Social development
Human rights
CPP complains of CNRP march
The CPP has filed a complaint to a commune election committee in Takeo province alleging that a group of CNRP supporters obstructed a ruling party parade of about 400 supporters on Saturday, officials said yesterday. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/second2/cpp-complains-cnrp-march-130163/
Hun sen scolds media during forum session
Prime Minister Hun Sen used a news conference at Thursday’s World Economic Forum on Asean in Phnom Penh to warn that two foreign-owned news outlets, including The Cambodia Daily, were “against” the government and that journalists who did not report “properly” would be seen as ...
Matt Surrusco
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-sen-hijacks-forum-session-to-scold-media-129604/
Government denounces US,EU criticism of Adhoc 5 detention
The government has lashed out at the U.S. and E.U. over their criticism of the detention of five current and former rights workers in Cambodia for more than a year, adopting the language of its critics by calling their statements “politically motivated.” ...
Matt Surrusco
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-denounces-us-eu-criticism-of-adhoc-5-detention-129201/
Ministry loves company
About 130 villagers and more than 20 of their children demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Land Management from 8am to noon yesterday, demanding that the government exclude their villages from a proposed development plan and protect their homes by granting them land titles. ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-loves-company
Villagers reject City Hall offer
Chroy Changvar peninsula land disputants yesterday delivered a petition to the Ministry of Land Management rejecting City Hall’s proposal to take away 90 percent of their land for the development of a satellite city. ...
Touch Sokha
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/villagers-reject-city-hall-offer
NGO criticizes rights report
A civil society group yesterday rebuked a recent report by the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), claiming the scathing report on the country’s legislative practices violated Asean principles. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/36947/ngo-criticizes-rights-report/
Foreign Ministry hits back at critical report
The Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday released a strongly worded, albeit vague, rebuttal to a harsh report released by ASEAN parliamentarians on Monday, which chided the government for its legal onslaught against the opposition and alleged the “systematic dismantling [of] democracy” in the Kingdom. ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/foreign-ministry-hits-back-critical-report
Fears hover over plan to collect data on all Cambodians
Every Cambodian will be assigned a 10-digit identification number under which information from various government departments, as well as the private sector, will be collected in a central database, Interior Minister Sar Kheng announced on Thursday. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/fears-hover-over-plan-to-collect-data-on-all-cambodians-126693/
At capital coffee shops, political conversations tainted by fear
Many of the news media’s favorite political analysts aren’t picking up their telephones. They say they are busy with work, traveling abroad or focusing on their studies. ...
Ben Sokhean and Ben Paviour
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/126704-126704/
Top court upholds decision to deny bail for Adhoc officials
Four senior officials for rights group Adhoc will remain behind bars after the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Court of Appeal’s ruling that they should be held in detention while awaiting trial, but gave no reason for the decision. ...
UN tells governments to defend people’s privacy
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy has denounced current world governments’ surveillance legislation, calling for respect for citizens’ rights to privacy. ...
Mark Tilly
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/36323/un-tells-governments-to-defend-people---s-privacy/
Prosecutor defends denial of bail for four Adhoc workers
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court’s decision to keep four officials from rights group Adhoc imprisoned while the court investigates their case was right “according to the law,” a Supreme Court official said on Monday during an appeal hearing. ...
Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/prosecutor-defends-denial-of-bail-for-four-adhoc-workers-126208/
Cambodia scores 157th in world for open data
Cambodia ranked 157th in the world and last in Southeast Asia, according to the report, released on Tuesday by NGO Open Data Watch, dropping four points since last year to a total score of 22 out of 100. ...
Hannah Hawkins
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cambodia-scores-157th-world-open-data-125977/
EU talks ‘election climate’
The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Frederica Mogherini, yesterday released a letter outlining Europe’s continued concern with what it perceives as a deteriorating political situation in Cambodia. ...
Cristina Maza
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/eu-talks-election-climate
Interior Ministry report boasts of crackdown on political protests
Besieged by color revolutionaries, agitators and criminal politicians, the Interior Ministry kept the country safe from encroaching instability—at least, that was the ministry’s boast on Wednesday at its annual meeting. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/interior-ministry-report-boasts-of-crackdown-on-political-protests-125669/
US congressman urges CPP to drop party-busting bill
A U.S. congressman on Wednesday called on the CPP to abandon an imminent vote on legislation that would give the Cambodian government sweeping new powers to abolish its political rivals, the same day the U.S. ambassador met with CNRP acting President Kem Sokha to discuss ...
Ben Sokhean and Zsombor Peter
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/us-congressman-urges-cpp-to-drop-party-busting-bill-125317/
A year after letter to Hun Sen, U.S. Senator says little sign of progress in Cambodia
The senators say they wrote as friends of Cambodia, who wish to see a strong relationship between the two countries but who are troubled by the increased social and political turmoil in Cambodia. ...
After meet, UN rep mum on politics
Keep out of Cambodia’s internal affairs.This was the message delivered yesterday by Cambodia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn to country director for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Wan-Hea Lee at a meeting to discuss cooperation. ...
Touch Sokha
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/after-meet-un-rep-mum-politics
Release Kem Ley footage, sued commentator tells government
Undeterred by the $500,000 lawsuit filed against him by Prime Minister Hun Sen, political commentator Kim Sok returned to the radio waves on Tuesday to say that the government could settle the case against him by releasing video footage of Kem Ley’s murder. ...
Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/release-kem-ley-footage-sued-commentator-tells-govt-125168/
Hun Sen slaps analyst with $500K lawsuit
Political commentator Kim Sok’s worldly possessions—two iPhones, an iPad and $200 in savings—may soon become Prime Minister Hun Sen’s property after the premier filed a $500,000 lawsuit against the commentator for allegedly claiming that the CPP killed Kem Ley. ...
Kuch Naren and Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-sen-slaps-analyst-with-500k-lawsuit-125114/
Activists ask court to arrest real perpetrators
Two human rights activists, who were summoned to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday over allegations that they incited an attack on two Daun Penh district security guards in October, asked the court to have the real perpetrators arrested. ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/35277/activists-ask-court-to-arrest-real-perpetrators/
Youth political expression hampered, opposition says
A number of young people were detained in 2016 for making social media posts deemed to be inciting violence. The opposition has said freedom of expression among its youth wing is limited compared to more seasoned activists. ...
Kann Vicheika
http://www.voacambodia.com/a/youth-political-expression-hampered-opposition-says/3714709.html
PM orders arrest of lying politicians
Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered authorities to arrest any politicians pledging to clear the debts of voters with micro-finance institutions (MFIs) and banks if their party wins the elections. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/35279/pm-orders-arrest-of-lying-politicians/
Beaten activists accused
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued a warrant yesterday summoning human rights activists Am Sam Ath and Chan Puthisak to court today on charges that they incited an attack on two Daun Penh district security guards during a World Habitat Day protest on October 10. ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/35233/beaten-activists-accused/