The Phnom Penh Post
Monitor, GMAC at odds over plan
The head of the Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) program said yesterday that consultations on its new public-disclosure initiative have been going on for more than a year, contrary to claims by a garment factory representative who characterised the process as hasty. Jill Tucker, chief technical adviser ...
Daniel de Carteret and May Kunmakara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/monitor-gmac-odds-over-plan
No motion in shooting probe
More than two weeks after the slaying of 29-year-old Mao Sok Chan in clashes at Phnom Penh’s Kbal Thnal overpass, police have yet to launch an internal investigation into the use of force, officials said yesterday. National military police spokesman Kheng Tito said he had no ...
Amelia Woodside and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/no-motion-shooting-probe
Lao Airlines set to resume flights to Phnom Penh
After a five-year break, Lao Airlines will revive the Phnom Penh-Vientiane route with direct flights three times a week starting in November, the company’s representative said yesterday. Ek Narun, assistant to the general manager of Lao Airlines in Phnom Penh, said tickets will be available for ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/lao-airlines-set-resume-flights-phnom-penh
Climate report paints dismal picture for region
As much of the country grapples with crippling floods, a comprehensive report on global climate change released yesterday predicts the situation could be poised to get even worse. According to the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as the planet grows warmer, cyclones making ...
Stuart White
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/climate-report-paints-dismal-picture-region
Watchdogs accused of conspiring with CNRP
Deputy Prime Minister Sok An has accused two independent election watchdogs of conspiring with the opposition to undermine the election. Speaking at the Council of Ministers on Monday, An said that the Committee for Free and Fair Elections (Comfrel) and the US-government-funded National Democratic Institute (NDI) ...
Kevin Ponniah and Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/watchdogs-accused-conspiring-cnrp
Planned rally too large, city officials say
City Hall yesterday rejected the opposition party’s request to hold a Sunday rally with 20,000 supporters, saying it was unable to provide security for participants. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has scheduled a “party congress” to be held in Freedom Park on Sunday, with a ...
Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/planned-rally-too-large-city-officials-say
Approved investment triples
In the first six months of 2013, the total amount of government-approved investment in Cambodia jumped more than 200 per cent year-on-year, according to the most recent statistics from the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Released on Friday, the numbers show that $2.3 billion was earmarked ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/approved-investment-triples
CNRP confirms mass protest
Opposition party leader Sam Rainsy yesterday said he would go ahead with threatened protests whether or not permission is granted, citing the 1997 grenade attack at a workers’ rights rally as proof of how meaningless such authorisation is. Speaking at a hastily-planned ceremony – the second ...
Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cnrp-confirms-mass-protest
Home for the holidays
Still agitated 20 minutes after the rally in front of SL Garment Processing (Cambodia) Ltd had dispersed yesterday, Choem Som Im held up seven fingers as she jerked her arms forward and spoke in an equally sharp tone. The dilemma, faced by many garment workers, ...
Sean Teehan and Mom Kunthear
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/home-holidays
Boats seized in dredging crackdown
More than 100 sand-pumping systems and 40 boats have been impounded by the Kandal provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology in order to prevent riverbank collapse as water levels continue to rise. Chun Penglong, the provincial department director, told the Post yesterday that navy police and the ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/boats-seized-dredging-crackdown
Threats after activism: monks
Two monks living a remote pagoda in Kampong Speu province’s Oral district said yesterday that a shot had been fired at their living quarters last Tuesday in what they suspected was a threat motivated by their conservation efforts and participation in an opposition rally. Venerables Sam ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/threats-after-activism-monks
Heads above water
Though authorities have called on residents to move to higher ground, those in some of the worst flooded areas of Cambodia said yesterday that they had neither the means nor the ability to do so. Instead, they said, they will remain in their rapidly flooding ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Laignee Barron
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/heads-above-water
Union wary of possible crackdown
Preparing for a demonstration expected to draw thousands of garment workers this morning, Ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (C.CAWDU), said yesterday that he feared the possibility of a heavy-handed military police response. About 4,000 workers gathered at SL ...
Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/union-wary-possible-crackdown
Lucky supermarket opens three more branches
Amid growing urbanisation, Lucky Supermarket opened three more branches in Phnom Penh’s suburbs over the weekend, targeting a new consumer base living around the city. With the additional branches, Lucky now counts 10 outlets in Phnom Penh, including one mini-mart at Koh Pich. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/lucky-supermarket-opens-three-more-branches
CNRP ready to talk
Following a high-level meeting yesterday, Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Sam Rainsy said that his party would seek to restart negotiations with the ruling party and possibly join the government. The move marks an apparent about-turn from a party press conference held on Wednesday when Rainsy ...
Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cnrp-ready-talk
Database looks at court flaws
Nearly half of defendants lack legal representation, 80 per cent are held in pretrial detention, and a sizeable chunk confess before they get a hearing, according to an online public database released yesterday by the Cambodia Center for Human Rights. The database reveals numerous infringements on ...
Laignee Barron and Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/database-looks-court-flaws
Defence minister warns against general strike
Defence Minister Tea Banh yesterday said the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces are ready to protect the Kingdom’s constitution should the opposition’s threatened general strike fall on the wrong side of the law. “A nationwide general strike or mass demonstration must be held under the framework of ...
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/defence-minister-warns-against-general-strike
Latest ELC plan draws scepticism
The government’s latest five-year strategy calls for a complete halt to economic land concessions (ELCs) and an inquiry into those still in the pipeline. But the plan has drawn scepticism from conservationists and rights groups, who pointed out that loopholes have been liberally applied after the ...
May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/latest-elc-plan-draws-scepticism
Booyoung Town moves slowly ahead
The plan to build the US$1.1 billion Booyoung Town commercial city and housing estate on Russian Federation Blvd near the 7 Makara Bridge is moving forward slowly while the political situation remains unclear. Despite the political situation, construction at Booyoung Town was slowly moving forward and ...
Siv Meng and Hin Pisei
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/booyoung-town-moves-slowly-ahead
Civil servant wages under new ministry
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday outlined the role of the newly christened Ministry of Public Function, explaining that the body would oversee the reform of the Kingdom’s civil service, including the salaries of its employees – a major plank in the opposition’s campaign platform. As a ...
Chhay Channyda and Stuart White
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/civil-servant-wages-under-new-ministry
Judicial reform pledged by PM
The Cambodian government has privately pledged that it will pass the long-awaited “three fundamental laws” aimed at reforming the judiciary during the first session of parliament in early 2014, UN rights envoy Surya Subedi said. The laws – which focus on codifying the court’s jurisdiction, laying ...
Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/judicial-reform-pledged-pm
Photo tourism turns profits
Nathan Horton’s business model is straightforward. A professional photographer, Horton helps amateur photographers take pictures abroad. Photo tourism is an increasingly lucrative trade in Cambodia. Horton, who runs half-day jaunts in Phnom Penh and longer journeys into the provinces, is one of the practitioners capitalising on ...
Laura Ma
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/photo-tourism-turns-profits
Work starts on new 22-storey hotel
Construction has started on the 22-storey Toyoko Inn Hotel, which will cost US$20 million to build, near the Hang Bridge. The project is due to be completed in November 2014. Touch Somnang, the Project Manager for the Koh Pich development project, said the Toyoko Inn Hotel ...
Siv Meng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/work-starts-new-22-storey-hotel
Intimidation charges levelled
Three officials from Ratanakkiri’s O’Yadav district were charged on September 10 for threatening and intimidating a villager after he filed a lawsuit related to the corrupt sale of community land in 2011, according to a letter obtained by the Post yesterday. Romas Svang, 47, of Yatung commune, received ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/intimidation-charges-levelled