2025, identifying internet fraud as a major issue among several threats that require heightened attention from the National Police. ...

Phnom Penh-based Huione Pay was seen taking down its signage on Wednesday, six days after the U.S. Treasury flagged its parent, Huione Group, as a primary money laundering concern and moved to cut it off from the U.S. financial system. ...

Labor activist Rong Chhun, who is also a senior advisor of Nation Power Party, was found guilty of incitement by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for criticizing the ruling party’s border policies and the way it “handles” the illicit cybercrime industry. ...

The diplomatic relationship between France and Cambodia is gaining new momentum, marked by ambitious cooperation projects and high-level visits designed to take the partnership to the next level. ...

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Cambodia 161 out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, which is a further drop from 151 in 2024, reflecting a deteriorating media landscape, according to its report released a day before World Press Freedom Day. ...

The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the suspension of USAID support and Cambodia’s drop in press freedom rankings from 151 to 161 were the most widely discussed topics during an event held to mark the 32nd World Press Freedom Day. ...

In the past decade, Cambodia’s media landscape has undergone a major transformation, marked by notable growth in digital platforms. ...

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Thursday ordered the seizure of opposition advisor and labor activist Rong Chhun’s assets, including his home, over a contested $100,000 fine linked to a 2021 incitement conviction widely criticized by rights groups. ...

The “Say No to Fake News” campaign was launched on April 1, which coincided with April Fool’s Day. However, the campaign is no joke but rather an initiative to raise awareness and take action against those who deliberately spread misinformation. ...

Independent radio stations, Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), have been suspended unexpectedly, raising concern among advocates of press freedom, unionists, and civil society in Cambodia. ...