The Phnom Penh Post
Wildlife smuggler arrested
A Vietnamese national was charged yesterday with smuggling elephant tusks and parts into Cambodia in what wildlife advocates have dubbed a landmark case.Ream Chan Mony, a deputy prosecutor at Siem Reap Provincial Court, said 43-year-old Vu Le Thuy was charged with “smuggling illegal wildlife and ...
Sen David and Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/wildlife-smuggler-arrested
Fighting child labour
While Cambodia marginally stepped up efforts to combat child labour in 2014, a lack of resources and corruption remain massive impediments to the fight, according to a report released by the United States Department of Labor last week. It attributed those improvements largely to beefed-up ...
Charles Rollet
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/fighting-child-labour
TPP puts Cambodia’s trade, investment in the spotlight
The conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement has industry insiders in Cambodia split over whether or not the new pact will limit the Kingdom’s trade growth potential in the US market and see future investments diverted to Vietnam.Ending a long-drawn negotiation process that lasted five ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/tpp-puts-cambodias-trade-investment-spotlight
PPAP cargo throughput up despite road rivalry
Cargo traffic through Phnom Penh’s Autonomous Port grew more than 6 per cent for the first nine months of 2015, with around 108,700 TEUs of goods passing through the port, according to data released by the port yesterday. ...
Sorn Sarath
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ppap-cargo-throughput-despite-road-rivalry
Abuse trial of former orphanage boss starts
The child sex abuse trial of orphanage director and former head of child protection NGO APLE, Hang Vibol, began at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday, with the defendant reportedly testifying that the accusations against him were an attempt at revenge by aggrieved former colleagues. ...
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/abuse-trial-former-orphanage-boss-starts
Hope for ‘bomb threat’ student
Interior Minister Sar Kheng is seeking the legal means to engineer the acquittal of a student who threatened in a Facebook post to bomb a graduation ceremony he was scheduled to attend.The student, Tao Savoeun, wrote a letter to the minister on Monday, apologising and ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hope-bomb-threat-student
Central bank takes breather as it reins in rural lenders
Cambodia’s central bank will temporarily suspend its eight-month campaign to bring informal moneylenders into its fold as it lacks the resources to review the mountain of registration applications it has received and needs time to tweak the licensing requirements, a National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) ...
Sor Chandara and Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/central-bank-takes-breather-it-reins-rural-lenders
Habitat Day sees call to end evictions
Several hundred demonstrators yesterday marked World Habitat Day by gathering at the National Assembly to submit a petition calling on the government to halt forced evictions and guarantee housing rights. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/habitat-day-sees-call-end-evictions
New scrutiny for centres
Unlicensed orphanages have six months to register with the government under new legislation that also strictly defines the circumstances under which children can live at such facilities.The sub-decree “management on children care centres” signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on September 11 sets out nine ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-scrutiny-centres
Drought spawns fish fears
Fishing communities along two of Cambodia’s principle rivers say their livelihoods are threatened by droughts that have reduced water levels and devastated fish numbers.“The Tonle Sap is 3 metres lower than last year,” Long Sochhet, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Fishing Communities, said yesterday. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Jamie Elliott
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/drought-spawns-fish-fears
Consul’s trial concludes
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday concluded the trial of a former consular official with the Foreign Ministry accused of falsifying government documents to facilitate the sale of millions of dollars’ worth of luxury timber to Vietnam when he was stationed in Ho Chi Minh ...
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/consuls-trial-concludes
Economy eases off the pedal
Cambodia’s economy is expected to grow by 6.9 per cent in 2015, driven by the construction sector, while traditional growth areas, such as garments and tourism, are expected to see a relative slowdown this year, according to a World Bank economic report.Yesterday’s update on the ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/economy-eases-pedal
Dumpsite at Samlot still awaits green light
Doubts have been cast on long-standing plans for a 34-hectare dumpsite in Pailin’s Samlot Protected Forest following an inspection by the environment minister on Saturday. Ministry spokesman Sao Sopheap yesterday said that following the inspection, the minister has called for further research before the project ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/dumpsite-samlot-still-awaits-green-light
Dengue’s link to El Niño
As Cambodia contends with one of the strongest El Niño cycles in recent memory, a new study of millions of dengue cases over the past two-decades-plus has shown that spikes in the deadly disease across Southeast Asia may be linked to the weather phenomenon.Upswings in ...
Igor Kossov
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/dengues-link-el-nino
Angkor worksite reveals 2 statues
Authorities at the Angkor Temple Complex in Siem Reap province yesterday announced the discovery of two statues dating from the 10th century, uncovered during the digging of a water channel. ...
Sen David
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/angkor-worksite-reveals-2-statues
Japanese zoo confirms swap, tries to allay fears
The director of Hirakawa Zoo in Japan has reportedly publicly stated his zoo wishes to acquire two Asian elephants currently housed at Teuk Chhou Zoo in Kampot province as part of a controversial animal swap deal. ...
Charles Parkinson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/japanese-zoo-confirms-swap-tries-allay-fears
Money launderer’s dream
Cambodia’s anti-money laundering agency is unable to investigate or penalise financial institutions that break the law, leaving the country open to exploitation by organised crime, according to a senior official in the unit.The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – the top international anti-money laundering and ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/money-launderers-dream
Bad coffee spoils local ceremony
Dozens of people are expected to recover after getting sick from instant coffee at a pagoda ceremony in Siem Reap’s Chi Kraeng district on Saturday. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/bad-coffee-spoils-local-ceremony
Exports up 20% in H1 on Europe purchases
Cambodian exports saw a nearly 20 per cent increase for the first half of the year, as garment shipments to the European Union led the way in making up for a decrease in exports to the United States, according to a new Ministry of Commerce ...
Sor Chandara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/exports-20-h1-europe-purchases
Rainsy to ‘rearrange’ Kingdom
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy held a Pchum Ben ceremony yesterday for the spirits of those killed in the still-unsolved 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally, promising attendees that should his party win in 2018, he would “rearrange” the country’s government to ensure institutions’ independence. ...
Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rainsy-rearrange-kingdom
Reasons differ for the spike in drug busts
Drug cases in Cambodia nearly tripled in the first nine months of 2015 compared to the same period last year, police announced on Friday, though authorities and civil society groups differed on the cause behind the spike.The deputy chief of National Police, Mok Chito, said ...
Taing Vida
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/reasons-differ-spike-drug-busts
Potholes on a path to progress
Cambodia marginally improved its global competitive ranking this year, moving up five spots to place 90th out of 144 nations surveyed, with weak public institutions and lack of innovation continuing to affect its economic progress, according to a newly released World Economic Forum report.The Global ...
Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/potholes-path-progress
Whistleblower law in the works, ACU says
The Anti-Corruption Unit has announced the drafting of new laws on whistleblowing and witness protection to safeguard those calling out crime and extortion at the highest levels.The ACU in November 2014 unveiled plans for specific whistleblower legislation, but according to ACU president Om Yentieng, the ...
Chhay Channyda and Zoe Holman
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/whistleblower-law-works-acu-says
Life on the farm at CC4
A remote jail opened more than five years ago to lessen chronic overcrowding in the prison system is also operating as a farming business, where free labour is seemingly used to yield big profits for senior staff.When Correctional Centre 4 (CC4) opened its gates in ...
May Titthara and Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/life-farm-cc4