Government

The Mines and Energy Ministry on Friday defended sand exports reported last week by an environmental NGO, saying Cambodia’s sand ban did not include the type seen in a video being loaded onto vessels off the coast of Sihanoukville. ...

The government has lashed out at the U.S. and E.U. over their criticism of the detention of five current and former rights workers in Cambodia for more than a year, adopting the language of its critics by calling their statements “politically motivated.” ...

Half of the residents of Mondulkiri’s Norng Buor village fell ill during a mass flu outbreak this weekend, prompting a rapid mobilisation of the province’s health authorities, who ascribed the flu’s rapid spread to poor hygiene. ...

More than 30,000 police officers, military police and soldiers will be deployed to ensure no one can “destroy” next month’s commune elections, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said on Thursday. ...

The National Election Committee yesterday defended its decision to print 1.5 million extra ballots for the upcoming commune elections, saying the chances of misuse were minimal given better identification systems – though the opposition and civil society remained unconvinced. ...

With the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Asean less than a week away, government officials yesterday said that the theme of the three-day event would focus on “Youth, Technology and Growth”, while providing an opportunity to raise Cambodia’s international profile and attract more investors and ...

So Sophort, deputy secretary-general of the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, said Cambodia would attend the meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in Vientiane, which is part of a six month prior consultation process for the 921-megawatt dam. ...

In an interview with local English-language newspaper The Khmer Times, Ambassador Jang Yun Gon said he was confident that Cambodia “really understands” the situation “and would express solidarity through Asean towards our just cause to help find a solution diplomatically to maintain stability and peace ...

An election official warned Facebook users not to make any politically charged posts the day before the election yesterday during a three-day training session on campaign monitoring, with observers accusing him of overstepping the bounds of a rule forbidding parties from campaigning on that day. ...

The Agriculture Ministry has confirmed action to combat a drastic drop in pork prices over the past year due to illegal imports of live pigs from neighboring countries. ...

Cambodia and Thailand are pushing for the implementation of an agreement on tourism cooperation. ...

Foreign Minister Park Sokhornn will be at the White House on Thursday for the first meeting between Asean foreign ministers and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson since the new administration of President Donald Trump took office in January.   ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday defended himself from critics who claim the massive flow of workers leaving the country is indicative of a lack of development at home, and sought to clarify any misunderstanding on Cambodia’s recent request to amend a repatriation agreement with the ...

Cambodia and Vietnam are pushing forward with plan to develop an expressway between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation. ...

The Social Affairs Ministry has purchased $150,000 worth of musical instruments and sound equipment for Phnom Penh’s blind musicians in a bid to persuade them to perform in designated spaces, though many worry that restricted venues will limit their income. ...

Vietnam and Cambodia have reaffirmed their desire to see a peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea. The three-day official visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ended yesterday with the two sides stressing the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security ...

Cambodian heritage criminals convicted in the US will no longer be deported to the kingdom pending the revision of the repatriation agreement between the two countries, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said today.​ ...

Cambodia and Vietnam yesterday agreed in principle to work together in a range of commercial activities following two-hour talks at Peace Palace between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phu.   ...

Employment agencies in Hong Kong are already raising doubts about the likely success of a pilot program that could see hundreds of Cambodians start arriving later this year to work as maids, only a day after a deal creating the program was signed, according to ...

The Labor Ministry spent more than four billion riel on help for garment workers involved in accidents in the first three months of the year, but unions say staff are still struggling to access healthcare. ...

A group of NGOs from the education sector yesterday urged the government to boost education spending to at least 20 percent of the country’s budget – a benchmark the Ministry of Education had hoped, and failed, to hit last year under its strategic plan. ...

The bridge connecting Chrey Thom district in Kandal province to Long Binh in Vietnam’s An Giang province was officially launched yesterday by Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. ...

Cambodia is sending 429 peacekeepers to participate in the United Nations’ joint activities in Mali and South Sudan today as 309 officers in the region are due to return on Friday. ...

Land Management Ministry officials met with a consortium of NGOs at their main office in Phnom Penh on Monday to discuss 11 of the country’s largest land disputes, despite decisions on resolving such matters normally being made at a sub-national level, a land rights advocate ...