News
New ICC filing in works
The opposition party’s planned complaint to the International Criminal Court against government officials for long-term rights abuses will likely be beaten to the punch by a US lawyer and rights activist, Voice of America reported on Friday. According to VOA, Morton Sklar, executive director of the ...
Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-icc-filing-works
CNRP Distances Itself From Threatened Social Media Activist
The opposition CNRP’s deputy public affairs director, Kem Monovithya, posted a statement to her official Facebook account on Saturday distancing the party from Thy Sovantha, a 19-year-old opposition activist with a large social media following, announcing that Ms. Sovantha was “not involved” with the CNRP. Last ...
Hul Reaksmey and Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cnrp-distances-itself-from-threatened-social-media-activist-51218/
Sar Kheng Accuses CNRP of Launching ‘Constitutional Coup’
Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng became the latest senior member of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s CPP government to accuse the opposition CNRP of attempting to “topple” the government though what he claimed is a “constitutional coup.” In a posting to the Interior Ministry ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/sar-kheng-accuses-cnrp-of-launching-constitutional-coup-51186/
Politics not quite all in the family
Kem Sokhon, the brother of Cambodia National Rescue Party deputy president Kem Sokha, is continuing to progress through government ranks. Sokhon – who has been openly critical of his brother’s policies since defecting from the opposition – told the Post yesterday he is now an adviser to senior ...
Meas Sokchea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/politics-not-quite-all-family
Tourism Not Affected by Deadlock
International tourist arrivals to Cambodia for 2013 increased 14.1 percent over arrivals in 2012, despite lingering political uncertainty following the July election, according to preliminary annual figures from the Ministry of Tourism. The number of visitors entering the country last year reached 4.2 million, compared to ...
George Styllis
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/tourism-not-affected-by-deadlock-51133/
Defense Ministry Statement Claims CNRP Belittles Troops
The Ministry of Defense released a statement Wednesday condemning an opposition party spokesman for allegedly “looking down on” Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government and the armed forces. The statement, dated Tuesday, attacked CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann for comments made to the media on January 23, in ...
Khy Sovuthy and Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/defense-ministry-statement-claims-cnrp-belittles-troops-51131/
Another Military Official Accuses Opposition Party of Causing Chaos
General Neang Phat has become the second senior military official to wade into the current political impasse between Prime Minister Hun Sen’s CPP government and the CNRP, accusing the opposition party of trying to destabilize the country, according to a local media report. Gen. Phat, who ...
Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/another-military-official-accuses-opposition-party-of-causing-chaos-51101/
New Cambodian Ambassadors Told to Counter CNRP ‘Distortion’
CPP National Assembly President Heng Samrin has ordered Cambodia’s newest ambassadors to Asia and Europe to go on a public relations offensive against mounting news abroad that the country’s respect for democracy and human rights is slipping. Cambodian security forces have shot dead seven people ...
Sek Odom and Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/new-cambodian-ambassadors-told-to-counter-cnrp-distortion-51099/
New deadlock but old tactics, analysts say
Ahead of today’s hearing on Cambodia’s record at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, opposition figures and analysts said the ruling Cambodian People’s Party has reverted to familiar tactics of post-election suppression. Analysts yesterday said that the breaking up of Cambodia National Rescue Party-led protests ...
Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-deadlock-old-tactics-analysts-say
NGOs push for boost in female candidates
More than 50 per cent of candidates nominated by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party in the upcoming provincial and district council elections should be women, a coalition of 12 civil society groups said in a letter on Thursday. ...
Vong Sokheng and Amelia Woodside
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ngos-push-boost-female-candidates
Growing Unease Over Direction of the Country, Survey Finds
There was a shift of almost seismic proportions between January and November 2013 as the number of people who believe the country is being steered in the right direction fell sharply, while the number of discontented citizens rose, according to a new report. Launching its annual ...
Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/growing-unease-over-direction-of-the-country-survey-finds-51034/
Unions take big picture view
Union leaders yesterday said that despite having held strikes calling for a doubling of the minimum wage that were supported and encouraged by the country’s opposition party, they did not feel betrayed that the wage hike was taking a backseat in political negotiations. Following a government ...
Mom Kunthear and Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/unions-take-big-picture-view
Chea Vichea Remembered 10 Years After Slaying
Ten years ago Wednesday, union leader Chea Vichea walked to his favorite newsstand in front of Wat Lanka to read the day’s headlines: Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered spending cuts, health officials were trying to handle the first outbreak of bird flu in Southeast ...
Khy Sovuthy and Denise Hruby
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/chea-vichea-remembered-10-years-after-slaying-50962/
CNRP denied access to suspects
Phnom Penh Municipality has rejected a request from the Cambodia National Rescue Party to visit the 23 detainees held in Kampong Cham province’s Tropaing Phlong prison, also known as Correctional Centre 3. In a letter sent to the CNRP dated January 21, Phnom Penh Municipal Court ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cnrp-denied-access-suspects
CNRP Cancels Meeting as CPP Supporters Turn Out in Force
Several hundred civilian supporters of Prime Minister Hun Sen, backed up by an equal number of military police and provincial police armed with automatic rifles, batons and tear gas launchers, forced opposition leaders Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha to cancel a meeting with party followers ...
Phann Ana and Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cnrp-cancels-meeting-as-cpp-supporters-turn-out-in-force-50938/
Cambodian police in new protest crackdown
Cambodian police broke up a rally in the capital on Tuesday and briefly detained 11 activists who were calling for international assistance to secure the release of protesters arrested in a recent crackdown. The detentions came as the country’s main opposition party called off a planned ...
Channel News Asia News Staff
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/cambodian-police-in-new/962534.html
Obama Signs Off on Aid Cuts to Government
U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday signed a spending bill that suspends some funding to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government until an independent investigation into last year’s disputed national election is carried out, or until the opposition CNRP ends its boycott of parliament. The bill targets ...
Alex Willemyns
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/obama-signs-off-on-aid-cuts-to-government-50886/
Hun Sen Calls On CPP Voters To Defend His Government
Speaking two weeks after crushing opposition party demonstrations demanding his resignation, Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday called on supporters of his ruling CPP to prepare to stand up against any group aiming to overthrow his government. “All of you who voted for the CPP, be ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-sen-calls-on-cpp-voters-to-defend-his-government-50875/
Shooting probe urged
UN rights envoy Surya Subedi wrapped up his six-day fact-finding mission to Cambodia yesterday by calling for a thorough investigation into security forces’ role in the deadly crackdown on garment workers early this month. He also offered to act as a mediator between the ruling Cambodian ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/shooting-probe-urged
Anti-Vietnam talk by CNRP ‘alarms’ envoy
UN human rights envoy Surya Subedi yesterday said he was “alarmed” by anti-Vietnamese language used by the opposition party to rally its supporters, a message he said he had conveyed to Cambodia National Rescue Party leaders during his visit. Speaking at a press conference to conclude ...
Kevin Ponniah
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/anti-vietnam-talk-cnrp-%E2%80%98alarms%E2%80%99-envoy
Opposition leader says he supports China over Vietnam
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy told supporters this week that the Cambodia National Rescue Party and its members “support China fully” in claims against Vietnam. The message to supporters coincided with the visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who was in Phnom Penh for a ...
Kong Sothanarith
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/opposition-leader-says-he-supports-china-over-vietnam/1830787.html
UN Envoy Continues Meetings With CNRP, NGOs
U.N. human rights envoy Surya Subedi, who is on his 10th fact-finding mission to Cambodia, met with opposition CNRP leader Sam Rainsy on Tuesday ahead of a planned meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen and other senior government officials Wednesday. Reached by telephone after the meeting ...
Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/un-envoy-continues-meetings-with-cnrp-ngos-50589/
Cambodia opposition leaders questioned in court
Cambodia’s opposition leaders were questioned in court Tuesday in connection with recent protests against strongman premier Hun Sen — a case they denounced as politically motivated. Prosecutors at Phnom Penh Municipal Court spent several hours grilling Sam Rainsy and his deputy Kem Sokha about unrest that ...
Channel News Asia Staff
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/cambodia-opposition/954294.html
Amnesty idea floated during talks: report
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Prime Minister Hun Sen discussed the possibility of offering amnesty to senior government officials in order to allow for “an honourable exit of the leaders”, Rainsy was quoted as saying to the French newspaper La Libération last week. Rainsy reportedly said in the ...
Stuart White
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/amnesty-idea-floated-during-talks-report