News
Officials inspect forest that was filled in, sold
On the orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Koh Kong provincial authorities on Friday inspected a section of protected mangrove forest that in December was discovered to have been filled in with sand and illegally sold, with the consent of local authorities, to tycoon Chea ...
Phak Seangly and Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-inspect-forest-was-filled-sold
Industrial sector grows, but still reliant on garment factories
The government released a summary of the country’s industrial sector over the past five years, showing a marked increase in growth across a wide variety of indicators. The report, released by the Ministry of Industry and Handicrafts (MIH) last week, lacks specific data but shows a ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/industrial-sector-grows-still-reliant-garment-factories
Cambodian media under threat: report
Media outlets in Cambodia have came under increasing threat over the past year, according to a new report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), though the Ministry of Information, responding to a similar recent report, has insisted freedom of expression and the press is ...
Leonie Kijewski and Rinith Taing
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodian-media-under-threat-report
Village representative arrested in LYP dispute
A villager representing 50 families in a long-running dispute with a company owned by ruling party Senator Ly Yong Phat is in pre-trial detention after his Saturday arrest for allegedly installing boundary markers on disputed company land. Lay Tiro, deputy head of the felonies office at ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/village-representative-arrested-lyp-dispute
CPP claims all 58 seats up for grabs in Senate
Absent any legitimate competition, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party swept all 58 elected seats in Sunday’s Senate elections, giving it near-absolute control in the upper house of parliament, according to preliminary results. The four-party ballot was expected to be a blowout for the CPP, given its ...
Ben Sokhean and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/cpp-claims-all-58-seats-grabs-senate
Cases of malaria nearly doubled over past year
Health Ministry officials said the number of malaria cases in 2017 increased nearly 100 percent if compared to the previous year during a meeting to set a strategy to reduce the rate in 2018. The National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control issued an official ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110503/cases-malaria-nearly-doubled-past-year/
Japan reaffirms commitment to Cambodia and national election
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reaffirmed his commitment to the country and the upcoming national election as Kem Sokha’s daughter has taken to social media to demand an explanation as to why Japan is supporting an “artificial” election. Last week Japan’s ambassador to Cambodia, Hidehisa ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110505/japan-reaffirms-commitment-cambodia-national-election/
Land rights NGO given green light to resume its operations
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. ...
Mom Sophon
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110492/land-rights-ngo-given-green-light-resume-operations/
Heritage park gets boundary posts
Forty concrete posts have been placed at key locations along the boundary of Phnom Tbeng Natural Heritage Park in Preah Vihear province, paving the way for rangers to patrol the park and enforce forestry and wildlife protection laws. The work was conducted by officials from the ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110230/heritage-park-gets-boundary-posts/
PM orders investigation into Koh Kong land grab
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday ordered the Koh Kong provincial governor to clarify reports that state mangrove forests in the province have been grabbed and filled with sand to create land for development. Speaking during the closing ceremony for an annual conference on decentralisation, Mr Hun ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110227/pm-orders-investigation-koh-kong-land-grab/
Army, Ministry of Environment agree to cooperate
Environment Minster Say Sam Al and Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Commander Pol Saroeun announced three new points of cooperation following a meeting earlier this week, Saroeun announced on his official Facebook page. ...
Yesenia Amaro and Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/army-ministry-environment-agree-cooperate
Kheng defends plans for new luxury prisons for inmates who can pay up
Interior Minister Sar Kheng defended plans to create “pay-to-stay” luxury prisons yesterday, claiming the scheme would also help poorer prisoners by reducing overcrowding. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kheng-defends-plans-new-luxury-prisons-inmates-who-can-pay
Germany suspends preferential visas
The German government yesterday confirmed it has suspended preferential visa treatment for private travel by members of the Cambodian government, including Prime Minister Hun Sen and his family, following the dissolution of the opposition CNRP. ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110231/germany-suspends-preferential-visas/
Rubber prices in decline
The price that Cambodian rubber latex fetches overseas dropped by 10 percent since the beginning of the year, a fall that officials attribute to an oversupply of the commodity in global markets and the sluggish growth of the international economy. ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110169/rubber-prices-decline/
Officials seek assistance in planning for marine park
Environmental officials confirmed yesterday that they are seeking the assistance of conservation NGO Fauna and Flora International (FFI) in drafting a management plan for the new Koh Rong Marine National Park, and that for now, the previous conservation structure operated by the Fisheries Administration and ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-seek-assistance-planning-marine-park
Kem Ley foundation registered
The Ministry of Interior has officially registered a newly created “Kem Ley Foundation Association” after months of processing the application. Chhim Kan, director of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Associations and Political Parties, yesterday confirmed the association’s registration had been successful. ...
Yon Sineat and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kem-ley-foundation-registered
Cambodia drops in graft index, taking bottom spot in Asean for third year running
A global corruption perceptions index has ranked Cambodia 161st out of 180 countries, with the report specifically pointing to weak press freedoms and NGO protections as facilitators of graft – issues that commentators have repeatedly raised as concerns in the Kingdom. ...
Ananth Baliga and Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodia-drops-graft-index-taking-bottom-spot-asean-third-year-running
Kampong Speu villagers burn seized load of timber
Forestry Administration officials and local police on Wednesday intercepted a load of illegal timber in Kampong Speu, but only managed to seize two of the 10 first-grade logs after villagers began to burn the timber – and attempted to do the same to an FA ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kampong-speu-villagers-burn-seized-load-timber
Monitors ready for Senate vote
With the absence of independent election monitors like Comfrel and Nicfec, Sunday’s Senate elections will be monitored by a hodgepodge of associations, with some representing the pharmacy, travel and hospitality industries, and another run by Hun Many, son of Prime Minister Hun Sen. ...
Niem Chheng and Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/monitors-ready-senate-vote
Press freedom ‘collapsed’ in 2017, journalist survey says
The “façade of media freedom” in the Kingdom “collapsed” last year, with journalists reporting a sharp drop in their hopes for independent press, according to the results of a new survey launched yesterday. The Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) study surveyed 75 journalists from ...
Rinith Taing
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/press-freedom-collapsed-2017-journalist-survey-says
Cambodia’s budget process slightly more transparent, but issues remain: report
Cambodia’s budget process was slightly more transparent last year than in previous years, according to a new report, though scant information is provided to the public over the course of the budget process, with few opportunities for public engagement and limited oversight in its creation. ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodias-budget-process-slightly-more-transparent-issues-remain-report
Senate passes controversial les majeste law
The Senate on Wednesday passed some laws, including an amendment to the Criminal code, which will punish anyone who insults the king with a penalty of one to five years in jail. ...
Khy Sovuthy
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50109731/senate-passes-controversial-les-majeste-law/
Okhna owns land at site of illegal Koh Kong mangrove filling, contract shows
A section of protected mangrove forest in Koh Kong that in December was discovered to have been filled with sand was illegally sold to tycoon Chea Leanghong in 2017, documents show, with local authorities having signed off on the deal. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/okhna-owns-land-site-illegal-koh-kong-mangrove-filling-contract-shows
Can Cambodia stay competitive with so many public holidays?
Cambodia likely became the country with the largest number of public holidays in the world on Tuesday, raising questions about the ability of Cambodia to stay economically competitive with so many mandatory leave days. ...
Brendan O’Byrne and Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/can-cambodia-stay-competitive-so-many-public-holidays