News
Risking it all for rosewood
At dawn on the Dangrek Mountain range, 62-year-old logger Suon Song* uses an empty beer can to boil water for his morning coffee. He’ll need it to stay alert during the illegal and dangerous work ahead, after the first of several sleepless nights in the ...
May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/risking-it-all-rosewood
Government approves new traffic law
The Council of Ministers on Friday approved a new draft traffic law aimed at improving the safety of Cambodia’s notoriously dangerous roads, with only legislative approval standing in the way of the bill being passed into law. The draft law, which includes changes to 64 articles, ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-approves-new-traffic-law-66675/
Embassy defends handling of maids
Cambodia’s embassy in Malaysia yesterday denied pressuring domestic workers from the Kingdom into renewing their visas, after rights groups told the Post last week that the embassy exploited a legal loophole to keep maids in the country. The statement came as a Malaysian employers association, which has observed the drafting ...
Sen David and Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/embassy-defends-handling-maids
Caper to free official works
Military police in Ratanakkiri province’s O’Yadav district on Monday were duped into letting a detained immigration official walk free just hours after he was arrested for alleged involvement in the cross-border illegal timber trade, police said yesterday. District military police chief Sok Min said yesterday that ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/caper-free-official-works
Police say official had luxury logs
An immigration official at the Ministry of Interior’s office in Ratanakkiri province was arrested yesterday, accused of illegal logging, district police said. O’Yadav police chief Sok Min said provincial court prosecutor Liv Sreng led military and police officials on a car chase that ended with the ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/police-say-official-had-luxury-logs
Key post to PM’s son-in-law
Dy Vichea – son of the late National Police chief Hok Lundy and son-in-law to Prime Minister Hun Sen – has been appointed director of the Central Security Department at the Ministry of Interior, the National Police said yesterday. National Police spokesman Kirt Chantharith said that ...
May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/key-post-pm%E2%80%99s-son-law
Migrants skipping gov’t plan for Thai alternative
The number of Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand has risen to 190,000 thanks to the new one-stop service centers set up across the border, Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor said Wednesday. Labor Ministry spokesman Heng Suor said about 190,000 migrant workers—some with a full complement of legal ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/migrants-skipping-govt-plan-for-thai-alternative-65903/
Freedom Park open as city ‘returns to normal’
The razor-wire was removed, riot police departed and Freedom Park was opened to the public for the first time in seven months Wednesday morning as City Hall declared that Phnom Penh had “returned to normal” following the swearing-in Tuesday of the CNRP’s 55 lawmakers. “Because security, ...
Mech Dara and Matt Blomberg
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/freedom-park-open-as-phnom-penh-returns-to-normal-65893/
Cambodia Urges China Visa Restrictions
Cambodia says it has asked China to restrict the number of visas it issues to single Cambodian women, to prevent the brokering of marriages to Chinese men. The appeal comes as an increasing number of Cambodian women are finding their way into Chinese marriages and becoming ...
Thida Win
http://www.voanews.com/content/cambodia-urges-china-visa-restrictions/1971535.html
Government to freeze bank accounts of four tardy tycoons
Finance Minister Aun Porn Moniroth has sent the National Bank of Cambodia an order to freeze the bank accounts of four business tycoons for allegedly failing to make good on a number of deals with the state, according to a ministry official and local media. The ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-to-freeze-bank-accounts-of-four-tardy-tycoons-65593/
Migrants in ‘hurry’ to get back to work
A survey of 10 Cambodian provinces is studying the whereabouts and plans of migrant workers who were recently repatriated from Thailand, fearing crackdowns on foreign workers there after the coup. During a workshop hosted by Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Mobility (CARAM) yesterday, Ministry ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/migrants-%E2%80%98hurry%E2%80%99-get-back-work
Two points of CNRP's draft Constitution amendment need further discussion: Sar Kheng
Interior Minister Sar Kheng said that two points of the draft Constitution amendment sent by Sam Rainsy need to be discussed further. The two points are immunity and autonomous budget for National Election Committee (NEC). “We needed to discuss further over the request to grant immunity ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=MzMwY2ViYzE0MmY
Cracking down 101
A deal to end the political deadlock may reduce demonstrations in the streets, but the authorities are leaving nothing to chance – Daun Penh’s notorious district security guards are finally receiving proper government training. City Hall spokesman Long Dimanche, who has previously said the baton-wielding district ...
Daniel Pye and Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cracking-down-101
Recruitment agencies operate without oversight
In June, after about a quarter million migrant workers returned from their jobs in Thailand fearing the military junta’s crackdown on illegal labor, Cambodia’s government announced it had slashed the cost of emigration, and would charge workers only $49 to legally return to work across ...
Phorn Bopha and Alex Consiglio
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/recruitment-agencies-operate-without-oversight-65497/
Sam Rainsy sends draft constitution amendment to Sar Kheng
The opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Wednesday sent a letter attaching with draft Constitution amendment to Interior Minister Sar Kheng. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=YzBhMTY3ZWIxZjE
Expatriates need IDs: government
Expatriates working in Cambodia without labour identification cards will face fines and even jail when strict new enforcement kicks in, according to a July 16 joint statement from the ministries of interior and labour. Government inspectors, the statement adds, will begin checking workplaces immediately in order ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/expatriates-need-ids-government
Gov’t ministers meet with regional counterparts
Defense Minister Tea Banh expressed confidence in the Thai junta’s leadership in the first meeting between top-ranking military officials from the two countries since Thailand’s army seized power two months ago, according to Thai media reports. ...
Eang Mengleng
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-ministers-meet-with-regional-counterparts-65272/
Tougher ELC oversight pledged
In what is the government’s latest pledge to hold tycoons and foreign investors to account for their business practices, the Ministry of Environment will begin assessing existing and proposed economic land concessions (ELCs), cancelling or rejecting those that have negative social or environment impacts, a ...
May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/tougher-elc-oversight-pledged
Protests continue for 4th day over land dispute
About 250 villagers protested against development firm Phanimex on Thursday as their commune chief faced questioning in Kandal provincial court over an ongoing land dispute. For the fourth consecutive day, villagers from Ponhea Leu commune rallied in front of the court, accusing Phanimex of grabbing 63 ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/protests-continue-for-4th-day-over-land-dispute-64938/
Illicit fishballs to be destroyed after seizure
Economic crimes police on Wednesday arrested a woman and seized 3 tons of low-quality fishballs, claiming she had illegally imported the potentially dangerous meat. Kandal province resident Chan Thea, 37, was stopped in Phnom Penh while en route to Battambang—where police believe she was planning to ...
Ouch Sony
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/illicit-fishballs-to-be-destroyed-after-seizure-64808/
Six more offices to open for Thai-bound workers
Passport offices will be set up in six more provinces in an effort to ease the remigration process for Cambodian workers heading back to Thailand, according to a Ministry of Interior official. Mao Chandara, director of the Ministry of Interior’s passport department, said the new offices ...
Phorn Bopha
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/six-more-offices-to-open-for-thai-bound-workers-64806/
Protest outside Kandal court as questioning starts in land case
About 200 people from Ponhea Leu district protested outside the Kandal provincial court Monday as questioning began of residents summoned last month in an ongoing land dispute. The court summoned 12 villagers on June 30, shortly after Phanimex Development company filed a complaint against the families, ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/protest-outside-kandal-court-as-questioning-starts-in-land-case-64632/
Four offices to open for Thailand-bound workers
Four “one-stop” offices to process documentation for Cambodians seeking legal work in Thailand will open on Tuesday after the Ministry of Labor issued a directive last week outlining how the migration process will operate, according to the head of the Ministry of Interior’s passport department. Mao ...
Phorn Bopha
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/four-offices-to-open-for-thailand-bound-workers-64533/
S. Iswaran leading Singapore team to Cambodia to strengthen business ties
Mr S Iswaran Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry will be making an official visit to Cambodia on 21 July 2014. ...
The Straits Times News Staff
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/mr-iswaran-leading-singapore-team-cambodia-strenghten-bu