Government

The United States yesterday banned business and tourist visas for Cambodian Foreign Ministry officials and their families in response to the Kingdom’s refusal to accept “inhumane” deportations of Cambodian citizens convicted of felonies in the US. ...

Cambodian politics reached a new boiling point with the arrest of the opposition leader last week. Kem Sokha was handcuffed in the middle of the night in his house and accused of “treason” by the government. ...

CNRP chief whip Son Chhay sought to lay down a unified party line yesterday, saying the opposition would push through the current political upheaval and contest next year’s critical national election, setting straight conflicting statements coming from various party officials. ...

Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy announced yesterday that he plans to create a France-based NGO called the Association for Democracy in Cambodia, though he declined to give a detailed account of the structure and goals of the organisation. ...

Two large cement plants are expected to begin operations by the end of the year, according to a state official, who said the Kingdom has reached its limit for domestic cement production and the government will stop issuing new licences in order to protect dwindling ...

United States Ambassador William Heidt yesterday said allegations of US interference in Cambodia’s internal affairs were “absurd” and made without a “shred of serious or credible evidence”, but stopped short of speculating on any potential repercussions from the superpower. ...

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), together with the Ministry of Commerce and the Agriculture Ministry’s fisheries administration, yesterday launched a booklet titled “Fostering Fisheries Value Chain Growth and Competitiveness”. ...

The Ministry of Commerce has committed to joining up with the Thai Embassy in Cambodia to build a favourable business and investment climate between the Asean neighbours. ...

More than $30 million in Cambodian sand exports registered by Taiwan appear to be missing from Cambodia’s customs records, according to data from both governments, marking yet another large-scale discrepancy in the Kingdom’s figures on the trade. ...

University researcher Sok Touch yesterday took the government’s oft-used “colour revolution” narrative one step further by characterising practically every major political development since the 2013 post-election protests as part of one concerted attempt to foment insurrection in the Kingdom. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen took the US Embassy to task yesterday for posting an image of a red herring on its Facebook page while it pointed to American contributions to saving temples and protecting forests. ...

Geographical indication status is being sought for Siem Reap prahok fish paste after the Industry Ministry granted approval for a national standard. Siem Reap prahok fish paste, made from fermented fish, is among many products in Cambodia that the government is working to get GI status. ...

The Ministry of Agriculture has alerted cassava farmers, traders, and importers about a new virus attacking cassava, instructing local authorities to work together with the industry to stem its spread. ...

Nearly 60,000 people have registered to vote in next year’s national election during the first week of registration. Hang Puthea, spokesman for the National Election Committee, said yesterday that 59,185 people across the country went to register from September 1 to September 10. Voter registration runs ...

More than 96 percent of tariffs in Asean have been eliminated, but certain parts of the 10-nation economic bloc including Cambodia lag behind others in full implementation of the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement (Atiga), the Ministry of Commerce said in a Facebook post yesterday. ...

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights yesterday urged the Cambodian government to guarantee all political and civil rights ahead of next year’s election, while the government’s Human Rights Committee dismissed allegations of wrongdoing. ...

After months of investigation, anti-drug officials with the Ministry of Interior cooperated with police forces in three Phnom Penh districts to arrest four suspected drug traffickers, seizing 8 kilograms of drugs on Saturday, according to the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD). ...

The number of students who passed Cambodia’s high-stakes grade-12 exam saw only a slight increase this year, signalling that scores may be plateauing after an overhaul to weed out rampant cheating in 2014. ...

Agriculture ministers in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) on Friday endorsed a five-year strategy and action plan to build a region-wide food safety system. ...

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 ...

Global Purify Power (GPP), a joint venture behind $400 million worth of solar powered projects, started groundbreaking work on Friday with more than $10 million worth of investment in Kampong Speu province. ...

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”. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday pledged to remain in power 10 more years to “maintain stability” in Cambodia, going on to blame the fatal crackdown on wage protests in 2014 on a “conspiracy” orchestrated by the beleaguered opposition. ...

The Tax Department yesterday escalated its attack on the Cambodia Daily by filing a legal complaint accusing its founder and two directors of obstructing the tax process and tax evasion, which could see them face up to six years in prison. ...