Civil society

Civil society groups, representatives of youth and environmental activists have marked World Environment Day 2018 with a wide-ranging call for reforms. The groups urged joint environmental protection to reduce climate change, and asked the government to take further measures to reduce the use of plastic ...

Several NGOs, including Plan International, have urged the government to pay more attention to climate change issues in the country, noting that Cambodia is more susceptible to it than most Asian countries. ...

The National Election Committee is to print more than ten million ballot papers for July’s national election, despite a civil society group raising fears about irregularities. NEC spokesman Dim Sovannarom said the organisation would print 10,525,650 papers soon, including 329,200 to be used as examples. ...

A local election watchdog on Wednesday issued a statement denying that it intended to destroy the upcoming national election on July 29. In its statement on Wednesday, the Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia responded to media reports that accused it of aiming ...

A group of Thai and International NGOs said yesterday that they supported Cambodian communities filing a lawsuit against sugar giant Mitr Phol seeking compensation and remedies over alleged human rights violations. ...

The Ministry of Interior has officially allowed Equitable Cambodia, an NGO involved with community advocacy, to resume its work after it had been suspended since September last year.​ ...

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday published a batch of communications held with the Cambodian government since June last year, showing that the international body has voiced its concern about a range of issues from the arrest of ...

The Interior Ministry has decided to allow land rights NGO Equitable Cambodia to operate in Cambodia after suspending its activities in September. The announcement was made after a meeting between Interior Minister Sar Kheng and EU ambassador George Edgar on Friday. ...

A group of 35 international labour and human rights advocacy groups yesterday called for charges against a trio of Cambodian civil society activists to be dropped. “We, the undersigned global unions and international human rights and workers’ rights organizations, call for the charges against Cambodian human ...

NGOs and foreigners have been warned that they could face fines or expulsion from the country for causing confusion or affecting the results of the upcoming Senate elections. NEC spokesman Hang Puthea said the NEC has made regulations and procedures based on existing laws in Cambodia. ...

Two activists who were convicted of incitement to commit a felony and violation of privacy by Koh Kong Provincial Court may be released today following the completion of their five-month prison terms. The two environmental activists, Hun Vannak and Doem Kundy, are being detained in Prek ...

Civil society organisations yesterday asked the government to strengthen legal measures against perpetrators of violence against women and children.The request was made at the 2018 One Billion Rising Campaign at the Chenla Theatre in Phnom Penh, where more than 300 people gathered to discuss protecting ...

Violence in Cambodia has escalated in recent months with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s attempts to quash competition ahead of the upcoming elections on July 29, 2018. Security and surveillance measures have been strengthened, media outlets have been closed down, protests have been met with violence and mass ...

Phnom Penh City Hall yesterday said that demonstrations, strikes and protests increased last year when compared to 2016. A report released yesterday said that 2017 saw 1,760 demonstrations, strikes and protests, an increase of 162 compared to 2016. Last year, there were 613 protests by citizens and ...

Yesterday, Rainsy said the new Cambodia National Rescue Movement had a five-part plan, starting with appealing to the international community to take action. The next step is to work with “economic” partners to put financial pressure on the government.Next, Rainsy said the movement will encourage ...

The government has created a new interministerial committee to manage the activities of international NGOs, with an Interior Ministry official yesterday saying the body was intended to monitor organisations’ compliance with the controversial NGO Law. ...

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. ...

The European Parliament passed a resolution yesterday calling on the European Commission and European External Action Service to impose visa restrictions on Cambodian officials and freeze their assets, and to review the human rights clauses of the Everything But Arms (EBA) agreement for a potential ...

The Ministry of Interior has issued a first warning to associations and NGOs that failed to submit the requisite reports to the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Finance before the deadline on September 30. According to a press release issued on Monday, only 648 ...

Civil society this year marked International Human Rights Day much differently than last year, out of concern that any public gatherings would be likened to joining a colour revolution to overthrow the government. ...

The Ministry of Interior warned NGOs and associations yesterday to submit their annual financial reports or face legal action, including being shut down. ...

In an unexpected turn, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on Saturday that the outspoken Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) will not be shut down, despite accusing the local NGO last week of serving foreign interests. In an article posted to government mouthpiece Fresh News, the ...

The interim representative of the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia met yesterday with the head of the Cambodian government’s rights body, voicing concerns about the threatened closure of a prominent outspoken local NGO. ...

The Ministry of Interior yesterday confirmed that certain civil society organisations and their members are being “monitored” following accusations, levelled during the Supreme Court hearing on the dissolution of the opposition party on Thursday, that they participated in a purported “revolution”. ...