Social development
Human rights
US Ambassador Calls for Election Investigation, NEC Reform
Repeating his country’s call for a transparent investigation into irregularities during the July 28 national election, the U.S. ambassador to Cambodia has urged the government to repair deficiencies in the electoral process. While some foreign governments have issued congratulatory messages to Prime Minister Hun Sen and ...
The Cambodia Daily
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/us-ambassador-calls-for-election-investigation-nec-reform-38282/
Cambodia establishes joint committee to investigate election irregularities
The National Election Committee (NEC) decided today to establish a joint committee to investigate the alleged irregularities of Sunday’s election, an official said Saturday. “We decided to create a joint committee which will consists of representatives from the NEC, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and ...
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=NjVmZjU1NDMyYTR
អង្គការអន្តរជាតិចេញរបាយការណ៍ស្ដីពីការលួចបន្លំសន្លឹកឆ្នោត
ស្របពេលដែលលទ្ធផលបោះឆ្នោតនីតិកាលទី៥ នៅមានភាពចម្រូងចម្រាសនៅឡើយ អង្គការឃ្លាំមើលសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស យូមែន រ៉ៃថ៍ វ៉ច្ឆ (Human Rights Watch) បានចេញផ្សាយរបាយការណ៍បន្ទាន់មួយ ស្ដីពីការបន្លំសន្លឹកឆ្នោតដែលមានលក្ខណៈជាប្រព័ន្ធក្នុងការបោះ ឆ្នោតកាលពីថ្ងៃ២៨ កក្កដា ដែលរៀបចំឡើងដោយគណបក្សប្រជាជន សហការជាមួយក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃ។ អង្គការឃ្លាំមើលសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស យូមែន រ៉ៃថ៍ វ៉ច្ឆ បានចេញរបាយការណ៍បន្ទាន់មួយនៅថ្ងៃទី៣១ កក្កដា បង្ហាញថា គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា មានពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងការបង្កើតឲ្យមានភាពមិនប្រក្រតីមានលក្ខណៈជា ប្រព័ន្ធក្នុងការបោះឆ្នោតនីតិកាលទី៥ កាលពីថ្ងៃទី២៨ កក្កដា កន្លងទៅ។របាយការណ៍នេះរៀបរាប់អំពីករណីក្លែងបន្លំសន្លឹកឆ្នោតដ៏ ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរដែលបានកើតឡើងនៅក្នុងខេត្តមួយចំនួន ហើយថែមទាំងមានពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងមន្ត្រីជាន់ខ្ពស់គណបក្សប្រជាជនបម្រើ ការក្នុងជួររដ្ឋាភិបាលទៀតផង។ អង្គការនេះបានស៊ើបអង្កេតឃើញថា មន្ត្រីជាន់ខ្ពស់បម្រើការឲ្យគណបក្សកាន់អំណាច មានការពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងការចេញឯកសារក្លែងក្លាយ និងបានរៀបចំឲ្យអ្នកបោះឆ្នោតមួយចំនួនអាចបោះឆ្នោតបានច្រើន កន្លែង។ មេភូមិម្នាក់ដែលសុំមិនបញ្ចេញអត្តសញ្ញាណបានផ្ដល់បទសម្ភាសន៍ដល់ អង្គការឃ្លាំមើលសិទ្ធិមនុស្សមួយនេះ ដោយបង្ហាញពីរបៀបដែលអាជ្ញាធរមូលដ្ឋានរបស់គាត់ក្លែងបន្លំឯកសារ បញ្ជាក់អត្តសញ្ញាណដល់អ្នកបោះឆ្នោត។ ឯកសារនេះអាចឲ្យអ្នកដែលមានឈ្មោះក្នុងបញ្ជីបោះឆ្នោតបោះឆ្នោតបាន ទោះបីជាមិនមានឯកសារបញ្ជាក់អត្តសញ្ញាណស្របច្បាប់ក៏ដោយ។ កិច្ចការ នោះមានលក្ខណៈជាប្រព័ន្ធ ដោយក្រុមការងារថ្នាក់កណ្ដាលនៃគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា ត្រូវបានគ្រប់គ្រងដោយមេបញ្ជាការយោធាម្នាក់ និងសមាជិកគណៈកម្មាធិការមជ្ឈិមបក្សម្នាក់ ហើយមន្ត្រីថ្នាក់មូលដ្ឋានត្រូវធ្វើការក្រោមបង្គាប់របស់ពួកគេ។ របាយការណ៍របស់អង្គការនោះបានបន្តទៀតថា សមាជិកម្នាក់ក្នុងក្រុមការងារថ្នាក់មជ្ឈិមនោះបានចាត់ចែងប្រមូល ...
http://www.rfa.org/khmer/news/politics/hrw-releases-irregularity-of-cam-election-07312013071054.html
UN rights envoy hails Cambodia's poll, calls for calm,political reconciliation
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Surya P. Subedi on Wednesday praised Cambodia’s general elections held on Sunday, and appealed for calm and political reconciliation. The human rights expert also appealed to the people and all political actors ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-07/31/c_125097669.htm
US calls for review of election ‘irregularities’
The US Department of State on Monday called on Cambodian authorities to carry out a full investigation into “all credible reports” of election malfeasance, saying that it was “concerned” by various issues taking place both on, and leading up to, last Sunday’s vote. At a press ...
The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/us-calls-review-election-%E2%80%98irregularities%E2%80%99
CPP Wins, but Suffers Loss in Parliamentary Majority
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) claimed victory in Sunday’s national election, but saw its majority severely diminished, ceding 22 National Assembly seats to the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the party’s first major setback since the U.N.-backed election in 1993. According to ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/cpp-wins-but-suffers-loss-in-parliamentary-majority-37210/
Cambodian voters urged to refrain from violence
Cambodian voters are urged to refrain from violence, as they will go to vote on Sunday to elect for 123 members of parliament. “Free political environment and the ability of the people to exercise their rights and freedoms, such as the right to vote, freedom of ...
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=YWFkODE3OTBkODl
Ruling Party Confident Ahead of Election Day
WASHINGTON — With Cambodia’s national parliamentary elections just days away, senior officials of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party say they are confident in an election victory, despite the return of opposition leader Sam Rainsy. The ruling party has campaigned on a number of platforms, especially the ...
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/ruling-party-confident-ahead-of-election-day/1708606.html
Kem Sokha Concerned Over Post-Election Violence
Opposition vice president Kem Sokha on Thursday said he could not guarantee there would be no violence following Sunday’s vote and appealed to the international community to be on alert and help ensure a peaceful transition after the election results are released. Speaking to reporters after ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/kem-sokha-concerned-over-post-election-violence-36762/
RCAF Asked to Reassure Public After Coup Warnings
Civil society groups and the opposition on Wednesday called on the military to issue a statement repudiating claims made by the owner of a popular radio station that the military would remove the opposition from office if it wins Sunday’s national election. The calls came after ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/rcaf-asked-to-reassure-public-after-coup-warnings-36616/
Mystery Surrounds Ratanakkiri’s First Special Economic Zone
Construction of a special economic zone (SEZ) near the Vietnamese border in Ratanakkiri province’s eastern O’Yadaw district is on track, but who exactly will avail of the facility and its services remains a mystery—even for senior provincial officials. The latest announced venture of agro-industry land concession ...
Cambodia's Top Trade Union Backs Opposition in Polls
Cambodia’s Free Trade Union (FTU), one of the biggest unions in the country, threw its weight Monday behind the largest opposition party ahead of upcoming elections, citing the party’s commitment to raising the minimum wage for factory workers. Union representatives from 37 factories and enterprises met ...
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/workers-07152013192923.html
Despite Land Loss, Minorities Back Status Quo
Romam Gvin could be described as a counterintuitive voter. Intuition might lead you to believe that Mr. Gvin blames the government for the loss of his land to the Vietnamese rubber company that now owns everything for as far as the eye can see here in ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/despite-land-loss-minorities-back-status-quo-34786/
Congressional Hearing in US Pushes Cut to Cambodian Aid
At a congressional hearing in Washington on Tuesday that scathingly rebuked Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling CPP, a U.S. lawmaker called for legislation to cut American aid to Cambodia following the national election on July 28. Representative Steve Chabot, who chaired the House Subcommittee ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/congressional-hearing-in-us-pushes-cut-to-cambodian-aid-34389/
Critics Say Hun Sen’s Land Title Program Is Biased
A controversial land titling program set up by Prime Minister Hun Sen has been suspended ahead of the July 28 elections, but critics say the program should not be restarted. The titling program itself began in December 2012 and is expected to end after elections scheduled ...
U.S. seeks to cut aid to Cambodia
Lawmakers in the U.S. and human rights activists are pushing for cuts of more than $70 million in aid to Cambodia if Prime Minister Hun Sen wins the July 28 elections. Many factors have pushed the U.S. to this point be it unfair and unjust, such ...
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=15&token=YTQ1OTEyZDAxMTd
Anti-trafficking laws under-enforced: NGO
Rem Vannak remains in poor health after enduring about two years of 21-hour days working for no pay on a fishing boat in Fiji, where he was beaten when he complained. Lin Yu Shin, who owns Giant Ocean – the company Vannak worked for that allegedly ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013070466659/National/anti-trafficking-laws-under-enforced-ngo.html
Election gag: Calls made for overturn of media ban
Civil society organisations and local communities yesterday called on the government to cancel an order banning all media from broadcasting foreign election-related reports in the five days before the election. The joint statement, signed by 21 civil society groups, comes after the government on Saturday rescinded ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/election-gag-calls-made-overturn-media-ban
Map connects factories and buyers
In light of ongoing disputes over working conditions in the garment sector, the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) released yesterday details on hundreds of factories it believes will offer greater transparency along the garment supply chain – from producers to buyers – and shine ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013070166578/Business/map-connects-factories-and-buyers.html
Six Cambodian Loggers Killed in One Month
The Ministry of Interior has said six Cambodians were shot dead by Thai forces in the course of a month, in a rare report outlining the impact of the ongoing trade in luxury rosewood, and authorities’ efforts to curb it. The report also says that ...
Opposition Asks Donors to Stop Work With Government
Lawmakers from the opposition SRP and Human Rights Party who were expelled from Parliament earlier this month have called on the foreign diplomatic corps and international donors to stop signing agreements and conducting other business with the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen. In a letter ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/opposition-asks-donors-to-stop-work-with-government-31421/
Despite Law, Minority Rights Receive Very Few Protections
The government does little to protect the rights and livelihoods of the country’s many ethnic minorities who are under constant threat from rapid development, representatives of indigenous groups said yesterday. “We have polices laws and guidelines to protect indigenous people, but we see that it doesn’t ...
In Mondolkiri, Political Candidates Address Ethnic Minority Concerns
Human rights workers and other civil society groups on Wednesday urged the competing political parties for July’s election to address the ongoing land crises and illegal deforestation that are hurting indigenous populations. About 100 people from various ethnic minority groups from five provinces attended a forum ...
Jail Sentence for Anti-Eviction Activist Upheld
The Court of Appeal on Friday upheld the guilty verdict for anti-eviction activist Yorm Bopha, but reduced her sentence from three-to two-years imprisonment, of which one year was suspended. The ruling means that Ms. Bopha will not be released until late 2014. Supporters and human rights groups ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/jail-sentence-for-anti-eviction-activist-upheld-31073/