Government

The National Assembly will vote on Monday on landmark legislation giving the government unprecedented new powers to suspend and dissolve its political rivals, and with barely a note of concern from the democracies helping bankroll the country. ...

The National Assembly’s Permanent Committee will next week conduct an urgent plenary session to review and adopt the draft amendments to the law on political parties, despite strong requests for a delay from the opposition. ...

Nikolai Patrushev, director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and a top adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, met with Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday to discuss ways the two countries can combat terrorism and transnational crime, the prime minister announced via Facebook. ...

A European parliamentarian has submitted a “priority question” to Europe’s high representative for foreign affairs, Frederica Mogherini, urging strong action against Cambodia in response to recent threats by Prime Minister Hun Sen to dissolve opposition parties. EU Ambassador to Cambodia George Edgar yesterday agreed it’s ...

The ruling CPP on Monday pressed ahead with legal amendments that would let the government move to dissolve political parties over the crimes of their leaders or if the parties make “serious” legal mistakes, saying the changes could be passed within days. ...

Cambodian casino operator NagaCorp Ltd posted a net profit of $184.2 million last year, a 7 percent increase over the previous year, with growth largely tempered by a lacklustre surge in business volume across all gaming segments at its NagaWorld casino complex in Phnom Penh.While ...

Sam Rainsy, the longtime leader of Cambodia’s beleaguered democracy movement, resigned as president of the opposition CNRP on Saturday in the face of the government’s threats to dissolve the entire party over his criminal record. The brief letter said only that he was resigning for ...

Two pro-CNRP U.S. lawmakers called on newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to take a hard-line stance with the Cambodian government ahead of upcoming elections, in a letter signed on Thursday.Alan Lowenthal, a Democrat representing Long Beach, California, home to the largest Cambodian ...

The Culture and Fine Arts Ministry has laid down rules for writers and artistic directors who want to reproduce works of literature, art and music.   ...

Political parties are scrambling to complete their internal processes and register ahead of this year’s commune elections, which are to be held in June. The National Election Committee (NEC) will be accepting registration applications for all parties’ candidates from March 3 to 5. ...

The government, Hagar International and Save the Children are teaming up to address the country’s lack of social workers, hoping to beef up the social service sector and deal with the growing number of children in residential care facilities – informally known as orphanages.   ...

Frustrated with the lack of compliance, the government has given the Kingdom’s mobile operators an ultimatum: declare their company revenue shares and settle all outstanding debts owed to the government by the end of the month or face swift and severe punitive action. ...

Cambodia’s telecommunications regulator yesterday stepped up efforts to avert a brewing price war between the country’s six mobile network operators, ordering the companies to submit profitability statements within the next 10 days and summoning all operators to a meeting at the end of the month ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen has once again called for the United States to drop the debt Cambodia incurred during the 1970s Lon Nol regime, just days after US Ambassador William Heidt said in no uncertain terms that the US had no such plans. ...

The Ministry of Education next week will launch a new online system for students to practice for the high-stakes grade-12 national exam, though one observer noted it would do little to help students who lack internet access. ...

An opposition-appointed member of the National Election Committee yesterday threatened to resign if Prime Minister Hun Sen succeeds in his controversial proposal to amend the law to dissolve parties whose members are convicted of wrongdoing. ...

The General Commissariat of National Police has announced it will take legal action against police officers found abusing their positions and demanding money from people at illegal checkpoints. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered authorities to arrest any politicians pledging to clear the debts of voters with micro-finance institutions (MFIs) and banks if their party wins the elections. ...

Cambodia’s electricity regulator is set to roll out seven new plans designed to reduce electricity fees beginning in April and through 2020, with some fees dropping as low as 480 riel per kilowatt hour. ...

Cambodia is expecting a shipment of military vehicles donated by South Korea, according to a sub-decree. The Ministry of Finance in December released about $1 million to the Defence Ministry to cover the equipment’s transportation, it says.​ ...

ANZ Royal customers will be able to make tax payments in local currency and in US dollars at all bank branches and online starting in April following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Economy and Finance Ministry on Friday. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen emerged from a meeting with visiting Burmese President Htin Kyaw on Saturday declaring he did not support the “internationalization” of Burma’s escalating Rohingya crisis, going against mounting global fears of an impending genocide. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen has told a solidarity dinner with the Cambodian-Chinese Association that Cambodia backs the “One-China policy” and will not allow the Taiwanese flag to be raised in the kingdom. This stance would avoid affecting the good relationship between the two countries. ...

The Land Management Ministry has said it will resolve the land disputes in Phnom Penh’s Chbar Ampov district and Kandal’s Ponhea Leu district between Suy Sophan and more than 500 families. ...