Civil and political rights

The Union of Journalist Federations of Cambodia has urged local unions and media associations to collaborate and conduct a joint evaluation of the Kingdom’s media freedom. UJFC president Huy Vannak, who was re-elected to his position during its congress on Saturday, said all local unions and ...

The Information Ministry yesterday announced that the draft Law on Access to Information is ready to be reviewed during an unspecified inter-ministerial meeting next month after it deemed that the draft’s contents are in line with international standards and the constitution. It also said the draft ...

The Ministry of Information on Tuesday concluded the final revision by key ministries of the draft Law on Access to Information, without making any major amendments. It will be submitted to the Council of Ministers to be rubber-stamped by the end of September or beginning ...

The Ministry of Information and the National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT) joined hands to strengthen the capacity of journalists, TV presenters and commentators to upgrade their skills in helping to address human trafficking. ...

CHRC President Keo Remy said after the meeting that he and the Japanese team – led by Masato Otaka, Ambassador in charge of UN Affairs and Deputy Assistant Minister of the Foreign Policy Bureau at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs – discussed human rights issues ...

A middle-aged man was arrested and sent to Phnom Penh Municipal Court Wednesday while three other supporters of slain political analyst Kem Ley were also arrested as they were attempting to sell t-shirts with Kem Ley’s portrait and commemorating his assassination’s third anniversary. According to ...

A fifth iter-ministerial meeting was held on Wednesday to continue reviewing and discussing the first draft of the Access to Information Law, even as civil society called on the ministries to accelerate its discussions.​ Following the meeting, which was led by the Ministry of Information, ...

UN human rights experts have expressed concern about what they call an escalating trend of silencing political opinion, saying the government has used criminal law to deny former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) members’ the rights to expression and to hold gatherings. However, senior government ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday addressed the Asia Media Summit in Siem Reap, outlining his priorities to increase cooperation in the region and the world to combat fake news and cybercrime, which he said are becoming a serious threat. In his speech at the ...

The fight against fake news in the digital era will be on the agenda as Cambodia hosts the 16th Asia Media Summit 2019 attended by some 500 participants from more than 40 countries around the world in Siem Reap province. ...

The Ministry of Information is preparing with relevant ministries’ and institutions’ amendments to the Press Law to bring it in line with current reality, while UN human rights monitor for Cambodia Rhona Smith has expressed concerns over press freedom in Cambodia. ...

Civil society organisations dealing with environmental issues yesterday urged the Environment Ministry to disclose environmental impact assessment reports due to a lack of public information on whether or not companies comply with their reports after development projects have been approved. In a workshop on “Promoting Environmental ...

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith yesterday confirmed that the draft law on Access to Information has been inserted into the 6th mandate of the government’s strategic plan. In an announcement dated yesterday that addressed public and civil society groups’ requests, Mr Kanharith said the ministry had ...

A group of 19 non-governmental organisations and associations have urged the Kingdom’s legislative and executive bodies to expedite the passage of a draft law on freedom of information, which the group said had been delayed for years. ...

The former senior adviser to the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Kong Korm, has been named the honorary president of the Khmer Will Party (KWP). The appointment came after Korm and his son Kong Bora became the first of 118 banned senior CNRP ...

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith on Friday said Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) would be allowed to reopen their offices only after fulfilling their tax obligations. In a letter dated January 25 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ...

King Norodom Sihamoni on Tuesday granted “rehabilitation” to Kong Korm and his son Kong Bora – the first of 118 opposition officials banned from politics for five years to request a royal decree – allowing them to return to the political fold. The 118 high-ranking ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen raised cyber-security and access to information in his address to nearly 5,000 participants at the correspondents’ dinner held on Friday in Phnom Penh. In his speech, Hun Sen called on officials and members of the press to wage a fight against ...

Some 40 local and international journalists from several media outlets in Cambodia released an open letter on Thursday, calling for the court to drop charges against two former Radio Free Asia (RFA) reporters. The call comes following the release of journalists Uon Chhin and Yeang ...

A senior government official on Monday said that the amendment to Article 45 of the Law on Political Parties has reached its final stage and is merely awaiting the signature of King Norodom Sihamoni, leaving 118 politicians facing the dilemma as to whether to return ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen told banned former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) politicians to request a restoration of their political rights or miss out on the 2022 commune elections. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen has called on local and international journalists to join hands in tackling fake news, which he said could cause social turmoil in the Kingdom and beyond. ...

Kong Korm, the former top adviser to the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) who recently announced his return to the political stage, has blasted Sam Rainsy’s “arrogance”.​ He said the leadership of the newly nominated “acting president” of the party has “betrayed the people’s ...

Better Factories Cambodia has found that more and more factories in the country are complying with its standards when dealing with critical worker issues after it began conducting studies on factory compliance. These critical issues include child labour, discrimination, forced labour and freedom of association. ...