Human rights
Civil and political rights
PM: Fight against fake news
Prime Minister Hun Sen raised cyber-security and access to information in his address to nearly 5,000 participants at the correspondents’ dinner held on Friday in Phnom Penh. In his speech, Hun Sen called on officials and members of the press to wage a fight against ...
Niem Chheng
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-fight-against-fake-news
Journos: Drop RFA charges
Some 40 local and international journalists from several media outlets in Cambodia released an open letter on Thursday, calling for the court to drop charges against two former Radio Free Asia (RFA) reporters. The call comes following the release of journalists Uon Chhin and Yeang ...
Long Kimmarita
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/journos-drop-rfa-charges
Change to Article 45 with King for signing
A senior government official on Monday said that the amendment to Article 45 of the Law on Political Parties has reached its final stage and is merely awaiting the signature of King Norodom Sihamoni, leaving 118 politicians facing the dilemma as to whether to return ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/change-article-45-king-signing
PM warns banned rivals over return
Prime Minister Hun Sen told banned former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) politicians to request a restoration of their political rights or miss out on the 2022 commune elections. ...
Mech Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/pm-warns-banned-rivals-over-return
PM calls for end to ‘fake news’
Prime Minister Hun Sen has called on local and international journalists to join hands in tackling fake news, which he said could cause social turmoil in the Kingdom and beyond. ...
Mech Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-calls-end-fake-news
Kong Korm: ‘Arrogant’ Sam Rainsy has ‘betrayed the people’s will’
Kong Korm, the former top adviser to the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) who recently announced his return to the political stage, has blasted Sam Rainsy’s “arrogance”. He said the leadership of the newly nominated “acting president” of the party has “betrayed the people’s ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/kong-korm-arrogant-sam-rainsy-has-betrayed-peoples-will
Factory conditions improving: BFC
Better Factories Cambodia has found that more and more factories in the country are complying with its standards when dealing with critical worker issues after it began conducting studies on factory compliance. These critical issues include child labour, discrimination, forced labour and freedom of association. ...
Sen David
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50556414/factory-conditions-improving-bfc/
CPP: ‘Behave or Sokha suffers’
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) spokesman warned Kem Monovithya on Thursday that her attempt to damage “national reputation and prestige” would lead to her father, Kem Sokha, receiving even harsher punishment. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cpp-behave-or-sokha-suffers
International law perspective on protection of human rights in Cambodia
History was created by the European Parliament on September 13. For the time since the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission known as UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia), the Parliament passed a 13-point resolution aimed at according tougher actions against Cambodia and its rulers similar ...
Awathey Ek
http://www.atimes.com/international-law-perspective-on-protection-of-human-rights-in-cambodia/
RFA ‘spies’ released on bail
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday freed on bail, two former Radio Free Asia (RFA) reporters, who were charged with espionage. Oun Chhin, 49, and Yeang Sochea Meta (Sothearin), 35, were arrested by the Meanchey district authorities on November 14, last year, and spent ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Soth Koemsoeun
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rfa-spies-released-bail
Fake news a serious issue
The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) on Monday said ‘fake news’ has been polluting publications and sparking controversy in the Kingdom, especially on social media. The remarks were made on Monday at a roundtable discussion organised by CCJ in Phnom Penh. ...
Voun Dara
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/fake-news-serious-issue
Civil Society Groups in Cambodia Suppressed: Report
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. ...
Channy Chheng
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/civil-society-groups-in-cambodia-suppressed-report/4495078.html
Local officials urged to work with everyone regardless of politics, religion
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 ...
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
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
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
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/
Women’s minister criticised after failing to name a female journalist
Minister of Women’s Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi’s admission last week that she was unable to name a Cambodian woman journalist sparked a minor controversy on social media, with current and former journalists taking to social media to criticise her remarks. ...
Yesenia Amaro
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/womens-minister-criticised-after-failing-name-female-journalist
As Cambodia marks press freedom day, journalists fear increasing restrictions following crackdown
As the world celebrated Press Freedom Day on Thursday, the mood among Cambodian journalists was subdued following a months-long crackdown on dissent in the media. The theme of this year’s event was “Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law”, and special attention ...
Cambodia’s democracy, economy at risk: report
Cambodia has become more autocratic and its government’s claim of stable economic development rests on uncertain basis, according to a comprehensive new report. The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI), published on Thursday, claims that the quality of Cambodia’s democracy, market economy and governance performance has ...
Leonie Kijewski
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodias-democracy-economy-risk-report