The Phnom Penh Post
Officials deny timber sent to Vietnam via Sesan
Ratanakkiri Military Police officials yesterday denied multiple local media reports that thousands of logs of luxury timber were being transported on the Sesan River to be sent to Vietnam illegally. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-deny-timber-sent-vietnam-sesan
Insiders say new concrete factories not enough to stabilise local sector
Four new Cambodian cement factories are set to come online in the near future, tripling the number of local producers, but insiders and officials this week maintained that even increased capacity will not significantly lower rates of cement imports to Cambodia due to prevailing high ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/insiders-say-new-concrete-factories-not-enough-stabilise-local-sector
Cham struggle to build new lives after moving
The Cham families along the Tonle Sap in this area of Kandal have traditionally lived and worked on the river, some for more than five decades. But now they are building a village on land called “Islam Thmey”, or “New Islam”, to seek what they ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cham-struggle-build-new-lives-after-moving
Private entities handed state land
The government has converted three plots of land in Phnom Penh from state public property to state private property – effectively handing them to private entities – including a Ministry of Planning office on Monivong Boulevard that was transferred to the son-in-law of a senior ...
Mech Dara and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/private-entities-handed-state-land
Nine new US deportees touch down in Kingdom
Nine Cambodians deported from the US arrived yesterday in Phnom Penh, days after a US judge temporarily blocked a flight set to carry more than 50 Cambodian deportees to the Kingdom. ...
Daphne Chen and Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/nine-new-us-deportees-touch-down-kingdom
PM dares landlords to get rent hikes from him
Prime Minister Hun Sen reiterated his demand for the owners of garment worker housing to freeze rents in 2018 yesterday, telling the leasers to come to him personally if they disagreed with the order. ...
Yon Sineat
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-dares-landlords-get-rent-hikes-him
Preah Vihear land dispute families block tractors
Representatives of 40 families locked in a decade-old land dispute with a Chinese sugar company in Preah Vihear province blocked tractors from clearing land that the villagers say belongs to them, while 50 families in a separate land dispute in Koh Kong took their complaints ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/preah-vihear-land-dispute-families-block-tractors
Panel calls for strong measures against Cambodian government
Politicians and civil society members in New York called on the United Nations to take harsh measures to restore democracy in Cambodia during a panel on Tuesday, even recommending leaving Cambodia’s seat at the UN empty and putting senior ruling party officials on a blacklist. ...
Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/panel-calls-strong-measures-against-cambodian-government
Hun Sen says he will ‘stop talking’ about CNRP
Prime Minister Hun Sen said from now on he will “stop talking” about the recently dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party and instructed his government officials to do the same, before vowing that self-exiled opposition members who returned to Cambodia would not face arrest. ...
Ben Sokhean and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/hun-sen-says-he-will-stop-talking-about-cnrp
Hun Sen vows to launch new bank for SMEs
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday pledged to start a new bank with an initial capital of $100 million to provide financing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with industry players saying its success hinged on whether concessional or low interest rates could be provided to ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/hun-sen-vows-launch-new-bank-smes
Proposed law to ban insulting monarchy prompts free speech fears
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng held a meeting with other top ministry officials yesterday to discuss introducing a legal amendment banning insults to the King, similar to so-called “lèse-majesté” laws in Thailand, which critics have characterised as a cudgel to suppress dissent. ...
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/proposed-law-ban-insulting-monarchy-prompts-free-speech-fears
Flooded mangrove forest filled in with sand from illegal dredging
At least 2 hectares of flooded mangrove forest in Koh Kong’s Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary have been filled in with sand from illegal dredging nearby, with local authorities and an NGO yesterday claiming an unidentified “powerful” tycoon was behind the environmental crimes. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/flooded-mangrove-forest-filled-sand-illegal-dredging
Australian firm expects licence soon for Mondulkiri gold mine
Australian mining firm Emerald Resources announced yesterday that it was making positive progress towards full licensing and funding of its Okvau gold mine project in Mondulkiri province, with the licence expected as early as the next few weeks. ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/australian-firm-expects-licence-soon-mondulkiri-gold-mine
Former deputy prime minister calls for protests
Former Funcinpec Deputy Prime Minister Lu Lay Sreng could be facing a new court case after calling for peaceful protests against the government in a video posted to Facebook yesterday, issuing comments similar to ones that recently saw former opposition leader Sam Rainsy slapped with ...
Niem Chheng and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/former-deputy-prime-minister-calls-protests
Local SMEs are urged to digitise payments
Cambodian businesses need to adapt and digitise their financial operations if they want to remain competitive regionally and around the world, industry insiders said yesterday. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/local-smes-are-urged-digitise-payments
Cambodia’s fisheries at risk due to hydropower development on Mekong, MRC warns
Hydropower development will likely deal a serious economic blow to Cambodia, with dire outlooks for its fisheries and rice outputs predicted even under best-case scenarios, according to key findings from the Mekong River Commission (MRC). ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodias-fisheries-risk-due-hydropower-development-mekong-mrc-warns
New Sihanoukville trash collector admits flaws
The owner of a garbage collection company that recently took over trash pick-up in Sihanoukville admitted shortcomings in collection efforts yesterday, while pledging to improve services, following a petition by residents calling for the company’s contract to be rescinded. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-sihanoukville-trash-collector-admits-flaws
US democracy ‘not a good fit for Cambodia’, says academic
Pro-government academic and head of Cambodia’s Royal Academy Sok Touch yesterday continued to voice support for the government’s recent actions against the opposition while dismissing US pressure for Cambodia to maintain democratic principles, claiming the “American democracy” model was not palatable to the “culture and ...
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/us-democracy-not-good-fit-cambodia-says-academic
As Hun Sen goads West, minister quietly notes massive cost of sanctions
With Prime Minister Hun Sen publicly daring Western countries to impose sanctions in response to the recent dissolution of the country’s main opposition, the minister of commerce has quietly expressed concern at the staggering customs bill Cambodia would incur should the EU suspend its preferential ...
Hor Kimsay and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/hun-sen-goads-west-minister-quietly-notes-massive-cost-sanctions
Hun Sen dares EU to impose sanctions
A European Parliament resolution last week calling for the possible suspension of Cambodia’s preferential trade status prompted a strong reaction from Prime Minister Hun Sen, who yesterday sternly dared the bloc to “cut it!” Speaking to garment factory workers on Koh Pich yesterday, the premier said Cambodia would ...
Ben Sokhean and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/hun-sen-dares-eu-impose-sanctions
EU firm sets plan for local rubber factory
Socfin Cambodia, the local branch of a Europe-based international rubber producing company that currently operates a 7,500-hectare rubber plantation in Mondulkiri, has announced plans to open the doors to its first rubber factory next April, with an initial investment of $5.7 million, a company executive ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/eu-firm-sets-plan-local-rubber-factory
Returnees still in US pending appeal
More than 50 Cambodians who were set to be removed from the US today can temporarily remain in the country to fight their deportation orders due to a last-minute decision from a US judge that immigration advocates celebrated as a “Hail Mary”. ...
Daphne Chen and Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/returnees-still-us-pending-appeal
Business Insider: Boosting inclusion for online payment at Pi Pay
While Cambodia remains a largely cash-based society, the market for financial technology has begun to expand through online payment services and mobile e-wallets like Pi Pay. The Post’s Robin Spiess sat down with Pi Pay CEO Tomas Pokorny to discuss the future of economic digitisation in the Kingdom. ...
Robin Spiess
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/business-insider-boosting-inclusion-online-payment-pi-pay
Information Ministry official denies wrongdoing following anti-corruption body’s allegations
A Ministry of Information department director denied wrongdoing yesterday after the Anti-Corruption Unit released a letter on Friday detailing allegations of bribery, nepotism and improper hiring practices, as well as the accused official’s response. ...