Social development
Human rights
Boeung Kak lake dispute ‘closed’
Phnom Penh City Hall on April 27 washed its hands of the decade long contentious Boeung Kak lake issue, saying it was closing its conflict resolution process, leaving seven families who had refused to accept the government’s offers in the lurch. Following the signing of a ...
PM calls on US to revise law
Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 27 defended himself from critics who claim the massive flow of workers leaving the country is indicative of a lack of development at home, and sought to clarify any misunderstanding on Cambodia’s recent request to amend a repatriation agreement with ...
Press freedom declines: RSF report
Cambodia’s press freedom ranking has fallen four spots compared to last year, to 132 out of 180 countries, according to Reporters Without Borders’ latest World Press Freedom Index. The 2017 index, published on April 26, cited the high-profile killing of political commentator Kem Ley as ...
No immediate plan to change returnee policy
Despite the Foreign Ministry reiterating its request to suspend and renegotiate its repatriation agreement with the US – which allows for the deportation of Cambodians with criminal convictions living in the States back to the Kingdom – the timetable for such a plan remains uncertain. ...
Squatters in Sittwe township relocated to new homes
Illegal residents in Set Yone Su ward, Sittwe township, Rakhine State have been resettled to Min Gan ward following arrangements by the regional government, said Set Yone Su ward administrator U Nyunt Win.“The squatters were previously living in the old cemetery. Now, the government has ...
Activist seeking plaque probe held by military
The prime minister and many senior government officials said the disappearance of a historic plaque was no big deal – yet well-known lawyer and activist Srisuwan Janya was arrested on April 18 as he urged the PM to conduct an investigation into the matter. “This issue ...
White Building families agree to price drop
About 85 percent of 493 families being asked to sell their White Building homes have dropped their asking price to $1,800 per square meter, but insist they will not negotiate any lower. The agreement came at a meeting of about 100 people at the White Building ...
Former exiled news outlets granted licenses for state media channel
Two former exiled news outlets—the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and Mizzima—have been selected to run their own digital channels in Burma under the state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV). In late 2016, the Ministry of Information (MOI) put out a call to local companies ...
Allow labor day march, unions urge City Hall
More than 3,000 workers and union activists have asked City Hall for permission to celebrate International Workers’ Day in Phnom Penh on May 1, but officials will not confirm if the event can go ahead until after Khmer New Year. Ath Thorn, the president of the ...
Livelihoods for elderly now a top priority
With most elderly Thais having no or hardly any savings, Thailand has an acute need to keep people in work as long as possible. Creating job opportunities for the country’s greying population is now top of the agenda at various organisations, both in the government and ...