Human rights

French Ambassador to Cambodia Jacques Pellet met with Dy Vichea, Deputy Chief of Cambodian National Police, on Monday to discuss measures taken by Cambodian authorities in relation to Thailand’s investigation into the assassination of Lim Kimya, a dual French-Cambodian citizen and former opposition lawmaker. ...

Cambodian prisons are more packed than ever, with inmate numbers up 23% and more than half of nearly two dozen prisons at 200% capacity or higher, local rights group Licadho recently reported, warning of persistent gaps in criminal justice reform. ...

Prime Minister Hun Manet has defended the more than $1.5 million dollars he has spent on boosting his Facebook posts, while also explaining that the funds did not come from the Kingdom’s national budget. ...

 A civil society organization stated that Cambodia’s freedom of expression, assembly, including political rights remains restricted in a report, which comes amid continual arrests of opposition Nation Power Party (NPP) officials recently. ...

After three of their homes collapsed at around 9a.m on Saturday, residents of Khtor village, Prek Leap commune, along Mekong River, are urging the authorities to build embankments to stop landslides. Authorities claim the collapse was a result of natural disaster. ...

After more than two years of talks, rights groups and Dutch investor Oikocredit failed to agree on a plan to tackle abuses in Cambodia’s microfinance sector. ...

The Apsara National Authority (ANA) has emphasised that the government always pays close attention to residents who have illegally resided in protected areas and have voluntarily resettled by providing them with support. ...

Interior Minister Sar Sokha announced on Wednesday that provincial administrations will take immediate action against any associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that collaborate with extremist groups seeking to overthrow the government. ...

Cambodia’s civic space was rated “repressed,” scoring just 27 out of 100 in the 2024 Global Findings report from CIVICUS Monitor, an international organization dedicated to strengthening citizen action worldwide. The government has since brushed away the findings, calling them unfounded. ...

The Ministry of Planning’s National Institute of Statistics (NIS) and the EU officially launched the “EU Twinning” project on December 5.​ The event was attended by Minister of Planning Bin Troachhey, EU ambassador to Cambodia Igor Driesmans and Team Europe representatives from Italy, France, Poland ...

During her historic visit to Cambodia, Samantha Power, administrator for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), announced an additional $5 million in support for civil society, workers and independent media. ...

Despite the rapid digitalization of Cambodia’s economy and society, many online citizens continue to struggle with digital illiteracy – particularly vulnerable groups exposed to online discrimination and fraud. As digitalization efforts increase, experts are urging the government to implement laws that protect social media users and ...

A recent recommendation from the Ministry of Information urging provincial departments to monitor and control public sentiment, particularly on social media, has raised concerns about whether the primary intent is to maintain stability or stifle local opinions. ...

Senior government official Sun Chanthol highlighted the potential of the recent groundbreaking of the $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal project to U.S investors that can benefit Cambodia’s economy. He also said freedom of expression in the country has improved, contrary to the views of civil society ...

The arrest of Cambodian journalist Mech Dara in late September has raised concerns about press freedom, but the Ministry of Information has defended the move, stating that the charges against him are legal and unrelated to his journalism. ...

The Permanent Mission of Cambodia to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva on Tuesday criticised the request from human rights experts at the UN to suspend the Cambodian Press Charter, claiming it was made with insufficient evidence. ...

Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has expressed “deep regret” over what it described as the “unjust” decision by the US Department of the Treasury (USDT) to impose sanctions on business tycoon Ly Yong Phat and several enterprises in the country. ...

The Ministry of Information has set a short- and long-term strategic plan for the development of the information and audio-visual sector over the next five years to contribute to the government’s reform on the information and audio-visual sector. ...

The Ministry of Information has printed 20,000 copies of the Charter for Professional Journalism for free distribution to journalists as a means for strengthening ethics and encouraging responsible journalism. The distribution campaign began on August 23, 2024.​ ...

Prime Minister Hun Manet called for national unity and cautioned against divisions stemming from differing opinions regarding the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA), urging people to avoid illegal actions. ...

The Ministry of Justice issued a stern warning that efforts to incite opposition to the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) cooperation are part of a broader scheme to instigate a colour revolution aimed at overthrowing the government. ...

Government officials and armed forces condemned anti-Cambodia-Lao-Vietnam Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) activists and pledged to suppress any activities initiated by the “extremist opposition groups” based overseas who are “attempting to overthrow the government”. ...

Opposition to the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) project continues to grow abroad, with protests by Khmer citizens in South Korea and Australia on Sunday, August 11. ...

Cambodia’s first “Charter for Professional Journalism” is designed to elevate journalistic ethics and standards across all forms of media, including content creators and those involved in make-money-online (MMO) activities. ...