Social development
Human rights
Database looks at court flaws
Nearly half of defendants lack legal representation, 80 per cent are held in pretrial detention, and a sizeable chunk confess before they get a hearing, according to an online public database released yesterday by the Cambodia Center for Human Rights. The database reveals numerous infringements on ...
Laignee Barron and Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/database-looks-court-flaws
Suspects Freed; No Hope of Justice for Slain Union Leader
Sok Sam Oeun and Born Samnang left Prey Sar prison’s Correctional Center 1 on Thursday for the last time, putting behind them an ordeal that has lasted nearly a decade during which they were wrongfully imprisoned for a total of five years each for the ...
Khy Sovuthy and Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/suspects-freed-no-hope-of-justice-for-slain-union-leader-43679/
Compensation for Falsely Jailed Men Unlikely in Cambodia
After spending 2,073 days in prison, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun were exonerated on Wednesday by the Supreme Court of having killed popular union leader Chea Vichea in 2004. Legal expert Sok Sam Oeun of the Cambodian Defenders Project said that although the two ...
Denise Hruby and Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/compensation-for-falsely-jailed-men-unlikely-in-cambodia-43684/
Jubilation as Pair Acquitted of Union Leader’s Assassination
Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, the men wrongfully sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2004 murder of Free Trade Union (FTU) leader Chea Vichea, were exonerated Wednesday by the Supreme Court of the crime. Responding to the acquittal, Chea Vichea’s brother, Chea Mony, ...
Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/jubilation-as-pair-acquitted-of-union-leaders-assassination-43396/
Judicial reform pledged by PM
The Cambodian government has privately pledged that it will pass the long-awaited “three fundamental laws” aimed at reforming the judiciary during the first session of parliament in early 2014, UN rights envoy Surya Subedi said. The laws – which focus on codifying the court’s jurisdiction, laying ...
Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/judicial-reform-pledged-pm
Ministers Told to Prepare for Public Scrutiny
During an epic speech on Wednesday that lasted for more than six-and-a-half hours, Prime Minister Hun Sen told his newly approved Cabinet that they would be subject to increased public scrutiny as part of a series of reforms to be undertaken by the CPP over ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/ministers-told-to-prepare-for-public-scrutiny-43405/
UN Rights Envoy Subedi Vows to Continue Work in Cambodia
U.N. human rights envoy Surya Subedi on Wednesday wrapped up his appearance before the Human Rights Council in Geneva with a vow to continue assisting Cambodia in improving its judicial system as NGOs provided withering testimony of the situation of rights in the country. A dialogue ...
Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/un-rights-envoy-subedi-vows-to-continue-work-in-cambodia-43410/
Cambodia’s high court drops case against men wrongly jailed for 2004 murder of labor activist
Cambodia’s Supreme Court ordered the release of two men Wednesday who were wrongly convicted and jailed for the 2004 murder of a prominent opposition activist. The court’s decision to drop all charges came amid renewed calls to free the men, whom leading international rights groups have ...
The Washington Post News Staff
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/cambodias-high-court-drops-case-against-men-wrongly-jailed-for-2004-murder-of-labor-activist/2013/09/25/2170fc90-25c2-11e3-9372-92606241ae9c_story.html
Parliament issues list of components in fifth legislature
The National Assembly on Tuesday has issued the list names of chairman, vice-chairman and commission chairman in the National Assembly. Here are the list of the National Assembly’s components in fifth mandate: — Heng Samrin, National Assembly chairman. — Nguon Nhil, National Assembly’s first vice-chairman. — Khuon Sodary, National ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=MjlhMWIxNTk0ZDd#sthash.xWPF3ywi.dpuf
Clashes renewed at cordon
Frustrated Boeung Kak and Borei Keila community members flooded past a Daun Penh road barrier yesterday after attempting to lodge complaints with district authorities in connection with Sunday’s violence at Wat Phnom. On Sunday night, a brutal raid on a peaceful vigil of about 20 protesters ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/clashes-renewed-cordon
UN Envoy Subedi Shares Concerns Over Post-Vote Violence
The U.N. human rights envoy to Cambodia, Surya Subedi, on Tuesday presented a report to the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva and expressed his grave concern about post-election violence and the failure of the government and National Election Committee to properly investigate widespread electoral ...
Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/un-envoy-subedi-shares-concerns-over-post-vote-violence-43145/
Rights groups call for release of ‘scapegoats’
Rights groups and the United Nations yesterday urged the Supreme Court to drop the case against two men widely believed to have been wrongfully convicted of the slaying of unionist Chea Vichea when it convenes this morning. Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun were re-arrested in ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rights-groups-call-release-%E2%80%98scapegoats%E2%80%99
Daun Penh Authorities Deny Involvement in Wat Phnom Attack
Some 50 members of the Boeng Kak and Borei Keila communities—many still bearing welts and bruises—walked to Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district offices Tuesday and blamed officials there for a violent attack that broke out at Wat Phnom on Sunday night as they were peacefully ...
Mech Dara and Ben Woods
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/daun-penh-authorities-deny-involvement-in-wat-phnom-attack-43143/
Two Decades On, Constitution Fails to Live Up to Promises
The atmosphere in Phnom Penh 20 years ago today was one of jubilation and optimism as then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk signed Cambodia’s new Constitution into law and reclaimed the throne as King. The promulgation of the Constitution—which marked the end of the U.N. Transitional Authority in Cambodia’s ...
Alex Willemyns and Phorn Bopha
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/two-decades-on-constitution-fails-to-live-up-to-promises-43035/
Cambodian King urges newly-elected lawmakers to see national interest as top priority
Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday called on all newly-elected lawmakers to see the country’ s interest as the top priority and unify for the nation’s prestige. Speaking at the opening session of the fifth legislature of the National Assembly, the king congratulated all lawmakers for ...
Xinhuanet News Staff
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-09/23/c_132742276.htm
Violent Mob, Police Attack Peaceful Protesters
Riot police and groups of men in plain clothes armed with sticks, Tasers and slingshots violently attacked a group of anti-eviction protesters conducting a hunger strike at Wat Phnom late last night, injuring several people. Protesters from Phnom Penh’s Boeng Kak community began the hunger strike ...
Simon Marks and Kevin Doyle
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/violent-mob-police-attack-peaceful-protesters-42892/
Petitions piling up for King
Pressure on King Norodom Sihamoni to delay today’s planned opening of the National Assembly ratcheted up a few notches over the weekend as the Royal Palace received two rounds of petitions allegedly representing close to 500,000 citizens requesting more time for party negotiations. The Cambodia National ...
May Titthara and Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/petitions-piling-king
ABC Radio Owner Calls Off Mass Rally at Olympic Stadium
Phnom Penh City Hall has asked the owner of a popular radio station to delay a mass rally in support of King Norodom Sihamoni’s call for the opposition CNRP to attend this morning’s opening session of the National Assembly, asking him to wait until the ...
Cambodia’s King Under Pressure to Delay Convening Parliament
Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni came under pressure Thursday from monks and civil society organizations to delay the opening session of the country’s parliament to give more time to the ruling and opposition parties for negotiations to end their election dispute. A group of around 20 ...
Radio Free Asia Staff
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/boycott-09192013183259.html
Gov’t warns citizens to respect King online
The government yesterday warned citizens to respect King Norodom Sihamoni in social media commentary. The warning then backpedals, acknowledging the government recognises the rights of expression and freedom of the press outlined in the constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ...
Meas Sokchea and Amelia Woodside
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/gov%E2%80%99t-warns-citizens-respect-king-online
Hun Sen Offers ‘Back Pay’ to Ousted Opposition Lawmakers
Prime Minister Hun Sen has offered to pay back the lost salaries of opposition lawmakers who were stripped of their parliamentary posts in June by the then CPP-led National Assembly, a CNRP official said. The offer to back-pay the 27 lawmakers from the Sam Rainsy Party ...
Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/hun-sen-offers-back-pay-to-ousted-opposition-lawmakers-42679/
King Sihamoni and Queen Mother Donate to Sunday’s Victims
Two days after the killing of an unarmed man near Phnom Penh’s Monivong Bridge, officials on Tuesday offered little information on the progress of an investigation into the killing, and rights workers expressed concerns that the inquiry would lack credibility. King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother ...
CNRP’s Next Challenge—How to Compromise
Over the past three days, the CNRP conducted one of the most significant campaigns of mass demonstrations against Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government in years. For three days, more than 20,000 people packed into Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park for daily appearances from opposition leaders Sam Rainsy ...
Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/cnrps-next-challenge-how-to-compromise-42580/
EU Under Fire for Policy Linked to Land Grabbing in Cambodia
KAMPONG SPEU PROVINCE— Three years ago, Pao had a farm and a charcoal stove near a stream in a community called Omlaing in western Cambodia. The farm gave her rice, charcoal sales gave her extra income and the nearby forest provided edible and medicinal plants. Pao ...
The Irrawaddy News Magazine Staff
http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/44202