The Cambodia Daily
Indian mining firm prepares to dig deep in Ratanakiri
The Ministry of Mines and Energy is set to issue the country’s first commercial underground mining license to Indian company Mesco Gold in two weeks, despite opposition by residents of two villages concerned about compensation and environmental damage. The company plans to break ground on its ...
Aisha Down and Kang Sothear
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/indian-mining-firm-prepares-dig-deep-ratanakkiri-117474/
Private firm takes over responsibility for work permits
The Ministry of Labor passed all responsibility for foreign work permits today to E-Solutions (Cambodia) Co., leaving a multitude of unanswered questions about the private company that will process, produce and distribute the permits online. Ministry spokesman Heng Sour declined to answer questions about the company, ...
Sek Odom and Janelle Retka
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/private-firm-takes-responsibility-work-permits-117428/
Hanoi decries online posts slamming prime minister
The Vietnamese government distanced itself on Wednesday from angry posts its citizens made on Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Facebook page, saying the platform should not be used to inflame tensions between “good neighbors.” The statement from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stopped short, however, ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hanoi-decries-online-posts-slamming-prime-minister-117434/
Ten migrant workers repatriated from Malaysian prison
Ten migrant workers, including four women, were repatriated to Cambodia this week after being arrested and imprisoned in Malaysia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. They join six others who were also repatriated from a Malaysian prison earlier this month. The ministry issued a statement ...
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/brief/ten-migrant-workers-repatriated-malaysian-prison-117227/
Malaysia abuse claims drive agency to call for urgent fixes
The agency tasked with investigating abuse by Malaysia’s security forces said that claims of fatal abuse against foreign maids—including Cambodians—at a detention center were untrue, though it said the center where the abuse allegedly occurred was in urgent need of attention. ...
Colin Meyn
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/malaysia-abuse-claims-drive-agency-call-urgent-fixes-117260/
Trafficked brides in China overlooked by officials: report
A new report detailing the experiences of 42 women trafficked from Cambodia as brides to China found that officials in both countries were largely unsupportive in helping women escape once they were caught in unwanted domestic captivity. ...
Janelle Retka
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/trafficked-brides-china-overlooked-officials-report-117265/
Thai soldiers arrest youths for logging across border
Thai soldiers arrested four Cambodian youths on Saturday for allegedly logging rosewood in Thailand’s Trat province, near the border with Battambang province, officials said on Sunday. “Thai soldiers in black uniforms arrested the four Khmer youths because they crossed the border illegally in an attempt to ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/brief/thai-soldiers-arrest-youths-logging-across-border-117277/
Controversial domestic abuse law under government review
A domestic violence law long criticized by human rights and gender advocacy NGOs for inadequately protecting abuse victims is being reviewed by the government in a renewed effort to reduce violence against women. ...
Sonia Kohlbacher
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/controversial-domestic-abuse-law-government-review-117232/
NEC tells migrants to come home and vote
Though it has refused calls to open new channels for migrant workers to vote in upcoming elections, the National Election Committee (NEC) has sent a letter to all Cambodian embassies appealing for citizens living abroad to return home to register for next year’s polls. But as ...
Kuch Naren and Janelle Retka
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/nec-tells-migrants-come-home-vote-117182/
Mine action center resumes breeding dogs as fundraiser
The Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) has restarted a long-dormant dog breeding program it hopes will replenish its stock of explosive-sniffing canines as well as its dwindling coffers by selling them to others, including riot police. The first litter of six Malinois, a type of Belgian ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/mine-action-center-resumes-breeding-dogs-fundraiser-117170/
As surrogacy trade grows, government charts course
The government will meet this month to begin addressing concerns that the lack of regulation for the surrogacy trade could lead to a proliferation of brokers working in Cambodia and foreign couples traveling to the country to take advantage of their services. The Ministry of ...
Sonia Kohlbacher
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/surrogacy-trade-grows-government-charts-course-117169/
More Cambodian women trafficked to Saudi, officials say
The number of Cambodian women now thought to be caught in Saudi Arabia’s sex industry after being trafficked in the past year has risen to more than 20, officials said on Wednesday. However, the government remained tight-lipped about its efforts to rescue the women, while two ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cambodian-women-trafficked-saudi-officials-say-117126/
Government pledges thirty percent boost in forest rangers by 2017
The government said this week it wanted to increase by at least 30 percent the number of forest rangers working next year in Cambodia’s wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and other protected areas to guard against encroaching logging, poaching and farming. ...
Rayna Stackhouse
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-pledges-thirty-percent-boost-forest-rangers-2017-117134/
Ministry hails successful national exam, says no cheating at all
As the third year of strictly regulated national high school exams drew to a close on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education brushed off evidence of widespread attempts at cheating and declared the event a success. ...
Janelle Retka and Phan Soumy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ministry-hails-successful-national-exam-says-no-cheating-117078/
Don’t mention South China Sea, government tells Asean
The National Assembly will petition Asean officials to remove a reference to the South China Sea maritime dispute from an upcoming joint statement, officials confirmed on Tuesday, a move some analysts and diplomats say will again threaten regional cohesion. ...
Khuon Narim and Ben Paviour
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/dont-mention-south-china-sea-government-tells-asean-117083/
US court will hear case against Hun Manet, lawyer says
A U.S. court will next week hold its first hearing in CNRP official Meach Sovannara’s lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son, Hun Manet, for wrongful imprisonment, according to a lawyer involved in the case. ...
Zsombor Peter
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/us-court-will-hear-case-hun-manet-lawyer-says-117071/
Ministry considers Turkey’s request to close Zaman schools
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday that it was reviewing a diplomatic request from Turkey to close Zaman-operated schools in Phnom Penh because of their alleged ties to an organization being blamed for last month’s failed coup in the country. ...
Khy Sovuthy and Ben Paviour
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ministry-considers-turkeys-request-to-close-zaman-schools-117033/
Angkor beer factory strike hits production
A workers’ strike escalated on Monday at Sihanoukville’s Angkor Beer-producing Cambrew factory, protesters said, with the company acknowledging that the work stoppage was causing major disruptions. ...
Chhorn Phearun
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/angkor-beer-factory-strike-hits-production-117037/
CPP, CNRP diverge over leniency for immigrants
Announcing that more than 160,000 immigrants are living in Cambodia without proper documentation, the Interior Ministry on Friday said it would give the majority of the group an opportunity to stay in the country, while the opposition pushed for a blanket deportation. ...
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/parties-diverge-over-leniancy-for-immigrants-116972/
Olympic bid ends with Sorn Seavmey loss
Hopes of Cambodia’s first-ever Olympic medal crumbled on Saturday evening as taekwondo star Sorn Seavmey was comfortably beaten by Reshmie Oogink of the Netherlands. ...
Ouch Sony
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/olympic-bid-ends-sorn-seavmey-loss-116980/
Three years on, challenges remain for education minister
In his first year as education minister, Hang Chuon Naron quickly overhauled the national high school completion exam, enforcing strict regulations to eliminate rampant bribery and cheating, and cutting the pass rate in half to 41 percent. ...
Janelle Retka
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/three-years-challenges-remain-education-minister-116971/
Electric bills come with threat: no online gripes
Customers of state power provider Electricite du Cambodge (EdC) may get an added shock when they open their bills this month. Along with their monthly total, customers in the capital and four provinces will receive a warning that they could end of up in court if ...
Buth Kimsay
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/electric-bills-come-threat-no-online-gripes-116878/
Phnom Penh rated one of the world’s least livable cities
Widespread corruption, poor health care and a lack of adequate infrastructure continue to make Phnom Penh one of the least livable major cities in the world, according to the annual Global Livability Ranking, released on Thursday by the Economist Intelligence Unit. ...
Sonia Kohlbacher and Hang Sokunthea
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/phnom-penh-rated-one-worlds-least-livable-cities-116895/
Activist brothers plan return to Cambodia
Twin brothers who were granted temporary asylum in Thailand by the U.N. last month said on Thursday that they planned to return to Cambodia, citing a cooler political climate and a desire to continue their environmental activism. ...
Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/second2/activist-brothers-plan-return-cambodia-116887/