News
Assembly passes first of three contentious laws on judicial reform
Ruling party lawmakers at the National Assembly pass the first of three draft laws in judicial reform, defying an opposition boycott and ignoring calls for further review by outside legal experts. The Law on the Organization of the Courts will put more power within the Ministry ...
Suy Heimkhemra
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/assembly-passes-first-of-three-contentious-laws-on-judicial-reform/1920338.html
CPP lawmakers lash out at critics of one-party Assembly
The single-party National Assembly sat for the second day of its third plenary session Wednesday, discussing two of eight chapters of the draft law on the Organization and Functioning of the Courts. The CPP-only parliament—minus 55 boycotting opposition CNRP lawmakers-elect—convened to discuss the first of three ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cpp-lawmakers-lash-out-at-critics-of-one-party-assembly-59332/
Judiciary laws moving forward with ‘debate’
The National Assembly yesterday opened debate for the first time on the first of three controversial judicial draft laws, approving in principle the first two chapters of the Law on the Organisation and Functioning of the Courts, in the continued absence of the opposition Cambodia ...
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/judiciary-laws-moving-forward-%E2%80%98debate%E2%80%99
Ruling party lawmakers begin debate on judicial reform laws
CPP lawmakers on Wednesday began debating the first of three judicial reform laws, ignoring an opposition boycott of the National Assembly and calls from outside legal experts for outside review of drafts they say are substandard. Critics say the draft laws will not improve the widely ...
Suy Heimkhemra
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/ruling-party-lawmakers-begin-debate-on-judicial-reform-laws/1919419.html
Customs agreement gets green light at NA
The National Assembly approved changes to the country’s customs law yesterday, in order to comply with Association of Southeast Asian Nations intergration standards. The changes demand border operations increase human resources, reduce paperwork and modernise procedures in order to simplify border exchange and facilitate trade between ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/customs-agreement-gets-green-light-na
Rainsy attack ‘shocks’ tycoon
Prominent businessman and Cambodian People’s Party Senator Ly Yong Phat yesterday questioned what he had done to warrant a verbal attack from opposition party leader Sam Rainsy, who said on Wednesday that the tycoon had grabbed land from people in Koh Kong province and should ...
Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rainsy-attack-%E2%80%98shocks%E2%80%99-tycoon
Leaked draft of Cambodia's proposed cyber law reveals threat to free expression
TV news viewers in Cambodia are fed a steady diet of praise for the government and top officials. Whether they’re giving speeches that go on for hours, cutting a ribbon at a new development project, or shaking hands with foreign dignitaries, government leaders are presented ...
Kyle James
http://www.dw.de/leaked-draft-of-cambodias-proposed-cyber-law-reveals-threat-to-free-expression/a-17629723
CPP-friendly businessman launches newspaper
T Mohan, a Malaysian publisher and businessman arrested in the 1990s for attempting to extort a casino executive, is back in Cambodia’s newspaper market. The Khmer Times, the latest English-language news offering from Mr. Mohan, hit newsstands earlier this month, with a government spokesman even resigning ...
Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cpp-friendly-businessman-launches-newspaper-58610/
CPP to debate draft judicial laws this month
The National Assembly has scheduled a plenary session on May 20 to discuss three controversial draft laws on judicial reform, a senior ruling party lawmaker confirmed Sunday. The parliamentary meeting will be the third plenary session since last year’s disputed national election, each of which have ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cpp-to-debate-draft-judicial-laws-this-month-58487/
Cambodia’s top court denies bail to 21 jailed protesters
Cambodia’s Supreme Court on Friday upheld a decision refusing bail to 21 people arrested during a deadly worker strike crackdown, a defense lawyer said, as dozens of supporters protested outside, calling the charges against them politically motivated and demanding their release. The top court upheld the ...
Radio Free Asia News Staff
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/bail-05092014170039.html
Governors of Preah Sihanouk, Ratanakkiri and Pursat replaced
The governors of Preah Sihanouk, Ratanakkiri and Pursat provinces have been replaced by Royal Decree, according to officials, with the first of the transfer ceremonies being carried out Thursday morning. Sborng Sarath, the governor of Preah Sihanouk province, was replaced Thursday by Chhit Sokhom, the former ...
Saing Soenthrith
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/governors-of-preah-sihanouk-ratanakkiri-and-pursat-replaced-58415/
For communities, threats routine
Two disputes involving a land developer with ties to the highest ranks of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party have once again exposed the lack of justice faced by impoverished communities in the capital, affected residents and rights groups have said. In Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district, ...
Daniel Pye and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/communities-threats-routine
Cambodian court again delays trial of 23 jailed protesters
A court in Phnom Penh put off for the second time Tuesday the trial of 23 Cambodians arrested during a deadly worker strike crackdown, drawing criticism from rights groups who said the move was politically motivated. After a five-hour hearing, with hundreds of riot police manning ...
Radio Free Asia News Staff
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/trial-05062014144900.html
CNRP holds a citywide rolling rally
Days after authorities repeatedly cracked down on demonstrations, opposition party supporters staged a rolling rally across Phnom Penh yesterday, filling up roads for hours and blocking major intersections. About 500 people with tuk-tuks and motorbikes gathered at the Cambodia National Rescue Party headquarters in the ...
Meas Sokchea and Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cnrp-holds-citywide-rolling-rally
NGOs say input and transparency are key
In the wake of a speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen denouncing civil society’s criticism of the way that three judiciary laws sailed through the Council of Ministers without outside input or transparency, NGOs released an open letter yesterday calling for the Kingdom’s renewed commitment ...
Amelia Woodside
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ngos-say-input-and-transparency-are-key
Cambodian deputy PM meets with two UN senior officials on ties
Cambodian deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Tuesday met with two United Nations senior officials to discuss relations and cooperation between Cambodia and UN on social and economic development and human rights. The two officials are Haoliang Xu, assistant to the UN secretary ...
Shanghai Daily News Staff
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=215511
Sokha ‘snubs China for US’
CAMBODIA National Rescue Party deputy leader Kem Sokha pledged his party’s foreign policy allegiance to the United States over China in no uncertain terms to top officials in Washington, last week, according to a summary of his meetings posted online. A document released by the US-based ...
Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sokha-%E2%80%98snubs-china-us%E2%80%99
Rainsy courts Vietnamese
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy yesterday said that up to a quarter of a million ethnic Vietnamese living in Cambodia could be granted full citizenship rights via the Nationality Law if his Cambodia National Rescue Party were to come to power. The CNRP president has sought in ...
Kevin Ponniah and Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rainsy-courts-vietnamese
CPP vows to increase monthly wage to 250 dollars for civil servants and 160 dollars for garment workers by 2018
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has issued nine points of its policies for upcoming local council Election which will be held on May 18, 2014. According a statement issued on Saturday, the policies included a promise to increase the monthly salary to 1,000,000 riel or ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=NDk3MDAwNTUzZTA
Cybercrime law may silence critics, NGOs say
Cambodia’s cybercrime law, a draft of which was made available online Wednesday, could be used to arbitrarily punish people who share controversial opinions online or air complaints about the CPP government, rights groups said Wednesday. According to the law, people who publish content online that slanders ...
Joshua Wilwohl and Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cybercrime-law-may-silence-critics-ngos-say-56288/
Cyber bill raises concerns
Cambodia’s highly secretive draft law on cybercrime, which has never been released publicly, seeks to criminalise online content that “slanders or undermines” government agencies, ministries or officials or affects “political cohesiveness”, a copy obtained by the Post reveals. The law, which was first announced in May ...
Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cyber-bill-raises-concerns
Cops on call for KNY
As hundreds of thousands participate in the annual mass migration from Phnom Penh to their home provinces for Khmer New Year next week, military police will remain at their posts. National Military Police in the capital and provincial outlets will be working at full capacity 24 ...
Vong Sokheng and Maria Wirth
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cops-call-kny
Palace says King’s name still intact
The Royal Palace yesterday said the letter sent by opposition leader Sam Rainsy to King Norodom Sihamoni last week that elicited a furious response from the government for “insulting” the King, did not, in fact, disrespect the monarch’s “honour and name”. A statement signed by the ...
Kevin Ponniah and Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/palace-says-king%E2%80%99s-name-still-intact
Lawmaker’s morning at park ended by district guards
Senior opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua walked into Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park on Wednesday morning, trailed by a small group of news photographers, and stopped to pose in front of about 100 municipal riot police exercising in the park. Ms. Sochua’s small act of defiance against the ...
Alex Willemyns and Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/lawmakers-morning-at-park-ended-by-district-guards-55636/