Human rights
Civil and political rights
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
Monovithya appeals to US officials
Kem Monovithya, the daughter of jailed opposition leader Kem Sokha and a CNRP official, met with United States officials yesterday to discuss the possibility of further sanctions on the Cambodian government if measures taken in an ongoing political crackdown are not reversed. ...
Andrew Nachemson and Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/monovithya-appeals-us-officials
New media pass for journalists
The Information Ministry will use a new form of media pass for journalists working in Cambodia by the end of January in order to easily manage and collect data from journalists. ...
Mom Sophon
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50100766/new-media-pass-journalists/
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
Four parties to square off in February Senate vote
The National Election Committee (NEC) said only four political parties had registered to contest the February Senate elections, from which the country’s main opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, will be excluded following its widely condemned dissolution by the Supreme Court in November. ...
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/four-parties-square-february-senate-vote
Former deputy prime minister calls for protests
Former Funcinpec Deputy Prime Minister Lu Lay Sreng could be facing a new court case after calling for peaceful protests against the government in a video posted to Facebook yesterday, issuing comments similar to ones that recently saw former opposition leader Sam Rainsy slapped with ...
Niem Chheng and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/former-deputy-prime-minister-calls-protests
Cambodia is systematically squashing all forms of dissent
“THE logical approach now”, reckons Naly Pilorge of LICADHO, a Cambodian human-rights watchdog, “would be to continue attacking.” She is talking about a crackdown on all forms of political dissent launched in August by Hun Sen, who has been prime minister for 32 years and ...
The Economist
https://www.economist.com/news/asia/21732850-unions-ngos-and-environmental-activists-are-all-feeling-squeeze-cambodia-systematically
Information Ministry official denies wrongdoing following anti-corruption body’s allegations
A Ministry of Information department director denied wrongdoing yesterday after the Anti-Corruption Unit released a letter on Friday detailing allegations of bribery, nepotism and improper hiring practices, as well as the accused official’s response. ...
NEC body to fight bad press
Amid accusations of bias in favour of the ruling party – and following the removal of the main opposition party from the electoral field – the National Election Committee has announced the creation of a new press reaction team to “attack back at negative points”. ...
Niem Chheng and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/nec-body-fight-bad-press
PM, military officials say Rainsy will face ‘treason’ suit over Facebook post
Prime Minister Hun Sen and members of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces yesterday announced their intention to formally accuse former opposition leader Sam Rainsy of treason, after Rainsy urged soldiers and policemen not to shoot protesters. ...
Mech Dara and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-military-officials-say-rainsy-will-face-treason-suit-over-facebook-post
PM tells workers CNRP is to blame for any sanctions
In a speech to workers yesterday, Prime Minister Hun Sen pinned the blame for any damage inflicted on Cambodia’s garment industry by potential economic sanctions squarely on the opposition party. “You must remember clearly that if the purchase orders are reduced, it is all the ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/pm-tells-workers-cnrp-blame-any-sanctions
Journalists call for release of former RFA staff
A group of local journalists have written an open letter calling for the release of former Radio Free Asia journalists Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, who were arrested earlier this month. ...
Mom Sophon
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5091112/journalists-call-release-former-rfa-staff/
No rallies for Sokha trial, says ministry
The Ministry of Interior has said it will not allow any demonstrations in front of the Supreme Court during a hearing on Thursday to decide if the opposition CNRP will be dissolved, while the Koh Kong provincial governor’s office warned it will prevent residents from ...
Kong Meta and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/no-rallies-sokha-trial-says-ministry
Tea Banh shrugs off threat of international sanctions
Defence Minister Tea Banh expressed indifference to the threat of international sanctions being levied on government officials and the Cambodian economy on Saturday, while ordering his military to be ready to destroy any attempts at an alleged “colour revolution” or popular demonstration over the arrest ...
Mech Dara and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/tea-banh-shrugs-threat-international-sanctions
Cambodia Daily brings out online-only platform
The shuttered Cambodia Daily announced late on Tuesday night that it has “relaunched” as a noncommercial publication. On its Facebook page, the Daily announced the re-opening as “a digital only, non-commercial publication based off shore”. Several items – including an aggregated news round-up and a “Timeline ...
Leonie Kijewski and Kong Meta
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodia-daily-brings-out-online-only-platform
Handful of protesters arrested at US Embassy
Around six people were arrested outside the United States Embassy in Phnom Penh yesterday for attempting to stage a small protest, but were released later in the afternoon after agreeing to not demonstrate again without a City Hall permit. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/handful-protesters-arrested-us-embassy
Daily founder claims liability
The founder of the now-shuttered Cambodia Daily, Bernard Krisher, has told Prime Minister Hun Sen in a letter that he will travel to the Kingdom to take on any tax liabilities of his daughter, Deputy Publisher Deborah Krisher-Steele, stemming from the paper’s dispute with the ...
Niem Chheng and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/daily-founder-claims-liability
CNRP meetings ‘banned’ in Kampong Chhnang
Opposition members in Kampong Chhnang say they have been banned from meeting since the arrest of CNRP leader Kem Sokha on Sunday, with the provincial police chief yesterday saying he would “not allow” the party to “discuss politics”. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cnrp-meetings-banned-kampong-chhnang
More condemn shutdown of Daily
International condemnation of the government’s aggressive pursuit of a tax dispute with the Cambodia Daily continued to pour in yesterday, with the US Embassy in Phnom Penh calling the closure of the hard-hitting newspaper a “sad day for the press and for Cambodia”. ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/more-condemn-shutdown-daily
Daily silenced after 24 years
After 24 years of fiercely independent journalism, the Cambodia Daily will publish their final edition today due to an “exorbitant” $6.3 million tax bill levelled at them last month – an outcome critics say threatens Cambodia’s free press ahead of next year’s crucial national election. ...
Ananth Baliga and Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/daily-silenced-after-24-years
Cambodia Daily calls government action ‘assault’ on the press
The Cambodia Daily yesterday said it was under “siege” and continued to call the government’s targeting of the newspaper an attack on press freedom, as five radio station owners that had been ordered to shut stop attempted to resume their services. // // ...
Ananth Baliga and Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodia-daily-calls-government-action-assault-press
Plug pulled on critics’ airtime
The Ministry of Information has closed down multiple radio stations that have been renting airtime to the opposition CNRP party and to two radio news organisations that have been under fire from the government. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5079678/plug-pulled-critics-airtime/