Social development

Despite implementing a ban on marketing for breast-milk substitutes (BMS) in an effort to boost natural breastfeeding, suppliers of baby formula continue to commit “flagrant violations” of the law by marketing their products illegally and claiming superior health benefits, a new report shows. ...

Activists from environmental NGO Mother Nature caused more than $100,000 in damages to a company that was legally dredging for sand in Koh Kong province, Khem Sameth, CEO of the company Direct Access, said yesterday. ...

The Ministry of Education on Monday broke ground on a new Institute of Technology campus in Kompong Speu province’s Thpong district that officials said is being built with funds from the Thai royal family on land partially donated by agribusiness magnate Ly Yong Phat. ...

The Koh Kong Provincial Court on Monday imprisoned three activists from environmental NGO Mother Nature after a prosecutor charged them with threatening to cause damage during their ongoing campaign against a company accused of illegally dredging at a local estuary, according to rights group Licadho. ...

Disgraced former Phnom Penh Municipal Court director Ang Mealaktei was sent to the Kandal Provincial Prison on Sunday after he was charged with embezzlement for allegedly confiscating an SUV from a drug dealer and giving it to his son, a prison official said Monday. ...

Some two-hundred vendors peacefully gathered in front of the residence of Prime Minister Hun Sen near Independence Monument, seeking the premier’s intervention to stop a planned construction of new Doeum Kor market. ...

The use of bicycling to get around the crowded streets of Phnom Penh has become increasingly popular. Not only do people use bikes more often to get around the city, but on weekends, cyclists can be seen on the outskirts of town. ...

The national high school exam will take place on August 24, but unlike last year there will be no second chance for those who fail, Prime Minister Hun Sen said. ...

Four Vietnamese nationals were jailed on kidnapping charges in Svay Rieng province on Saturday after allegedly detaining two of their countrymen over gambling debts in a casino in Bavet town.​ ...

Officials in Kratie province are insisting that a small group of families involved in a local land dispute register with the Interior Ministry or be “punished.” ...

Three activists from environmental NGO Mother Nature were summoned to appear at the Botum Sakor district police station in Koh Kong province on Friday to answer for their involvement in a campaign to chase off a sand-dredging company accused of destroying the environment, officials said. ...

Every Saturday afternoon, in a room in the Phnom Penh offices of a German political foundation, chairs are arranged in a u-shape. About 50 people, from a range of backgrounds, gather and chit-chat. ...

Cambodia launched a health strategic plan in 2002, in an effort to improve services to areas that lack medical personnel and resources. But in many rural areas, there has been little progress, and even an awareness of basic hygiene and disease prevention remains considerably low. ...

Eight young girls were placed in the care of the Social Affairs Ministry on Thursday after Thai authorities found them begging and selling flowers in Thailand and sent them back to Cambodia, according to the ministry. ...

King Norodom Sihamoni signed the NGO law on Wednesday, according to a government official, bringing into effect a piece of legislation that has been internationally rebuked as a serious threat to free speech and association. ...

The backlash began Wednesday against a new Education Ministry directive that bans political activities and unauthorized associations at academic institutions, with the country’s largest teachers’ union and various youth groups accusing the government of hypocrisy. ...

Authorities in Kampong Speu province have ordered a chicken farmer to clean up his coop, the source of a local fly infestation that has caused uproar in the community. ...

As about 100 fishermen in Koh Kong province on Wednesday resumed their monthslong campaign against a company they accuse of illegal sand dredging, an environmental NGO claimed the firm was now hiring locals as security guards in an attempt to divide the community. ...

Dengue fever has killed at least 16 people so far this year, an uptick from the same period last year, health officials say. The deaths are the result of nearly 4,700 infections. ...

The Constitutional Council has officially accepted the contentious Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organizations, which would tighten regulations on thousands of organizations in the country in what critics fear could mean a major crackdown on basic freedoms and government criticism. ...

The infection rate of HIV has fallen sharply in Cambodia over the last five years, new statistics show, though the rate for men who have sex with men in the sex industry remains high. ...

The Ministry of Education has issued a directive banning political activism or association at academic institutions, saying it will fine or shut down universities, post-secondary schools and student organizations that have engaged in or promoted political activity. ...

The Child Protection Unit (CPU) has seen a surge in cases of serious crimes against children in recent weeks, though the NGO says that partly reflects their expanded presence in Cambodia and improved reporting practices. ...

Problems with employment, security and education continue to plague young people in Cambodia, the Youth Coalition for Unity and Development, along with Oxfam Cambodia, said on Sunday at an event commemorating the 16th International Youth Day. ...