Legal framework
Laws and regulations
Government says lawmakers must respect court summons
The Justice Ministry on Thursday rejected the opposition CNRP’s argument for refusing to be questioned by prosecutors over party Vice President Kem Sokha’s sex scandal, calling its claims of unconstitutional behavior “slander.” ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-says-lawmakers-must-respect-court-summons-112226/
Ponzi scheme victims petition prime minister for intervention
Furious investors who claim they were cheated out of thousands of dollars by a now defunct financial firm that directed them to buy stock in a Hong Kong-based ponzi scheme set up camp in front of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house on Thursday, imploring him ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ponzi-scheme-victims-petition-prime-minister-for-intervention-112235/
One logging standoff, two differing accounts
Soldiers allegedly protecting an illegal logging operation in Oddar Meanchey threatened to shoot a group of forest patrollers that stumbled across their logging site on Sunday, Rattanak Rokha community forest patrol leader Chea Chuong said yesterday, though an RCAF commander denied the account. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/one-logging-standoff-two-differing-accounts
Protest follows failure to lower electric rates
Citizens in two communes in Svay Rieng and another in Prey Veng yesterday protested their high power bills after a local electric company failed to lower its price to 800 riel per kilowatt-hour as promised. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/protest-follows-failure-lower-electric-rates
NEC decides not to seek bail for its deputy in bribery case
The National Election Committee (NEC) decided yesterday that it would not attempt to intervene on behalf of its deputy secretary-general, who was jailed on bribery charges on Monday in connection with the government’s probe of a sex scandal involving opposition leader Kem Sokha. ...
Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/nec-decides-not-to-seek-bail-for-its-deputy-in-bribery-case-112124/
LANGO looming in Adhoc rearview
With the screws tightening on Adhoc, pro-government NGOs are calling for the government to use the newly enacted NGO Law to punish the rights group and other organisations caught up in the Kem Sokha mistress scandal using a provision that can be used to shut ...
Shaun Turton and Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/lango-looming-adhoc-rearview
UN, Adhoc staff charged over sex scandal
Four senior officers from local rights group Adhoc and a former officer who now works for the National Election Committee (NEC) were imprisoned on Monday on bribery charges over a sex scandal involving deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha. ...
Ben Sokhean and Alex Willemyns
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/un-adhoc-staff-charged-over-sex-scandal-112053/
Labor day marches planned despite ban from city hall
Phnom Penh City Hall has rejected a request for two large-scale Labor Day marches on Sunday, but the unionists who have organized the demonstrations say they will proceed as planned. ...
Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/labor-day-marches-planned-despite-ban-from-city-hall-111969/
Government slammed for arrests of NGO officers
Four senior officials of local rights group Adhoc and a National Election Committee (NEC) official were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) on Thursday night over allegations that they instructed an alleged mistress of deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha to deny their affair. ...
Khy Sovuthy and George Wright
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-slammed-for-arrests-of-ngo-officers-111973/
Police probe death of border guard in Koh Kong
A team of Interior Ministry officials traveled to Koh Kong province on Thursday to help local authorities investigate the death of a border police official who investigators suspect may have been murdered, according to officials. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/police-probe-death-of-border-guard-in-koh-kong-111906/
Full traffic law to be enforced next month
Beginning on May 1, traffic police will ramp up enforcement of the new Traffic Law after a month and a half delay, according to a police statement yesterday. Police officials said enough drivers throughout the country now understood the law, paving the way for stricter ...
Srey Kumneth
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24391/full-traffic-law-to-be-enforced-next-month/
Graft Unit grills rights workers; UN stays away
The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) questioned officers of local human rights group Adhoc late into the evening for a second straight day on Thursday over claims that they had instructed the alleged mistress of deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha to deny their affair. ...
Ben Sokhean and Zsombor Peter
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/graft-unit-grills-rights-workers-un-stays-away-111887/
Commuting accident sends 18 garment workers to hospital
Eighteen garment workers were sent to the hospital on Wednesday when the truck they were riding to work overturned in Kompong Speu province after its two back tires blew out, according to police, who arrested the driver. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/commuting-accident-sends-18-garment-workers-to-hospital-111851/
Date set for Rainsy’s latest defamation trial
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is living in France to avoid prison time, will be tried over allegations of defaming National Assembly President Heng Samrin starting July 28, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court has announced. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/date-set-for-defamation-trial-111814/
Rights group says Anti-Corruption Unit’s claims baseless
Adhoc president Thun Saray on Tuesday defended his rights group’s pro-bono legal representation of the alleged mistress of deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha, who last week rescinded her denials of the affair and accused Adhoc staff of convincing her to lie. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/rights-group-says-anti-corruption-units-claims-baseless-111795/
Land dispute petitions lodged with government
Five groups of land evictees marched to the Council of Ministers yesterday to submit petitions. . ...
Bun Sengkong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/land-dispute-petitions-lodged-government
Manet returns from US, dismisses lawsuit
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son, Hun Manet, arrived back in Phnom Penh on Monday after two weeks in the U.S. and Canada, deriding a lawsuit filed against him in Los Angeles for wrongful imprisonment that includes a count of “international terrorism.” ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/manet-returns-from-us-dismisses-lawsuit-111744/
Families watch as land flattened for road
Helmeted state security guards on Thursday blocked landowners from entering their plots in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changva district as heavy machinery razed crude structures and leveled the earth to make way for a hotly disputed road construction project. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/families-watch-as-land-flattened-for-road-111621/
Testing drugs a cop job: Chito
National Police anti-drug chief Mok Chito yesterday said his officers need to begin inserting themselves into a stage of investigations until now the sole domain of the judiciary – drug testing. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/testing-drugs-cop-job-chito
NEC says commune elections likely for June 2017
National Election Committee (NEC) Secretary-General Tep Nytha said on Thursday that next year’s crucial commune council elections would likely be held in June but that the decision must ultimately come from the government. ...
Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/nec-says-commune-elections-likely-for-june-2017-111642/
Human rights group criticises Cambodia’s telecoms law
Human rights group Licadho has criticised the Cambodian Telecoms Law that came into effect in December of last year, saying it “poses a severe threat to freedom of expression”. ...
Tom Jackson
http://www.developingtelecoms.com/business/regulation/6450-human-rights-group-criticises-cambodia-s-telecoms-law.html
Leaks detail Cambodian ties to clandestine world of offshore banking
In 2001, a man with the same name and address as Tuol Kork-based computer salesman Thai Tino established the first of several shell companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. ...
Jack Davies
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/leaks-detail-cambodian-ties-clandestine-world-offshore-banking
Ex-military police officer arrested in Mondulkiri
Notorious former military police officer and purported illegal-timber trader Sou Marith was apprehended yesterday morning along with three other men while allegedly transporting timber in Mondulkiri’s Keo Seima district. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ex-military-police-officer-arrested-mondulkiri
Big tobacco shaped smoking laws, policies
In 2008, British American Tobacco (BAT) was awarded its third straight “Gold Medal” from Prime Minister Hun Sen in recognition of good corporate stewardship, according to the company’s July newsletter. ...
Ben Paviour
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/big-tobacco-shaped-smoking-laws-policies-111556/