News

Cambodia has issued a pamphlet to local authorities asking them to ban the practice of renting land to people from neighboring countries. From governors to district chiefs, officials were told to focus especially on Cambodians renting their land along the border to Vietnamese farmers. ...

Council of Ministers Secretary of State Tek Reth Samrach yesterday rebuked opposition lawmakers Ho Vann and Son Chhay over their criticism of a government directive forbidding ministry employees from dealing directly with lawmakers on corruption issues, calling both misinformed and accusing Chhay of “incitement and ...

The Council of Ministers’ secretary of state Tek Reth Samrach clarified a recent directive, which ordered all government officials in all ministries and institutions to get formal approval from the respective minister before meeting with or providing clarifications to parliamentary commissions or groups. ...

Opposition lawmakers and transparency groups have slammed a recent Council of Ministers directive ordering government employees to deny access to parliamentary commissions investigating corruption, saying it severely undermines democracy. Released yesterday by Secretary of State Tek Reth Samrach, the letter dictates public employees must follow the ...

The National Assembly’s Anti-Corruption Commission will visit Siem Reap this month to further probe claims Angkor Archaeological Park’s manager, the Apsara Authority, underreported ticket sales, as new figures show a drop in visitors to the World Heritage site last month. ...

A parliamentary committee will look into allegations of illegal logging and timber exports, where big money and deep corruption have led to conflict, deforestation and tax fraud. Opposition lawmaker Ho Vann, who leads the National Assembly committee, told VOA Khmer he is looking into evidence and ...

The Apsara Authority will be summoned to the National Assembly next month to defend its stance in an embittered spat over revenue collected from ticket sales at Angkor Archaeological Park, according to opposition party lawmakers. Apsara, which manages the historical site of Angkorian temples, will be ...

Officials are investigating Preah Sihanouk Provincial Hospital after anonymous complaints were put forward against its director, accusing him of corruption and a lack of transparency. According to anonymous letters written by doctors and nurses in the hospital and widely disseminated, hospital director Seng Nong has been ...

The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that phones, iPads and other possessions confiscated from six opposition lawmakers during the violent July 15 protest at Freedom Park would not yet be returned. Presiding judge Yos Sokhoeun said that the items could not be returned based on the ...

Lawyers for 11 opposition CNRP activists facing insurrection charges Thursday walked out of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in protest after the judges refused to let three CNRP lawmakers facing the same charges observe what was supposed to be the first full day of hearings. ...

Om Yintieng, President of Anti-Corruption Unit and opposition lawmaker Ho Vann, President of the National Assembly’s commission on investigation and anti-corruption, will meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss cooperation. ...

The National Assembly’s anti-corruption commission submitted a letter to the Phnom Penh Municipal Hall last week requesting an update on the resolution of the long-running dispute between evicted Borei Keila villagers and development firm Phan Imex. ...

Businesswoman Suy Sophan remained unrepentant after a closed-door meeting with lawmakers at the National Assembly on Thursday about her controversial Borei Keila property in central Phnom Penh, continuing to deny that she broke a contract to provide all evictees with new apartments. ...

National Assembly President Heng Samrin has given himself the power to deny access to the assembly compound, including the offices of all lawmakers, to anyone not employed by the government and has barred all private citizens from testifying before—or sitting in on—assembly commission meetings. In ...

A jubilant crowd of opposition supporters burst into cheers yesterday afternoon as seven Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmakers-elect and one party activist were released on bail just hours after an announced rapprochement between the CNRP and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. They walked free through exits ...

About 100 CNRP activists and supporters gathered Thursday at Prey Sar prison to put pressure for the release of five opposition lawmakers and another supporter who are under detention. Policemen were seen guarding around the Prey Sar prison to prevent the protesters from approaching the site, ...

The Ministry of Culture on Tuesday rejected the opposition CNRP’s request to hold a ceremony at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum for those who died under the Khmer Rouge. In a letter dated Monday to the CNRP, Chamroeun Vantha, director general of the Culture Ministry’s administration ...

A government committee charged with assessing damage from the garment worker protests in December and January has put the value of the destruction at over $250,000. It places blame squarely on the opposition CNRP and a trio of union leaders. That committee’s report, released Thursday, ...

Notification that her son is being detained at Correctional Centre 3 in Kampong Cham came as a relief to Touch Sart yesterday, after spending nearly a week wondering whether he was even alive. Since her son, Theng Saroeun, was arrested along with 22 others at demonstrations ...

A Cambodian trade unions leader on Saturday called on garment workers not to participate in the opposition party-planned mass demonstration next week against the results of July’s election that handed victory to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party. “I would like to appeal to all workers ...