The Phnom Penh Post
Garment factory shutters, leaving hundreds unpaid
Garment workers at the Benoh Apparel factory in the capital’s Meanchey district returned to work this week after a two-month suspension to find the building abandoned, prompting a protest demanding compensation from the government. ...
Yon Sineat and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/garment-factory-shutters-leaving-hundreds-unpaid
Grant excludes HIV support group
A national network of people living with HIV, which has been key in helping coordinate anti-HIV services at the grassroots level, is now being excluded from a new Global Fund grant, raising “deep” concerns, according to NGOs and a leaked internal email sent to government ...
Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/grant-excludes-hiv-support-group
Timber taken, eight detained in Preah Vihear
Official confiscated about 6 cubic metres of luxury timber in Preah Vihear’s Chey Sen district this week in two separate busts, also detaining eight for illegally transporting timber out of the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/timber-taken-eight-detained-preah-vihear
Kampot governor out after a mere 1.5 years
Kampot is due to have a new governor after just over a year and a half under current Governor Chan Chesda, according to a royal decree signed on Tuesday. The decree appoints Cheav Tay as the new governor, and indicates Chesda is to transfer to ...
Kong Meta
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kampot-governor-out-after-mere-15-years
Chinese premier to pay Cambodia official visit
Chinese Premier Le Keqiang – the No. 2 politician in the Chinese government – will visit Phnom Penh for an official visit next week. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Chum Sounry confirmed the leader will attend the second Mekong Lancang Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting next Wednesday and ...
Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/chinese-premier-pay-cambodia-official-visit
King signs promotion for 45 new generals
The King has signed off on another round of mass military promotions, elevating 45 officers to the rank of brigadier general, contributing to the rising total of at least 607 new generals in the last 10 months. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/king-signs-promotion-45-new-generals
Task force confiscates Kratie logs; no arrests
A joint task force of national Military Police, provincial Military Police and Forestry Administration officials confiscated a large amount of illegal timber in Kratie province’s Sambor district earlier this week, but made no arrests. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/task-force-confiscates-kratie-logs-no-arrests
NBC takes licences from 11 lenders
Cambodia’s central bank yesterday announced a decision to revoke the operating licences of 11 rural credit operators for failing the abide by regulations. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/nbc-takes-licences-11-lenders
Hun Sen lashes out at journos, analysts over comments on reform record
The prime minister lashed out at journalists and analysts today for questioning the current government’s reform record, a seeming reference to a Post article from December about a speech in which he touted his administration’s progress. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-sen-lashes-out-journos-analysts-over-comments-reform-record
Hun Sen rails against traffic scofflaws, calls for crackdown on offences
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday threatened to fire Daun Penh District Governor Sok Penh Vuth over growing disregard for traffic laws among the public as local authorities scrambled to enforce a new crackdown on offenders. Hun Sen urged motorists to obey traffic laws, appealing specifically to ...
Kuoch Masy and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-sen-rails-against-traffic-scofflaws-calls-crackdown-offences
Agriculture Ministry to request lower electricity costs for farmers
Agriculture Minister Veng Sokhon said he would ask Prime Minister Hun Sen to take action to help farmers compete against neighbouring countries, including further measures to address high electricity costs, as the sector mapped out its challenges for the year at a ministry-led forum in ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/agriculture-ministry-request-lower-electricity-costs-farmers
Poipet families protest for help in land dispute
Some 30 families from Poipet city’s Phsar Kandal commune yesterday protested in front of the Poipet Town Hall to demand intervention from authorities to resolve a land dispute with a man who claims to be an “adviser” to Prime Minister Hun Sen. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/poipet-families-protest-help-land-dispute
GDP announces policies
Seemingly sounding the 2018 election bugle, the nascent Grassroots Democracy Party (GDP) yesterday released five major policy initiatives it will implement if it manages the herculean task of winning against the incumbent Cambodian People’s Party. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/gdp-announces-policies
Fishermen see fruitful prahok season, almost doubling last year’s catch
Fishermen on the Tonle Sap river are smelling success: The season’s first harvest of the fish now being crushed into the famously pungent prahok has hauled in a bounty set to almost double last year’s catch. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/fishermen-seeing-fruitful-prahok-season-almost-doubling-last-years-catch
Jailed ex-RFA reporters to appeal detention at Supreme Court
The defence lawyer for two former Radio Free Asia reporters will file an appeal with the Supreme Court tomorrow challenging their detention on charges of “espionage”. The Appeal Court upheld their pre-trial detention last week. ...
Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/jailed-ex-rfa-reporters-appeal-detention-supreme-court
Despite ban on foreign funding, Ranariddh says Funcinpec donation is up to China
Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh yesterday doubled down on his seemingly illegal request for Chinese aid, claiming it was his “right”, despite the law explicitly prohibiting political parties from accepting foreign funds. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/despite-ban-foreign-funding-ranariddh-says-funcinpec-donation-china
Soldier suing Oddar Meanchey villagers over land dispute
A military lieutenant is suing 13 families in Oddar Meanchey for allegedly farming his land, which lies within a protected community forest in Anlong Veng district, local authorities confirmed yesterday. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/soldier-suing-oddar-meanchey-villagers-over-land-dispute
China order lifts rice imports for 2017
Cambodian rice exports in 2017 increased 17 percent by volume compared to the year before, with exporters pushing to fill orders under China’s expanded import quota while shipments to European markets remained steady, according to Agriculture Ministry figures. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/china-order-lifts-rice-imports-2017
Kem Sokha, Hun Sen offer very different hopes for 2018
Prime Minister Hun Sen and former opposition leader Kem Sokha offered starkly divergent New Year’s messages to the Cambodian people, with the former hailing the Kingdom’s “stability” even as the latter grimly warned that recent democratic backsliding could lead to a “fragmented nation”. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kem-sokha-hun-sen-offer-very-different-hopes-2018
New worker benefits take effect
A slew of new health and maternity benefits for workers took effect at the stroke of midnight yesterday in a dramatic expansion of the country’s social security framework, even as labour advocates and business experts raised concerns about cost and quality. ...
Yon Sineat and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-worker-benefits-take-effect
Crackdown on logging has been a ‘success’: Bin Chhin
Deputy Prime Minister Bin Chhin oversaw a meeting on illegal logging in the northeast region of Cambodia, reportedly branding the Kingdom’s anti-logging crackdown a “success” despite evidence to the contrary. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/crackdown-logging-has-been-success-bin-chhin
Telecom regulator to steer clear of service providers’ price war
After a year of toothless warnings against below-cost mobile deals – which it previously called “suspicious” and “unfair” – the country’s telecommunications regulator yesterday capitulated, instead beseeching operators to steer clear of confusing marketing and maintain the quality of their services. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/telecom-regulator-steer-clear-service-providers-price-war
Kheng seeks constitutional ban on individuals harming Cambodia’s ‘interests’
Interior Minister Sar Kheng announced yesterday that he would introduce an amendment to the Constitution banning individuals from doing “anything to impact the national interests” of Cambodia, singling out ex-opposition figure Kem Monovithya as an example. ...
Mech Dara and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/kheng-seeks-constitutional-ban-individuals-harming-cambodias-interests
Ex-Beehive leader Sonando called in Kem Sokha case
Radio broadcaster and former Beehive Party President Mam Sonando was served a summons last week by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to appear as a witness in relation to a “treason” case filed against former opposition President Kem Sokha. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/ex-beehive-leader-sonando-called-kem-sokha-case