Social development

At least six Cambodian journalists have been detained, arrested, or charged with incitement between January and mid-February 2026 after reporting on border tensions and suspected online scam compounds, with two still held in pre-trial detention, according to local rights groups. ...

Residents from O’ Suo Sdei and Sangkum Thmey villages in Thma Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province, continue to live in uncertainty, despair and fear, fearful of returning to their homes, which are now surrounded by Thai barricades of shipping containers and razor wire. ...

A senior Cambodian official has reported a significant decline in social discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, framing legal marriage equality as both a human rights milestone and a strategic economic advantage for the Kingdom. ...

The United Kingdom is partnering with World Vision International in Cambodia to help displaced children continue their education after border-related population movements disrupted schooling in several provinces. ...

Local and international child rights advocates have called for greater awareness over children’s bodily autonomy and personal boundaries after a wave online debate about the issue. ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Koeut Rith had led an inter-ministerial meeting to collect inputs for drafting a comprehensive bill, the news release said. ...

The government of South Korea has pledged $500,000 to support children and families affected by the recent Cambodia–Thailand border conflict, with the funding expected to help more than 24,000 children return safely to school after months of disruption. ...

Authorities raided the Xinli Casino in Preah Sihanoukville province yesterday, detaining more than 800 suspected scammers. ...

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its annual World Report last week, accusing the Cambodian government of continued human rights abuses.   ...

Cambodia has vowed to eliminate online scams by April this year, warning that provinces failing to eradicate them could face legal action, with an analyst stressing that strong political will to dismantle the masterminds behind the operations is crucial to ending the issue in the ...

Dr Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Women’s Affairs, yesterday received a courtesy call and held a working discussions with Tania Meyer, Country Manager of the World Bank in Cambodia, to further strengthen strategic cooperation in promoting gender equality, and women’s empowerment. ...

Despite Thai artillery shells landing in her neighbouring village, 69-year-old Van Noeun stubbornly refused to abandon her home, even as many other villagers fled, leaving the village nearly empty during the fighting last December. ...

After 25 years of training and employing young people from low-income families, impact sourcing pioneer Digital Divide Data (DDD) says it is shifting toward artificial intelligence (AI)-driven services to ensure Cambodian youth remain competitive in a rapidly changing global digital economy. ...

Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa P. Lazaro was surprised as she wrapped up a press conference at the ASEAN Foreign Minister’s Retreat. No reporters from the pool asked about the Cambodia-Thailand conflict, which claimed more than a hundred lives. ...

The Ministry of Environment has raised serious concerns over the widespread use of hazardous chemicals in plastic products, following a global study showing that more than one-quarter of the chemicals used in plastic production pose risks to human health and ecosystems. ...

The Health Ministry has urged the public to be vigilant of the Nipah virus, outlining preventive measures, as India reported an outbreak in West Bengal with five confirmed cases and more than 100 people placed under quarantine, raising regional health concerns. ...

Minister of Health Chheang Ra has urged authorities and all relevant stakeholders to maintain a high level of vigilance to prevent and curb the importation of the Nipah virus into Cambodia, after the infectious disease was reported in several countries across Asia. ...

Cambodia officially introduced the Jarai language into its multilingual education programme on January 27, marking a historic milestone as the first country in the world to implement six indigenous languages written in the Khmer script. ...

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rising at an alarming rate in Cambodia, with deaths linked to these conditions now accounting for more than 50 per cent of total mortality, posing a growing challenge to the country’s healthcare system and public well-being. ...

After 20 months in prison on incitement charges, youth activist Koet Saray’s conviction was upheld this morning by the Phnom Penh Appeal Court, which has left his family and human rights group feeling “deep regret”. ...

Cambodia has deported more than 200 foreign nationals linked to online scam operations as part of an intensified, regionally coordinated crackdown on cross-border cybercrime. ...

Chea Mony, the brother of slain labor leader Chea Vichea, said on Thursday he would identify the killers within a week if his opposition party were to win the general election in 2028. ...

Senior Minister Keo Remy, president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), has expressed concerns regarding the activities of the Thai military, which has reportedly destroyed the homes of Cambodian families in some of the Cambodian territory they are currently illegally occupying. ...

A senior official from the committee tasked with eradicating technology-based scam crimes has informed a Chinese diplomat that Cambodia will cooperate with partner countries to “cut off the heads and dismantle the nests of criminal groups to the very root”. ...