Social development
Human rights
Koh Kong urged to solve land dispute
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. ...
Ven Rathavong
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50502316/koh-kong-urged-to-solve-land-dispute/
Government hits back at UN human rights officials
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. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/government-hits-back-un-human-rights-officials
Land protesters under scrutiny
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. ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50501341/land-protesters-under-scrutiny/
Civil servants file complaint over land dispute
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 ...
Ven Rathavong
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50500647/civil-servants-file-complaint-over-land-dispute/
Cemetery community rejects land offer
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. ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50500234/cemetery-community-rejects-land-offer/
Land protesters take disputes to the top
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 ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50499594/land-protesters-take-disputes-to-the-top/
Civil society groups slam gov’t web-monitor group
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”. ...
Niem Chheng
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/civil-society-groups-slam-govt-web-monitor-group
Residents rally over OCIC land dispute
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. ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50497921/residents-rally-over-ocic-land-dispute/
Feasibility study to begin in Koh Kong
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. ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50493620/feasibility-study-to-begin-in-koh-kong/
Oddar Meanchey villagers told to leave tourist site
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. ...
Yon Sineat
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/oddar-meanchey-villagers-told-leave-tourist-site
Villagers again flock to Land Ministry
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 ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50492515/villagers-again-flock-to-land-ministry/
Koh Kong land dispute to be reinvestigated
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. ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50491767/koh-kong-land-dispute-to-be-reinvestigated/
Protesters block road to ministry
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 ...
Soth Koemsoeun
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/protesters-block-road-ministry
Gov’t mocks Human Rights Watch over appeal for journalists’ release
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. ...
Hul Reaksmey
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/government-mocks-human-rights-watch-over-appeal-for-journalists-release/4396640.html
Disappointed in election preparations in Cambodia, house committee to meet on possible sanctions
The lawmakers were set to discuss the Cambodia Democracy Act and an amendment that could see Phnom Penh handed further sanctions over its crackdown on the opposition, civil society, and independent media. ...
Sok Khemara
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/us-congress-to-hold-final-hearing-on-possible-cambodia-sanctions/4398333.html
Villagers locked in land dispute dispersed by the authorities
About 100 security personnel were deployed yesterday to evict 600 residents who have been occupying Wat Chas pagoda in Chroy Changva district after they refused to retreat pending a Land Management Ministry decision on a petition to solve land disputes in three provinces. ...
Pech Sotheary and Pav Suy
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50490636/villagers-locked-in-land-dispute-dispersed-by-the-authorities/
Hundreds of villagers demand their land
More than 100 Koh Kong province villagers returned to the Land Management Ministry office in Phnom Penh demanding that the authorities speed up the distribution process of three hectares of land owed to each family as compensation in two districts after authorities declared it had ...
Pech Sotheary
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50490635/hundreds-of-villagers-demand-their-land/
US rights group calls for end to prosecutions of opposition officials, activists
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Cambodian authorities to end “baseless” convictions of former opposition officials and activists ahead of this year’s general election. The prominent US-based rights group said in a statement on Monday that the authorities should throw out the cases against 11 ...
Hul Reaksmey
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/us-rights-group-calls-for-end-to-prosecutions-of-opposition-officials-activists/4386512.html
Rights groups, former opposition concerned by sale of independent newspaper to investor linked to PM
Human rights groups and former opposition officials have expressed concerns over the impact of the recent sale of the Phnom Penh Post newspaper to a Malaysian investor with historical ties to Prime Minister Hun Sen. ...
At Cambodia’s last independent newspaper, top editor fired, foreign journalists quit
All but a handful of foreign journalists on staff at The Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia’s last remaining independent daily newspaper, resigned on Wednesday. Citing differences over the meaning of “editorial independence,” they quit within days after new owners fired its editor-in-chief who refused to remove a published ...
Hul Reaksmey
https://www.voanews.com/a/cambodia-last-independent-newspaper-editor-fired-reporters-quit/4387613.html
Newspaper staff protest firing of editor as new owners cull dissenting voices
Kay Kimsong was fired on Monday after representatives of the new owner ordered senior staff to remove an article about the sale from its website, claiming factual inaccuracies. ...
Hul Reaksmey
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/newspaper-staff-protest-firing-of-editor-as-new-owners-cull-dissenting-voices/4384807.html
Ethnic group reps held after land petition bid
Ten representatives of Banong ethnic villagers from five districts in Mondulkiri were questioned for more than an hour by police on Tuesday for their attempt to seek intervention from Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet over the loss of sacred land to 11 families. ...
Phak Seangly
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ethnic-group-reps-held-after-land-petition-bid
Phnom Penh Post sold to Malaysian investor
Saturday’s announcement by Post Media CEO Bill Clough identified the buyer of the English-language Phnom Penh Post as Sivakumar G., who was described as having an experienced journalist’s background and representing a strong investment group from Malaysia. No price was given. ...
Associated Press
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/phnom-penh-post-sold-malaysian-investor/4382678.html
New start or sad end for Cambodia’s last free newspaper?
Saturday’s announcement of the sale of The Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia’s oldest and most respected newspaper, came as no surprise to many who had been following recent events in the country. Rumors had circulated for months about the fate of the country’s last independent English-language ...
Alan Parkhouse
http://www.atimes.com/article/new-start-or-sad-end-for-cambodias-last-free-newspaper/