Civil society

Twin brothers who were granted temporary asylum in Thailand by the U.N. last month said on Thursday that they planned to return to Cambodia, citing a cooler political climate and a desire to continue their environmental activism. ...

The murder of popular political analyst Kem Ley earlier this month, and the fallout from the killing, could push more Cambodians to question the actions of authorities and even to stand up against the ruling party, local observers say. ...

A group of United Nations human rights experts have condemned the murder of Cambodian political analyst and social activist Kem Ley and called for an impartial investigation by an independent body with no ties to the government. ...

Anti-graft group Transparency International (TI) is launching a project to encourage young people to combat corruption in Cambodia.   ...

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 ...

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. ...

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport issued a statement yesterday condemning the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA) for calling on the Kingdom’s teachers to strike or protest in support of opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Kem Sokha. ...

More than 4,000 people in Cambodia cycled here on Saturday to celebrate Europe Day and to increase environmental awareness. The event was organized by the European Union (EU) in Cambodia in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Phnom Penh Municipality. ...

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group’s pro-bono legal representation of the alleged mistress of deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha, who last week rescinded her denials of the affair and accused Adhoc staff of convincing her to lie. ...

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. ...

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.   ...

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 ...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ordered immigration officials to ban Mother Nature activist Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson from entering the country, saying that the E-visa granted to him was merely a technical error. ...

Dozens of Cambodian-American Long Beach residents protested in front of a restaurant over the weekend against Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son, Hun Manet, on the first day of his trip to North America. ...

A new mobile phone application launched yesterday aims to collect data on flooding, blackouts, traffic jams and other problems that plague Phnom Penh, then map its findings for use by citizens and City Hall.   ...

Environmental activist Alex Gonzalez-Davidson, who was deported in February last year, has been granted a one-month tourist visa through the Foreign Ministry’s online “e-visa” service, but an immigration official said yesterday that it was unlikely he would be allowed to use it. ...

Security forces on Thursday blocked two mothers and a wife of jailed activists from the environmental group Mother Nature from walking to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house to protest their family members’ imprisonment, before a representative of the premier’s cabinet chastised them for using the ...

Police in Ratanakkiri province on Tuesday ordered rights group Adhoc to call off a planned workshop meant to inform local indigenous communities of their rights, claiming the NGO had failed to secure the necessary permission from authorities. ...

Roughly 100 Phnom Penh residents who believe they will be affected by a planned expressway leading from the airport to the city centre protested again at the Ministry of Public Works yesterday, demanding that community representatives be included on the committee that settles such matters ...

With the draft union law due to be debated during a public forum on Wednesday, a group of 21 unions and NGOs released a statement yesterday calling on the National Assembly to allow more time to discuss the legislation before it is passed.  ...

Cambodians were optimistic about the economic and political future of the Kingdom, according to a national survey on citizen’s perceptions released on Wednesday by the Asia Foundation, although observers yesterday questioned whether that optimism remains in light of the government’s recent crackdown on the opposition. ...

In August last year, The Asia Foun­dation launched three new smart­phone apps designed to end violence against women and girls in Cambodia. ...

It’s been a busy morning for Cletus, Meynard, Victoria and others of their furry band. Tiny noses and long whiskers twitching, they’ve scurried and sniffed their way across 775 square meters (8,300 square feet) of fields to eliminate a scourge that has killed thousands of ...

The Ministry of Information says it is working with LGBT rights groups to create a regular radio program that discusses LGBT issues, with the aim of making society more welcoming. ...