Civil society
Non-governmental organizations
Government responds to Global Witness
Government officials reacted strongly yesterday to a recent statement by NGO Global Witness calling on Switzerland, the host of this year’s World Economic Forum, to turn away Prime Minister Hun Sen and not give him a platform to find new international business partners. ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/34549/government--responds-to--global-witness/
NGO: development hurting residents
An NGO is taking aim at development companies in a new report detailing the troubling tactics of construction companies forcibly evicting residents of Phnom Penh. The study, released yesterday, showed that among 77 sites since 2011 throughout Phnom Penh where residents were evicted so their building ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/33111/ngo--development-hurting-residents/
Human Rights Day celebrated
Civil society organizations, unions and citizens celebrated Human Rights Day in Phnom Penh on the weekend, but were not permitted to march through the streets and many opted to hold their celebrations in Freedom Park. On Saturday, Yang Kim Eng, the chairman of the Cambodian Human ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/33010/human-rights-day-celebrated/
Advocates, employers tussle over compliance
Local garment sector stakeholders failed to find common ground at a meeting on supply chain safety protocols, with the government and employers expressing reluctance to take on an additional level of responsibility. ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/advocates-employers-tussle-over-compliance
Civil society groups call for change
Civil society groups yesterday urged the government to step up transparency in the judiciary to create an environment where activists could address social injustices without having to worry about being prosecuted. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/32643/civil-society-groups-call-for-change/
Civil societies urge budget review
Several civil society groups yesterday issued a joint statement urging members of parliament to review the national budget which is set to allocate close to 35 percent of national spending solely to the Defense Ministry and a contingency reserve. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/32233/civil-societies-urge-budget-review/
New guidelines on impact assessments almost ready
Civil society groups are getting closer to unveiling a new set of guidelines that will change how the impact of big development projects is assessed across the Mekong region, NGOs said yesterday, following the end of a two-month public consultation period. ...
Cristina Maza
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-guidelines-impact-assessments-almost-ready
Ending poverty a big issue
The public has spoken and among their top priorities for spearheading sustainable development in Cambodia are eradicating poverty, administering quality education and achieving peace and justice, according to a new survey published by NGO World Vision. The survey takes focus on 2030’s UN Sustainable Development Goals ...
Safiya Charles
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31539/ending-poverty-a-big-issue/
Military voting scheme ‘concerning’: watchdog
An election watchdog yesterday announced it had uncovered plans to move registration stations closer to military bases in Kampong Speu, Tbong Khmum and Kampong Chhnang provinces. ...
Vong Sokheng and Shaun Turton
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/military-voting-scheme-concerning-watchdog
Local chiefs still key to registration, study finds
Despite having access to other sources of information about the election process, including television and smartphones, Cambodia’s urban poor remain heavily reliant on potentially biased village-level officials when it comes to voter registration, according to a new report. ...
Ananth Baliga and Kong Meta
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/local-chiefs-still-key-registration-study-finds
Job site seeks to curb dangerous migration
The NGO Open Institute has launched a new online service that aims to help Cambodian unskilled labourers find jobs within the country as part of an effort to discourage worker migration in hopes of reducing human trafficking. ...
Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/job-site-seeks-curb-dangerous-migration
Affordable public housing needed: official
A senior official at the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction appealed yesterday to institutions, private companies and related parties to help increase public housing for low and middle income families. In the first annual national forum on housing yesterday, Chhan Saphan, a secretary ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31108/affordable-public-housing-needed--official/
Call to follow spirit of agreement
The government was urged yesterday to follow the spirit of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement as a model to solve the current political problems with dialogue and partnership rather than conflict. At a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the signing of the agreements, which saw ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30979/call-to-follow-spirit-of-agreement/
Wildlife meat seized in Kratie
Authorities seized 100 kilograms of endangered wildlife meat this weekend on Kratie province’s National Road 7. The haul, which contained 60 kg of wild pig and 36 kg of deer meat, was discovered after a local environmental NGO stopped an SUV traveling in Chit Borei’s Sambok ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26280/wildlife-meat-seized-in-kratie/
NGOs die first if aid cut: PM
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday slammed recent calls for sanctions against Cambodia over what supporters of the measures call a government-level disrespect of democracy, claiming the first to be hurt by sanctions would be NGOs. ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26080/ngos-die-first-if-aid-cut--pm/
Adhoc on defensive after accusations
Rights group Adhoc has no plans to file a complaint against Khom Chandaraty, the alleged mistress of acting opposition president Kem Sokha, despite her accusing various members of encouraging her to give false testimony during police questioning earlier this month. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24261/adhoc-on-defensive-after-accusations/
Cambodian journalists, NGOs gather in China for sustainable development summit
Cambodian NGOs and journalists were invited to China last week by the China Foundation for Peace and Development (CFPD) for a discussion on sustainable development in the Kingdom. ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24159/cambodian-journalists--ngos-gather-in-china-for-sustainable-development-summit/
NGOs targeted over mistress’ lies
Police will investigate a number of NGO workers who government officials say were involved in the false testimony of Khom Chandaraty, the alleged mistress of opposition acting president Khem Sokha, after Ms. Chandaraty published an open letter accusing the officials of encouraging her to lie ...
Taing Vida
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24168/ngos-targeted-over-mistress----lies/
NGO’s democracy training session shut down
A team of security officials led by a commune chief descended on a private home in rural Koh Kong province on Friday morning to prevent a group of students and activists from holding a democracy training session, an activist and officials said. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ngos-democracy-training-session-shut-down-98181/
Activist’s arrest could come soon, judge says
The investigating judge involved in ongoing legal proceedings against human rights activist Ny Chakrya has said a warrant for the man’s arrest is under consideration after Chakrya failed to respond to a subpoena to appear in court yesterday. However, Chakrya’s employer, rights group Adhoc, said ...
Pech Sotheary and Charles Parkinson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/activists-arrest-could-come-soon-judge-says
First read turns a page towards early childhood development
Ms. Kem Sopheak, 32, is a mother, community leader and Grade 1 teacher at Roveang primary school in Kampong Cham province. ...
Khmer Times team
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/15993/first-read-turns-a-page-towards-early-childhood-development/
Koh Kong police releases 17 protesters
Police in Koh Kong province on Wednesday late evening set free 17 people, including for local rights workers who were arrested over a protest in the province. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/koh-kong-police-releases-17-protesters-8919
Rights group activists are detained for monitoring protests in Cambodia's Koh Kong
Seventeen members of a Cambodian rights group and environmental NGO were briefly detained by authorities in Cambodia’s southeastern Koh Kong province Wednesday as they observed protests calling for the release of three activists held for interfering with sand-dredging operations, sources said. ...
Den Ayuthea
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/onitoring-09022015170304.html
After arrests, environment NGO defends tactics
When Sam Samnang’s son decided to join the ranks of environmental NGO Mother Nature, she knew he was in for trouble. ...
Aun Pheap and Chris Mueller
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/after-arrests-environment-ngo-defends-tactics-92525/