Human rights
Civil and political rights
CCFC event blocked yet again
A gathering in Svay Rieng province of some 40 villagers led by a farmers’ organisation was shut down by local police on Thursday because the group allegedly had not requested permission, though provincial authorities had been notified the week before. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ccfc-event-blocked-yet-again
Rights group wants EU sanctions
The International Federation for Human Rights has urged the European Union to pressure the Cambodian government to cease its crackdown on civil society and the political opposition. ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50113878/rights-group-wants-eu-sanctions/
Hacks a ‘wakeup call’ to telecom security weaknesses: gov’t
Telecommunications officials have raised the possibility that a series of hacks against government officials and ministries could have been so-called SS7 attacks, a recently discovered hacking method that involves taking over a person’s cellphone number. At a meeting with local cell companies on Tuesday, officials ...
Hor Kimsay and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hacks-wakeup-call-telecom-security-weaknesses-govt
UN report highlights escalation of tensions in Cambodia
Shrinking political and civic space in the Kingdom is highlighted in a new report from the United Nations’ human rights commissioner and secretary-general ahead of a UN Human Rights Council discussion this month on Cambodia. ...
Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/un-report-highlights-escalation-tensions-cambodia
Information Ministry claims press freedom supporters are ‘killing’ democracy
Cambodia’s Ministry of Information has chalked up 2017 as a “huge success for the government”, saying supporters of jailed journalists were “killing” democracy and the closure of multiple media outlets was necessary. ...
Mech Dara and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/information-ministry-claims-press-freedom-supporters-are-killing-democracy
UN releases memos on concerns
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday published a batch of communications held with the Cambodian government since June last year, showing that the international body has voiced its concern about a range of issues from the arrest of ...
Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/un-releases-memos-concerns
Candlelight Party amends statute in congress
The Candlelight Party yesterday held its congress to change some articles in its statute to comply with the amended Law on Political Parties to allow it to request dissolution from the Interior Ministry if necessary. ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110704/candlelight-party-amends-statute-congress/
Cambodian media under threat: report
Media outlets in Cambodia have came under increasing threat over the past year, according to a new report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), though the Ministry of Information, responding to a similar recent report, has insisted freedom of expression and the press is ...
Leonie Kijewski and Rinith Taing
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodian-media-under-threat-report
Kem Ley foundation registered
The Ministry of Interior has officially registered a newly created “Kem Ley Foundation Association” after months of processing the application. Chhim Kan, director of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Associations and Political Parties, yesterday confirmed the association’s registration had been successful. ...
Yon Sineat and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kem-ley-foundation-registered
Press freedom ‘collapsed’ in 2017, journalist survey says
The “façade of media freedom” in the Kingdom “collapsed” last year, with journalists reporting a sharp drop in their hopes for independent press, according to the results of a new survey launched yesterday. The Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) study surveyed 75 journalists from ...
Rinith Taing
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/press-freedom-collapsed-2017-journalist-survey-says
Former Funcinpec officials file membership complaint
Six officials have filed a complaint to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court asking for their Funcinpec membership to be reinstated after they were removed from the party by its leader, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, at the end of last month. ...
Kong Meta
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/former-funcinpec-officials-file-membership-complaint
Government unit publishes 132-page treatise on threat of ‘colour revolution’
The Council of Ministers released a no-holds-barred book about its efforts to root out a purported foreign-backed “colour revolution” in Cambodia yesterday, lashing out at superpowers like the United States for supposedly trying to cause “immeasurable catastrophe” in the country. ...
Mech Dara and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/government-unit-publishes-132-page-treatise-threat-colour-revolution
CNRP visited by Thai officials after protester extradited
Cambodian opposition figures seeking asylum in Thailand have been visited by Thai police in recent days, fuelling fears they may be deported back to the Kingdom. Scores fled Cambodia after the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party was forcibly dissolved following the arrest of its president, ...
Ben Sokhean and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cnrp-visited-thai-officials-after-protester-extradited
Cambodia blocks online access to shuttered Cambodia Daily
Cambodia’s government has ordered internet service providers to block online access to The Cambodia Daily newspaper, which closed last year amid a widespread crackdown on media and civil society groups criticizing Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party. ...
Richard Finney
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/access-02052018171458.html
Hun Sen rejects democracy index’s ‘authoritarian’ label
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday took a swipe at a recent democracy report that labelled his regime “authoritarian”, before declaring no one is capable of “toppling Hun Sen besides Hun Sen”. ...
Mech Dara and Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-sen-rejects-democracy-indexs-authoritarian-label
Cambodia plunges in democracy survey after CNRP dissolution
The state of democracy in Cambodia has declined to the point where it is now led by an outright “authoritarian” regime, according to the latest Democracy Index from the Economist Intelligence Unit. The Democracy Index 2017, released yesterday, ranked Cambodia 124th out of 167 countries, ...
Erin Handley
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodia-plunges-democracy-survey-after-cnrp-dissolution
Draft of long-awaited access-to-information law unveiled
A proposed access-to-information law more than a decade in the making was unveiled to the public yesterday, with just one item left to finalise – punishments for officials who refuse to disclose public information. ...
Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/draft-long-awaited-access-information-law-unveiled
Government looks to make controversial amendments to Constitution
The Constitutional Council is planning to meet later this week to discuss amendments to the Constitution, including changes to an article guaranteeing the right for citizens to form organisations and political parties. The document, a letter of invitation to local media, outlines an agenda for the ...
Andrew Nachemson and Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/government-looks-make-controversial-amendments-constitution
US Senators call on UN to pass resolution on Cambodia’s political crackdown
A group of US Senators has sent a letter to Nikki Haley, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations, urging her to work with other members of the UN Human Rights Council to pass a resolution on Cambodia’s political situation. ...
Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/us-senators-call-un-pass-resolution-cambodias-political-crackdown
Hun Sen chides Cambodia Daily, lauds Trump
Prime Minister Hun Sen met with members of the press yesterday, not shying away from classifying some journalists and media outlets as extortionists and tax evaders, while applauding United States President Donald Trump’s efforts to go after so-called fake news. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/hun-sen-chides-cambodia-daily-lauds-trump
Cambodia PM berates media at correspondents' dinner
Cambodia’s long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen berated journalists on Sunday at a dinner his government hosted for correspondents and accused some of spreading fabricated stories. ...
Prak Chan Thul
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cambodia-media/cambodia-pm-berates-media-at-correspondents-dinner-idUSKBN1FA0ZB
World Democracy in Crisis, New Freedom House Report Says
The report, “Freedom in the World 2018”, released on January 16, found that 2017 was the 12th consecutive year of decline in freedom globally, with 71 of the 195 countries included in the report suffering declines, including Cambodia. ...
Freedom in the World
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/world-democracy-in-crisis-new-freedom-house-report-says/4210004.html
Exiled Cambodian opposition members set up new movement
Foreign-based members of Cambodia’s dissolved opposition party have launched a movement to demand the release of its detained leader and to call for free and fair elections and possibly protests. ...
Prak Chan Thul and Simon Cameron-Moore
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cambodia-politics/exiled-cambodian-opposition-members-set-up-new-movement-idUSKBN1F3083
Analyst Kim Sok's bail request denied at Supreme Court
Outspoken government critic Kim Sok was rejected bail at the Supreme Court this morning, with the prosecutor arguing that to grant Sok early release from an 18-month prison sentence would cause “chaos” in society. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/analyst-kim-soks-bail-request-denied-supreme-court