The Phnom Penh Post
Poipet families protest for help in land dispute
Some 30 families from Poipet city’s Phsar Kandal commune yesterday protested in front of the Poipet Town Hall to demand intervention from authorities to resolve a land dispute with a man who claims to be an “adviser” to Prime Minister Hun Sen. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/poipet-families-protest-help-land-dispute
GDP announces policies
Seemingly sounding the 2018 election bugle, the nascent Grassroots Democracy Party (GDP) yesterday released five major policy initiatives it will implement if it manages the herculean task of winning against the incumbent Cambodian People’s Party. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/gdp-announces-policies
Fishermen see fruitful prahok season, almost doubling last year’s catch
Fishermen on the Tonle Sap river are smelling success: The season’s first harvest of the fish now being crushed into the famously pungent prahok has hauled in a bounty set to almost double last year’s catch. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/fishermen-seeing-fruitful-prahok-season-almost-doubling-last-years-catch
Jailed ex-RFA reporters to appeal detention at Supreme Court
The defence lawyer for two former Radio Free Asia reporters will file an appeal with the Supreme Court tomorrow challenging their detention on charges of “espionage”. The Appeal Court upheld their pre-trial detention last week. ...
Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/jailed-ex-rfa-reporters-appeal-detention-supreme-court
Despite ban on foreign funding, Ranariddh says Funcinpec donation is up to China
Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh yesterday doubled down on his seemingly illegal request for Chinese aid, claiming it was his “right”, despite the law explicitly prohibiting political parties from accepting foreign funds. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/despite-ban-foreign-funding-ranariddh-says-funcinpec-donation-china
Soldier suing Oddar Meanchey villagers over land dispute
A military lieutenant is suing 13 families in Oddar Meanchey for allegedly farming his land, which lies within a protected community forest in Anlong Veng district, local authorities confirmed yesterday. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/soldier-suing-oddar-meanchey-villagers-over-land-dispute
China order lifts rice imports for 2017
Cambodian rice exports in 2017 increased 17 percent by volume compared to the year before, with exporters pushing to fill orders under China’s expanded import quota while shipments to European markets remained steady, according to Agriculture Ministry figures. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/china-order-lifts-rice-imports-2017
Kem Sokha, Hun Sen offer very different hopes for 2018
Prime Minister Hun Sen and former opposition leader Kem Sokha offered starkly divergent New Year’s messages to the Cambodian people, with the former hailing the Kingdom’s “stability” even as the latter grimly warned that recent democratic backsliding could lead to a “fragmented nation”. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kem-sokha-hun-sen-offer-very-different-hopes-2018
New worker benefits take effect
A slew of new health and maternity benefits for workers took effect at the stroke of midnight yesterday in a dramatic expansion of the country’s social security framework, even as labour advocates and business experts raised concerns about cost and quality. ...
Yon Sineat and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-worker-benefits-take-effect
Crackdown on logging has been a ‘success’: Bin Chhin
Deputy Prime Minister Bin Chhin oversaw a meeting on illegal logging in the northeast region of Cambodia, reportedly branding the Kingdom’s anti-logging crackdown a “success” despite evidence to the contrary. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/crackdown-logging-has-been-success-bin-chhin
Telecom regulator to steer clear of service providers’ price war
After a year of toothless warnings against below-cost mobile deals – which it previously called “suspicious” and “unfair” – the country’s telecommunications regulator yesterday capitulated, instead beseeching operators to steer clear of confusing marketing and maintain the quality of their services. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/telecom-regulator-steer-clear-service-providers-price-war
Kheng seeks constitutional ban on individuals harming Cambodia’s ‘interests’
Interior Minister Sar Kheng announced yesterday that he would introduce an amendment to the Constitution banning individuals from doing “anything to impact the national interests” of Cambodia, singling out ex-opposition figure Kem Monovithya as an example. ...
Mech Dara and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/kheng-seeks-constitutional-ban-individuals-harming-cambodias-interests
Ex-Beehive leader Sonando called in Kem Sokha case
Radio broadcaster and former Beehive Party President Mam Sonando was served a summons last week by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to appear as a witness in relation to a “treason” case filed against former opposition President Kem Sokha. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/ex-beehive-leader-sonando-called-kem-sokha-case
Following US, EU withdrawal of funding, China to donate huge load of goods to NEC
China will donate more than 30 different kinds of equipment – including 60,000 polling booths and 15,000 ballot boxes – to the National Election Committee (NEC) ahead of next year’s general elections. ...
Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/following-us-eu-withdrawal-funding-china-donate-huge-load-goods-nec
Farming project gets extension, $66M
The government and international funders have committed a further $66 million to a project to increase small farmers’ productivity, after yesterday claiming success in the program’s initial seven-year period. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/farming-project-gets-extension-66m
22 more Boeung Kak families receive land titles
Twenty-two families who were still protesting their evictions from the Boeung Kak lake area accepted offers from the city today, leaving 10 holdouts remaining more than a decade after the lake was first sold and filled in. The families, from Village 1, each accepted a ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/22-more-boeung-kak-families-receive-land-titles
Exports rose 19 percent: Commerce Ministry
The Commerce Ministry yesterday announced a 19 percent surge in exports for the year and a quadrupling of revenue collected from import licence fees, but would not provide analogous figures for total imports or explain what could be driving the increases. According to the ministry’s annual ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/exports-rose-19-percent-commerce-ministry
Hun Sen’s ‘vision’ would see him bypass National Assembly, shrink cabinet
During a cabinet meeting on Friday, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced a “vision” to shrink the country’s cabinet by excluding secretaries and undersecretaries of state from the body, and to be given the right to bypass the National Assembly by appointing them directly, according to ...
Mech Dara and Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/hun-sens-vision-would-see-him-bypass-national-assembly-shrink-cabinet
SECC cuts transaction fees for derivative trades
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia (SECC) has decided to slash transaction fees on derivative trading, a move the SECC claims will help spur future trades. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/secc-cuts-transaction-fees-derivative-trades
Government will not look into Funcinpec request for aid from China
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said royalist party Funcinpec will not be investigated for requesting funds from China, despite an article in the Law on Political Parties banning parties from receiving financial support from foreign governments and institutions. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/government-will-not-look-funcinpec-request-aid-china
CMAC, Golden West renew cooperation agreement
Heng Ratana, president of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, announced on Tuesday the renewal of a partnership with the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, which is supported by the US State Department. ...
Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cmac-golden-west-renew-cooperation-agreement
Maids depart for Hong Kong as part of new program
Labour officials sent off 14 maids to Hong Kong yesterday in celebration of a pilot program that hopes to funnel up to 1,000 maids to the Asian financial hub despite concerns from rights groups. ...
Yon Sineat and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/maids-depart-hong-kong-part-new-program
Officials partially tear down home for road
Preah Sihanouk province authorities yesterday demolished part of one home and its fence, which had encroached on a road they are trying to widen in the province’s Prey Nop district. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-partially-tear-down-home-road
Assembly votes in new lawmaker
Ruling Cambodian People’s Party member Yin Bunnang will take the seat of recently deceased lawmaker Im Sethy, representing Kampong Cham province, the National Assembly announced yesterday. The assembly also selected a lawmaker to replace Sethy on the justice commission. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/assembly-votes-new-lawmaker