Government
Cambodia facing a dilemma on plan to give roads a facelift
With more than half of Cambodia’s 6,000 kilometres of roads being classified as “poor” or of “bad” quality by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, industry insiders said that the government needs to engage with the private sector to spur investment into quality construction ...
Robin Spiess
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/cambodia-facing-dilemma-plan-give-roads-facelift
Hun Sen brushes off end of EU election support
The EU’s decision came in response to the government’s crackdown on the Kingdom’s largest opposition party – the Cambodia National Rescue Party – which was summarily dissolved last month, a development that the EU said rendered credible elections impossible. But in a speech to garment workers ...
Ben Sokhean and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/hun-sen-brushes-end-eu-election-support
NEC claims EU move to pull funding unfair
The National Election Committee’s newly minted press reaction team responded late on Wednesday to the European Union’s decision to cut funding for the 2018 election, claiming it was unfair to judge the elections before they took place. ...
Andrew Nachemson and Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/nec-claims-eu-move-pull-funding-unfair
Focus shifts to oversight of health care providers
After a yearlong campaign to register health providers, the Ministry of Health and medical councils now say they must turn their focus to training and oversight of nurses and doctors in the field. ...
Danielle Keeton-Olsen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/focus-shifts-oversight-health-care-providers
CPP-linked monastic leader tells Cambodia’s monks to vote for ruling party
Cambodia’s top monastic leader, Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong, urged the nation’s monks yesterday to vote for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, explaining that the outcome of the 2018 national election has been “arranged already”. ...
Soth Koemsoeun and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/cpp-linked-monastic-leader-tells-cambodias-monks-vote-ruling-party
US says more sanctions on table in response to political crackdown
Visiting US State Department official W Patrick Murphy yesterday warned that further punitive action could be forthcoming in response to the government’s recent crackdown on the main opposition, while repeatedly pointing to the US’s warm relationship with the people of Cambodia – if not their ...
Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/us-says-more-sanctions-table-response-political-crackdown
Environment ministry targets set
The Environment Minister instructed his staff to cooperate with relevant ministries and institutions to improve management in the sector at the closing of the ministry’s annual meeting on Monday. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5095895/environment-ministry-targets-set/
Ratanakkiri, Banteay Meanchey to get new checkpoints
Provincial authorities accepted a request for one new checkpoint between Ratanakkiri’s Andong Meas district and Vietnam’s Ia Grai district in Gia Lai province, close to the existing Border Post 19, Sineath said. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ratanakkiri-banteay-meanchey-get-new-checkpoints
Government fails to recoup on rubber expenses
Despite a 31 percent increase in Cambodian rubber exports during the first 11 months of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture is failing to recoup on expenses it has spent sending expert technicians into the field in order to help boost production. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/government-fails-recoup-rubber-expenses
New spy school announced
Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the creation of a school to train spies to combat “colour revolution” and terrorism in Cambodia yesterday, tapping his son and Ministry of Defence Intelligence Director Hun Manith to lead it. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-spy-school-announced
EU pulls NEC support, saying elections ‘cannot be seen as legitimate’ after CNRP dissolution
The European Union announced yesterday that it is suspending all support for Cambodia’s National Election Committee, calling credible elections impossible in light of the government’s dissolution of the ruling party’s only legitimate competitor. ...
Leonie Kijewski and Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/eu-pulls-nec-support-saying-elections-cannot-be-seen-legitimate-after-cnrp
Minimum wage law edges closer
A Labour Ministry official has said the law on the minimum wage will come into force in the first quarter of 2018, provided there are no more objections from stakeholders. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5095662/minimum-wage-law-edges-closer/
Interior Minister demands better border control
Interior Minister Sar Kheng said yesterday that authorities have failed to quell illegal border crossings by migrant workers. ...
Sen David
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5095520/interior-minister-demands-better-border-control/
Trash collection way up
Cambodia’s solid waste collection has increased more than 40 percent over the last five years, according to an official and the Ministry of Environment’s annual report released on Monday. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/trash-collection-way
Child protection plan rolled out
The government unveiled a long-awaited national plan to combat violence against children yesterday, four years after a countrywide survey revealed that more than half of children in Cambodia are physically abused. ...
Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/child-protection-plan-rolled-out
Chemical weapons org starts inquiry
A team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons arrived in Cambodia Sunday night, with officials saying they will investigate chemical weapons dropped by the United States during the Vietnam War. ...
Mech Dara and Andrew Nachemson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/chemical-weapons-org-starts-inquiry
Water security still a priority
Cambodia has not yet attained full water security, the water resources minister said yesterday at an Asia-Pacific summit. ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5095364/water-security-still-priority/
Former party of Kem Ley to run nationwide in 2018
The Grassroots Democracy Party, co-founded by slain political analyst Kem Ley, has announced it will compete in the national elections next year in all provinces, though analysts yesterday doubted that it would be able to mount a serious challenge to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. ...
Ben Sokhean and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/former-party-kem-ley-run-nationwide-2018
US to fund project preserving clothes of S-21 victims
The United States Embassy has pledged $55,500 to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in part to preserve the clothes worn by victims of atrocities at S-21 prison. ...
Cindy Co
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/us-fund-project-preserving-clothes-s-21-victims
Beehive party to elect new president after resignation
The Beehive Social Democratic Party will convene next week to pick its third president in four months after party leader Houn Phannary resigned due to “personal reasons”. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/beehive-party-elect-new-president-after-resignation
NGOs told to file annual reports or face closure
The Ministry of Interior warned NGOs and associations yesterday to submit their annual financial reports or face legal action, including being shut down. ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5095401/ngos-told-file-annual-reports-face-closure/
Big trouble in little China? Exploring Chinese investment in Sihanoukville
The coastal city of Sihanoukville is undergoing a massive transformation. Once perceived as a seedy haunt for lethargic backpackers and expats, a flood of Chinese tourists and investors has begun to alter the landscape by setting up everything from gaudy casinos to towering luxury resorts ...
Kali Kotoski and Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-depth-business/big-trouble-little-china-0
Apsara gets new partner
The Apsara Authority announced yesterday that it will begin sharing preservation knowledge and collaborating in restorations with the city officials behind Beijing’s ancient Imperial City. Officials from Cambodia’s heritage preservation authority met with Du Jingxin, an official from Beijing’s Xicheng district, to discuss ways the ...
Danielle Keeton-Olsen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/apsara-gets-new-partner
Malaysian side lagging on MoU
A memorandum of understanding meant to beef up protections for Cambodian maids in Malaysia is still on hold after Malaysia’s human resources minister said he was not aware of the agreement, according to Malaysian media. ...
Yon Sineat and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/malaysian-side-lagging-mou