Human rights

Local and international civil society groups operating in Cambodia face government-imposed restrictions on their operations and have been significantly hindered in their work in the lead up to Sunday’s general election, according to a recent report by a U.S.-based think tank. ...

Global Witness has called on the United States to impose sanctions against four Cambodian tycoons for their alleged roles in the demise of Cambodian democracy and for human rights abuses. Its allegations, in a report on Friday, were brushed off by a ruling CPP spokesman ...

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng on Wednesday instructed police officials and local authorities to serve the people without considering political affiliations or religion. In the handover ceremony of 1,646 motorbikes to police stations nationwide, Kheng told police officials that they must serve the people regardless ...

The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) has expressed confidence that the probability of the European Union (EU) suspending the Kingdom’s access to its Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme is “very low”. GMAC deputy secretary-general Kiang Monika said his belief is based on the fact ...

Representatives of the Kingdom’s private sector this week urged the European Union not to cancel the Everything-but-arms (EBA) scheme in response to a perceived deterioration of human rights and democracy in the country. ...

The European Commission (EC) has reiterated the European Union’s (EU) demand for the immediate release of opposition leader Kem Sokha and called on Cambodia to take the necessary measures to ensure that the court-dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) be swiftly reversed. ...

Officials with the Land Management Ministry and Koh Kong Provincial Hall yesterday ended a years-long land dispute between villagers and sugar companies through distribution of compensation to the families involved. ...

Human Rights Watch yesterday issued a scathing report alleging that 12 army and police leaders close to Prime Minister Hun Sen have committed serious human rights violations. The report drew the ire of the Defence Ministry and government, which issued a retort saying that it ...

The Preah Sihanouk provincial governor has sent a request to the provincial court to review and consider granting bail to four villagers who were arrested during a land dispute protest last month in order to appease protestors at his office. ...

Nearly 100 residents representing 210 families in Koh Kong province’s Kiri Sakor district that are in a dispute with Chinese company Union Development Group gathered in front of the Land Management Ministry once again yesterday to demand that officials settle their cases. ...

An official with Koh Kong’s provincial land department said yesterday that the department will cooperate with the Industry Ministry to resolve a land dispute case between a group of civil servants and their superior. ...

Cambodian officials have accused two United Nations (UN) human rights experts of interfering in its internal affairs when they commented on the freedom of opinion and expression in the Kingdom and the media code of conduct for the July 29 national elections. ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng has issued a letter to all provincial governors telling them to resolve legitimate land disputes being raised before the election and keep a lookout for “opportunists” taking advantage of the election season to grab land. ...

The Industry Ministry is investigating a corruption case in Koh Kong province following a complaint filed by civil servants against their superior. According to the complaint sent to Industry Minister Cham Prasidh last week by five civil servants with the provincial industry department, 18 families ...

Families living occupying cemeteries in Phnom Penh’s Chbar Ampov district are showing reluctance in moving to a new location offered by City Hall, saying that the new houses are inadequate. ...

Representatives of 187 families in Kampong Chhnang province and Phnom Penh gathered at the Land Management Ministry and the Prime Minister’s cabinet office yesterday seeking help to resolve their years-long land disputes ...

Some 116 organisations and associations have urged Cambodian officials to dismantle the new inter-ministry working group that was recently set up to monitor social networking sites, claiming it is an “abuse on the rights and freedom of expression via the internet”. ...

Hundreds of residents locked in a land dispute with the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changva district yesterday submitted a petition to the Land Management Ministry. ...

The government has announced the approval of a feasibility study to be conducted in Koh Kong province, signalling to demonstrators who have been rallying in front of the Land Management Ministry office in Phnom Penh that their land dispute may come to a close. ...

The governor of Samrong city, Oddar Meanchey province, issued a letter on Tuesday, ordering villagers to remove huts, houses and other structures from the Roluos Thom Natural Eco Tourist Site, after allegedly moving onto the land illegally. ...

About 70 people representing thousands of Kampong Speu province households yesterday gathered once again in front of the Land Management Ministry to appeal to the authorities to take action against three rubber plantations and a sugar cane plantation over more than 2,000 hectares of disputed ...

The Land Management Ministry on Friday announced that it will solve a land dispute in the province following a weeks-long demonstration by hundreds of villagers who descended upon the ministry’s office in Phnom Penh. ...

Around 300 people representing hundreds of families in Koh Kong province, who were evicted from their homes to make way for a sugar company owned by businessman and CPP Senator Ly Yong Phat, blocked the road that leads to the Ministry of Land Management on ...

The rights group, HRW, had called for the release of Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, two Radio Free Asia reporters who were jailed on treason charges for allegedly continuing to work for RFA after it had left the country under government pressure. ...