The Cambodia Daily
Lawyers Submit Bail Requests for Imprisoned Protesters
Ten lawyers representing 22 of the 23 striking workers, union officials and political activists imprisoned at a maximum-security prison in Kompong Cham province since their arrests at two protests in Phnom Penh earlier this month submitted bail requests for their clients Thursday, one of the ...
Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/lawyers-submit-bail-requests-for-imprisoned-protesters-50785/
Muddy Waters Have Authorities Singing the Blues
Authorities in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces on Thursday said that they were investigating an unusual change of color in the Mekong River to a muddy, dark brown that was unnatural for this time of the year and was worrying residents. Since the beginning of this ...
Ben Sokhean and Denise Hruby
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/muddy-waters-have-authorities-singing-the-blues-50792/
Food Vendors Feel the Bite of Soaring Inflation
Two months ago, Sok Sathya spent less than a dollar for a kilogram of oranges to sell from his sidewalk stall across from a row of garment factories in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district. Now the same oranges cost Mr. Sathya, 39, more than 6,000 riel, or ...
Hul Reaksmey and Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/food-vendors-feel-the-bite-of-soaring-inflation-50773/
US Passes Bill to Suspend Some Aid to Cambodia
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a spending bill that would suspend some funding to Cambodia until the government carries out an independent investigation of July’s disputed national election and reforms its electoral system, or until the opposition ends its boycott of parliament. The ...
Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/us-passes-bill-to-suspend-some-aid-to-cambodia-50778/
Ceremony Held for Workers Killed at Veng Sreng
Dissident monks and political activists hosted a ceremony Thursday for the protesting garment workers killed by military police during their repression of stone-throwing demonstrators on Veng Sreng Street two weeks ago. The hourlong ceremony, held at the home of housing rights activist Tep Vanny in the ...
Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ceremony-held-for-workers-killed-at-veng-sreng-50795/
One Garment Strike Ends, Two Begin, Over Missing Pay
Garment workers at a Kandal province factory ended their most recent strike Thursday after management agreed to pay out part of their wages for the days they were absent during a previous strike, while workers at a Phnom Penh factory went back on strike because ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/one-garment-strike-ends-two-begin-over-missing-pay-50787/
Subedi Calls for Accountability in Meeting With Hun Sen
In a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen and 10 of the government’s highest-ranking officials in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, U.N. human rights envoy Surya Subedi called for the perpetrators of recent state-sanctioned killings to be held accountable for their actions. Mr. Subedi spent three-and-a-half hours ...
Lauren Crothers and Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/subedi-calls-for-accountability-in-meeting-with-hun-sen-50675/
SBC to Rebrand Following Taiwan Acquisition
Locally owned Singapore Banking Corp. (SBC) will rebrand itself Thursday as Cathay United Bank (Cambodia) Corp. Ltd., or CUBC, as part of a deal that finalizes the acquisition of SBC by Taiwanese financial corporation Cathay United Bank, according to a copy of a speech that ...
Joshua Wilwohl
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/sbc-to-rebrand-following-taiwan-acquisition-50684/
US Support to Cambodian Military Under Scrutiny
As military police began a 10-day training program with the U.S. military in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, questions are being raised again over Washington’s ongoing support to Cambodian security forces involved in serious human rights abuses. On January 3, military police officers opened fire with AK-47 ...
Matt Blomberg
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/us-support-to-cambodian-military-under-scrutiny-50670/
Sonando Fans to Stage Protest for TV License
Mam Sonando, owner of the popular Beehive Radio station, and his supporters will defy a government ban on public gatherings and start daily protests against the Ministry of Information’s rejection of Mr. Sonando’s request for a relay station and a TV station, Mr. Sonando’s assistant ...
Kuch Naren and Denise Hruby
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/sonando-fans-to-stage-protest-for-tv-license-50686/
Road Safety Hit by Suspension of Law Enforcement
The continuing suspension of traffic-law enforcement by traffic police since the run-up to July’s national election has had a detrimental effect on road safety practices, a senior Ministry of Interior official admitted Tuesday. Road safety groups have already expressed concern that the decision to halt enforcement ...
Simon Henderson and Ben Sokhean
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/road-safety-hit-by-suspension-of-law-enforcement-50592/
Villagers in Land Dispute Detain Workers, Confiscate Equipment
Villagers involved in a land dispute in Battambang province on Monday temporarily detained six men working for an agribusiness firm who were preparing the disputed land to be cleared, residents and police said. The six workers were using mine detectors to check for unexploded ordnance in ...
Kuch Naren
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/villagers-in-land-dispute-detain-workers-confiscate-equipment-50594/
UN Envoy Continues Meetings With CNRP, NGOs
U.N. human rights envoy Surya Subedi, who is on his 10th fact-finding mission to Cambodia, met with opposition CNRP leader Sam Rainsy on Tuesday ahead of a planned meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen and other senior government officials Wednesday. Reached by telephone after the meeting ...
Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/un-envoy-continues-meetings-with-cnrp-ngos-50589/
Construction on $35 Million Hospital Set to Begin in April
Construction on Phnom Penh’s first international-standard critical-care center is expected to begin in April, and when completed it will offer state-of-the-art medical technology and highly trained staff, according to an official with the Japanese firm in charge of the project. “[Construction] is supposed to start from ...
Joshua Wilwohl
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/construction-on-35-million-hospital-set-to-begin-in-april-50596/
Free Trade Union Reports Overall Jump in Labor Strikes in 2013
The Free Trade Union (FTU) on Monday reported an overall increase in industrial action by its local branches last year with 136 total strikes in the first 11 months of 2013, up 35 percent from all of 2012, when there were 101 strikes by its ...
Group Defies Government Ban to Demand Detainees’ Release
Defying a new ban on public gatherings, more than 50 activists and monks gathered outside the local U.N. human rights office Monday morning to demand the immediate release of 23 men who were arrested earlier this month during violent clashes between police and garment workers. The ...
Mech Dara and Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/group-defies-government-ban-to-demand-detainees-release-50483/
UN Envoy Urged to Probe Arrest of Monks
The U.N.’s human rights envoy to Cambodia, Surya Subedi, who began his 10th fact-finding mission to Cambodia on Sunday, has been asked to investigate issues faced by ethnic Khmer Krom people after five monks were arrested for participating in garment worker protests earlier this month. In ...
Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/un-envoy-urged-to-probe-arrest-of-monks-50489/
Jailed UK Businessman Faces Fresh Charges
The Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court laid fresh charges of money laundering on the detained chairman of an embattled British investment firm on Friday, the same day that a provincial official was arrested in relation to fraud charges the businessman was already facing, a court official ...
Kuch Naren
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/jailed-uk-businessman-faces-fresh-charges-50494/
Ministry of Defense Backs Accused RCAF Officials
The Ministry of Defense on Monday said that a complaint filed against a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) commander in Banteay Meanchey province for alleged corruption and other crimes had already been resolved in 2011. On Friday, provincial RCAF soldiers informed local rights group Adhoc of ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ministry-of-defense-backs-accused-rcaf%E2%80%88officials-50496/
Opposition CNRP Leaders to Face Court Today
Opposition leaders Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha are due to appear before the Phnom Penh Municipal Court as scheduled this morning after retaining the services of a new lawyer, a CNRP spokesman said Monday. Mr. Rainsy and Mr. Sokha, as well as union leaders Rong Chhun ...
Eang Mengleng and Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/opposition-cnrp-leaders-to-face-court-today-50487/
Government Urged to Ease Pressure on Unions
Visiting representatives from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on Monday urged the Labor Ministry to withdraw its threat to revoke the licenses of six unions behind recent strikes, and to drop legal proceedings against union leader Rong Chhun. His visit follows garment worker protests ...
Mech Dara and Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-urged-to-ease-pressure-on-unions-50492/
Relatives Call On Government To Release 23 Detainees
Relatives and human rights activists on Sunday called on the government to release 23 men beaten and arrested during clashes between police and garment workers just more than a week ago, and said they would defy a ban on public gatherings if they were not. The ...
Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/relatives-call-on-government-to-release-23-detainees-50449/
Unions Want Government, Factories to Resume Wage Talks
The unions behind several days of strikes that turned deadly this month said they will officially ask the Labor Ministry today to resume negotiations on a new minimum wage for the country’s critical garment sector, and said they would hold more street protests if their ...
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/unions-want-government-factories-to-resume-wage-talks-50451/
Cambodians and Koreans Join Protest in Seoul
Hundreds of Cambodians living in South Korea protested in front of Seoul’s City Hall on Sunday, demanding justice for five garment workers killed in clashes with police on January 3, and calling for Prime Minister Hun Sen to step down. With public protests indefinitely banned in ...
Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cambodians-and-koreans-join-protest-in-seoul-50459/