News
Villagers, police face off in dispute over road expansion
About 100 villagers from Boeng Chhouk village in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district blocked officials and workers on Tuesday from bringing in heavy machinery to begin work on a road expansion that would destroy some of their homes. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/villagers-police-face-off-in-dispute-over-road-expansion-79974/
Villagers prevent police from taking back seized bulldozers
About 150 ethnic Kuoy in Preah Vihear province on Tuesday prevented police and a court prosecutor from taking back a pair of bulldozers the villagers seized last year from a Chinese-owned plantation they accuse of encroaching on their farms. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/villagers-prevent-police-from-taking-back-seized-bulldozers-79978/
Deminer dies after mine explosion in Pailin province
A deminer was killed instantly when an anti-personnel mine exploded on Tuesday while he was clearing a field in Pailin province’s Sala Krao district, officials said. ...
Saing Soenthrith and Alex Consiglio
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/deminer-dies-after-mine-explosion-in-pailin-province-79984/
Small parties left out
Minor political parties have come out swinging at the ruling and opposition political parties for overhauling the election system on a bi-party basis. Two election-related laws that the National Assembly is expected to pass later this week have been negotiated for months solely by the CPP ...
Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/small-parties-left-out
National police chief calls for crackdown on petty criminals
National Police Commissioner Neth Savoeun on Tuesday called on Phnom Penh’s police forces to increase arrest rates in the city to 75 percent of reported crimes and also asked municipal judges to grant bail less frequently. . ...
NGOs call out holes in EIA law
The Ministry of Environment is close to finalising a draft environmental impact analysis (EIA) law for development projects, but NGOs and civil society groups raised concerns that the draft law, as it stands, prevents indigenous people who live on the land from opposing such projects. Speaking ...
Chan Muyhong and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/ngos-call-out-holes-eia-law
Vietnam to join Asean rubber council
Vietnam has agreed to join Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in a regional trading network aimed at shoring up rubber prices. Thailand has lobbied other rubber-producing countries in the region, including Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, to form the council. Officials are expected to meet on April ...
Bangkok Post News Staff
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/499132/vietnam-to-join-sea-rubber-council
Laws could lead to ‘undemocratic’ elections, Human Rights Watch says
Criticism of two draft laws aimed at reforming Cambodia’s electoral system continues to grow. On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying the draft laws “violate basic human rights and democratic norms and should be substantially revised before being presented to the National Assembly for ...
Heng Reaksmey
http://bit.ly/1O4ILXd
Michelle Obama to promote girls’ education during Asia trip
First Lady Michelle Obama embarks on a five-day Asia trip Wednesday to launch the Obama Administration’s initiative “Let Girls Learn,” promoting the education of millions of girls worldwide. Ahead of her stops in Japan and Cambodia, Obama and her husband said the inability of an ...
Victor Beattie
http://bit.ly/1FAtCcm
Cambodian soldier caught fishing illegally shoots forestry official
Two soldiers in northwest Cambodia’s Battambang province fired assault rifles at two local forestry officials on Friday after the officials reported them to a local opposition party lawmaker for illegal fishing. ...
Hum Chamroeun
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/soldier-shoots-forestry-offcial-03172015170747.html
Italy confirms plan to join China-led bank
Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance has confirmed the country’s intention to become a member of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), despite pressure from the US on its western allies not to join. ...
The Local Italy News Staff
http://www.thelocal.it/20150317/italy-to-join-china-led-development-bank-report
Families ask to meet Agriculture minister
Representatives of 163 families from Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district submitted a request to the Agriculture Ministry on Monday to meet with Minister Ouk Rabun over his request that the Phnom Penh Municipal Court delay the allocation of nearly a hectare of land the families ...
Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/families-ask-to-meet-agriculture-minister-79883/
Extradition pact sees next steps
The Ministry of Justice has established a working group to examine a draft extradition treaty with Russia, the latest step in a process that could ultimately see prominent fugitives deported, a ministry spokesman said yesterday. ...
Taing Vida
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/extradition-pact-sees-next-steps
Kem Sokha was unhappy with July 22 political deal
CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha said in a speech in the U.S. last week that he was unhappy with the opposition party’s decision to end its boycott of the National Assembly last year but was prepared to “swallow gravel and rocks” to maintain unity with ...
Mech Dara and Alex Willemyns
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/kem-sokha-was-unhappy-with-july-22-political-deal-79855/
‘Scales are needed to stop road damage’
Following a directive by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation to improve their monitoring of overloaded vehicles, a ministry official said they will build more vehicle scales. ...
Sean Teehan and Pech Sotheary
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/scales-are-needed-stop-road-damage
Food safety needs tightening
The Cambodian government will introduce a food-safety law later this year that would see the Kingdom adopt a set of national food safety standards and ensure greater coordination across ministries, according to a health official. Aing Hoksrun, chief of the food bureau at the Department of ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/food-safety-needs-tightening
City says ‘fake cops’ nailed
Capital police yesterday revealed the identities of five men who had allegedly been posing as Flying Tigers – an elite Ministry of Interior rapid-response unit – and extorting money from victims who believed they were in danger of being jailed. ...
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/city-says-fake-cops-nailed
Rival tuk-tuk associations agree to truce
Daun Penh district governor Kuoch Chamroeun on Monday negotiated a truce between two rival groups of tuk-tuk drivers who clashed violently earlier this month in a dispute over passengers. ...
Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/rival-tuk-tuk-associations-agree-to-truce-79875/
EDC plans power line linking lake provinces
Electricite du Cambodge (EDC) will spend $167 million to install a 350-km-long high-voltage transmission line connecting four provinces around the Tonle Sap lake, the state-owned utility announced in a press release Monday. ...
Ouch Sony
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/edc-plans-power-line-linking-lake-provinces-79879/
Election gifts under scrutiny
Chuon Phang, the 79-year-old chief of Tasanh commune in Battambang’s Samlot district, has always handed out free cotton kramas to local villagers about a month ahead of elections. But the ruling Cambodian People’s Party representative does not characterise the practice as vote-buying. He says he gives ...
Kevin Ponniah and Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/election-gifts-under-scrutiny
Customs official’s son quizzed on night club shooting
The son of a high-ranking customs official suspected in a nightclub shooting that left one man injured was questioned at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday but has yet to be charged, officials said. ...
Saing Soenthrith and Ouch Sony
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/customs-officials-son-quizzed-on-nightclub%E2%80%88shooting-79863/
Families call for chief’s ouster over land sale
More than 160 families in Banteay Meanchey province’s O’Chrou district filed a complaint on Monday with local officials calling for the removal of their village chief, whom they blame for the loss of 835 hectares of farmland to a rubber plantation. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/families-call-for-chiefs-ouster-over-land-sale-79881/
Holiday clemency requested for 900 prisoners
The names of more than 900 prisoners have been put forward to receive pardons and sentence reductions during next month’s Khmer New Year festivities, officials said yesterday. The inmates were selected by the Ministry of Interior and their cases are now being assessed by the Ministry ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/holiday-clemency-requested-900-prisoners
Japan to send voter registration experts to Cambodia
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday returned from an international disaster management conference in Japan, where he secured a promise from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to help Cambodia with voter registration once new election laws come into effect, an official said. ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/japan-to-send-voter-registration-experts-to-cambodia-79871/