Law and judiciary

An army general in Preah Sihanouk province was arrested by Military Police officials on Tuesday after the provincial court ordered he be taken into custody following allegations of land grabbing. ...

Environmental activist Ven Vorn has been given a second chance to have an illegal logging conviction overturned after the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered his case sent back to the Appeal Court for review. ...

The National Assembly’s permanent committee will today schedule a plenary session of parliament to debate and vote on laws that would ban the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party from associating with its former leader Sam Rainsy, or ever using images of his face, recordings of ...

A series of letters issued by the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday night – one chastising two election monitors, and another offering a blanket warning to NGOs – have again raised the spectre of the Kingdom’s controversial and widely criticised Law on Associations and NGOs ...

Over 12,000 marijuana plants were destroyed in 47 different locations by authorities in Takeo province on Monday after villagers stumbled upon the illegal crop in the mountains and along a lake. ...

The Ministry of Interior has issued a warning to election watchdogs Comfrel and Nicfec, ordering them to halt their activities that allegedly violate their NGO obligation of neutrality. ...

Two Ministry of Mines officials were convicted on corruption charges yesterday in a Phnom Penh court after confessing to selling state land, but nonetheless walked free after a judge reduced their sentences. ...

The defence team for Meas Muth has said terminating the proceedings against the alleged Khmer Rouge naval commander is the “only legitimate and lawful option” if funds cannot be found to ensure a fair trial. ...

Thirty lawmakers have agreed to once again alter Cambodia’s controversial Law on Political Parties – the second change so far this year – with ruling party spokesman Sok Eysan leaving little doubt that the new law would target one person: Sam Rainsy. ...

Two village officials from Oddar Meanchey province filed complaints on Friday against one-star General Duong Sina, accusing him of using violence against them and two other villagers, though Military Police yesterday said the general appeared to have fled. ...

Australians facilitating tours and volunteer programs at orphanages in foreign countries such as Cambodia may eventually face criminal charges if a recently opened inquiry in Australia results in legislation.   ...

The number of traffic accidents and fatalities increased marginally during the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year, though the number of injuries dropped. ...

The Appeal Court yesterday upheld prison sentences for former opposition leader Sam Rainsy and two of his assistants, along with former Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) Senator Hong Sok Hour, on charges stemming from the latter’s comments on the contentious Vietnam border issue. ...

In a surprise move, four human rights workers and an election official, collectively known as the “Adhoc 5”, were released from pretrial detention yesterday evening, 427 days after they were taken into custody on bribery charges relating to an opposition sex scandal. ...

Two police officials – one the deputy police chief of Kandal’s Takhmao town and the son of Provincial Police Chief Eav Chamroeun – are the subject of a complaint filed with the Ministry of Interior by three people who allege they might have colluded to ...

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced a Vietnamese  businesswoman, who stormed a forestry office to steal her seized timber, to two years imprisonment and a fine of $12,500. ...

National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) President Ke Kim Yan announced his intention to extend Cambodia’s anti-drug campaign yesterday, nearly six months and more than 8,000 arrests since the controversial crackdown began. ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng has vowed an investigation into an alleged arms trafficking operation linked to a Cambodian official, saying information from suspects indicated the guns were smuggled via a “corridor” in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province into Thailand and did not pass through the international ...

Twenty-four inmates in Kampong Speu’s provincial prison – where five prisoners escaped earlier this week – are reportedly experiencing a combination of respiratory difficulties, coughing, skin rashes and swollen legs.   ...

The 13-month investigation into five current and former human rights workers known as the ‘Adhoc 5’ has ended, a court spokesman said on Wednesday, paving the way for a trial in a case widely condemned as being unjust and politically motivated. ...

The top military and police officials in Mondolkiri province have opened investigations into some of their soldiers and officers after a news story claimed they were involved in timber trafficking into Vietnam. ...

During an otherwise routine National Assembly session to make amendments to the Senate Election Law, opposition lawmaker Son Chhay yesterday took the opportunity to criticise the assembly for not adhering to immunity laws after the arrests and convictions of lawmakers Um Sam An and Senator ...

The government is preparing legislation aimed at ensuring tighter control over the nation’s pawnshops to ensure professionalism in a sector that has grown rapidly and lacks a supervisory framework. ...

A group representing some of the largest apparel brands in the U.S., including Gap and Levi Strauss, are urging Prime Minister Hun Sen to reconsider controversial provisions in a pair of draft laws on wages and labor disputes. ...