Canals Flood With Trash Again After Storms, Candidate Seeks Solution
Residents and officials living around Phnom Penh’s canals say trash is quickly returning to waterways amid heavy rains, with at least one commune chief candidate promising to scrub the stench from garbage-clogged canals in his campaign.
Man Dies Falling From Condo in Sihanoukville
A Vietnamese man has died after falling from a condominium building in Sihanoukville, local authorities said.
Ruling Party Complains Against Candlelight’s ‘Change’ Slogan
The ruling CPP has filed complaints against four Candlelight commune chief candidates in Pailin for using a slogan calling for the removal of “the commune chief serving the party.”
A Friend’s Journey Attempting Rescue From Alleged Slave Compound
Reporters followed the case of a 22-year-old from his call for help — in which he alleged he was trapped and electrocuted at a Kampot scam compound — to the efforts of a friend of his to get him out.
Canteran Garment Factory Workers Take Dispute to Labor Ministry
Workers demanding legal compensation from a shuttered garment factory gathered outside the Labor Ministry on Monday to file a petition seeking its intervention.
CPP Letters on Polling Station Staff Training Raise Red Flags
Two ambiguously worded letters from CPP Phnom Penh members calling for polling station staffers to attend training have sparked concern from opposition parties saying the letters appeared to be inviting NEC officials to receive ruling party guidance.
Ou Chanrath Interview: ‘I Don’t Want to See Cambodia Become a Second China’
If the Cambodia Reform Party were to win commune positions, it would work to empower the grassroots and ensure there is no corruption in the delivery of public services, said party founder Ou Chanrath. He had to contest this election because an uncontested ballot risked turning Cambodia into a “second China,” he said.
Mixed Feelings in Ratanakiri Over Chhay Thy’s Roads
Pate commune chief Chhay Thy is proud of the two roads he built over the past five years. The former rights worker turned ruling party politician said he was confident of ongoing support from residents, but some said they wanted a Jarai leader, not a Khmer outsider.
Outrage After Tree-Cutting Workers Kill School Dog
A video posted online on Friday showed a dog hung up by its neck on school grounds, and a man with a large wooden stick striking it on the head three times.
Khmer Times Publisher Acquitted of Sexual Harassment Charge
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court acquitted the publisher of the Khmer Times newspaper of sexual harassment charges Monday afternoon, in a case relating to accusations of sexual advances made to a former employee.
Dam-Displaced Residents Allege Company’s Encroachment
Families in Stung Treng’s Sesan district are accusing an agriculture company of bulldozing the land they say they moved to after the Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Dam flooded their land.
‘Adhoc Five’ Lose Appeal Against Convictions
The Appeal Court on Monday upheld the already-served sentences against five human rights officials who were convicted of bribing the alleged lover of an opposition leader.
Campaigning Kicks Off for June 5 Commune Election
VOD reporters followed the launch of the official campaigning period for the June 5 commune election on Saturday morning. The Candlelight Party held a march through Phnom Penh, while the ruling CPP conducted gatherings within communes. Other parties like the Grassroots Democratic Party and the Khmer National United Party also kicked off their campaigning.
Four Workers Dead After Fall at Construction Site
Four construction workers are dead and another has been hospitalized with serious injuries after a cable on their lift snapped, causing them to fall from the 15th story of a building, a police official said.
A Daughter Steps Up in Poipet
Chao Ratanak, Candlelight’s top candidate in Poipet commune, where her father once served as an opposition councilor, had no political experience until recently. If elected, she says she’ll draw on lessons from her father and her family’s migrant worker experience.
For Boeng Tamok Residents, Youth Activists Speak What They Can’t
33 young activists rode bicycles around Boeng Tamok calling for a stop to the privatization and filling of the lake. For local residents, the youths were doing what they couldn’t dare to. “I’m happy to see it,” one said. “I want to see the young generation stand up to fight.”
‘I Want to Be the One Who Can Make a Change in My Village’
Sor Sarath is the only woman commune-chief candidate for the Grassroots Democratic Party. Sarath, a 38-year-old tailor, says she is committed to pushing for women’s rights and participation in social activities in Kampong Chhnang’s Kampong Tralach commune. The task is not a simple one but would be a lot easier if men got out of the way, she says.
Candlelight Says No to Racist Comments, CPP Will Campaign Small
The ruling CPP will not have any major rallies when the campaign period kicks off on Saturday, said a party spokesperson, while a Candlelight Party official asked members to refrain from incendiary comments even once rallies kick off.
Forest for the Trees: Minister’s Letter Skips Over Phnom Tamao Forest Loss
Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon assured animal welfare NGO Wildlife Alliance that an animal rescue center at Phnom Tamao will remain untouched, but did not address the potential destruction of hundreds of hectares of protected forest around it through the planned privatization of land.
Briefs: Lab Monkey Exports Criticized, Cambodia Wins Fifth Gold
An animal rights wants Egyptair to stop transporting long-tailed macaques bred in Cambodia and headed for laboratories in the U.S. Cambodia won another gold medal at the SEA games, taking its tally to five golds.
Land Minister Chea Sophara Sex Defamation Case in Supreme Court
A ruling party official is facing a slew of charges brought by the Land Ministry after posting online a woman’s sexual allegations against minister Chea Sophara.
City Officials ‘Don’t Know’ of Sewage Concerns Despite Arrests Over Issue
Authorities stopped environmentalists investigating sewage flows into Phnom Penh rivers a year ago, jailing them for plotting. But black, foul-smelling discharges are continuing even as city officials said this week that they were unaware of a problem.
No Clarification on Whom Kem Sokha Allegedly Conspired With
Prosecutors and government plaintiff lawyers declined to specify a country, organization or individual behind opposition leader Kem Sokha’s alleged “conspiracy with a foreign power” during his trial hearing on Wednesday.
Briefs: Lake Cycling Campaign, Royal Plowing Ceremony Called Off
The government has again called off the royal ploughing ceremony over COvid-19 concerns. Twenty-five youths will cycle to and around Boeng Tamok to raise awareness about the fast-disappearing lake.
Dry-Season Rains Turn Tide on Drought but Damage Cashews, Durian
Early rains have damaged cashew crops and delayed the durian harvest, farmers say, as unseasonable weather patterns are restoring water reserves after recent years of drought but causing their own havoc.
‘Elephant Party’ Wants to Protect Indigenous Land
The party won just over 1,000 votes in Mondulkiri in 2017, and many local residents don’t even know its name — only its elephant logo. But amid rampant land loss — burial grounds seemingly targeted by brokers — the Indigenous People’s Party wants to push back.
‘Everything Changed’: Cambodia’s Gold Rush Weighs on Indigenous Livelihoods
Labeled a “great achievement” for Cambodia’s post-pandemic recovery, the country’s biggest goldmine also exemplifies some of the challenges facing indigenous communities seeking to protect traditions. “It’s something very dangerous to lose culture, lifestyle and traditional practices,” one Bunong lawyer said.
10,000 Hectares Privatized for Khun Sea, ‘Families’
Six sub-decrees signed in the span of a week privatized nearly 10,000 hectares across four provinces, with thousands of hectares going to unspecified families in northeastern provinces and a plot in Ream National Park adding to land tycoon Khun Sea’s property empire.
Election Campaign Rules: Two Rallies Per Commune Starting Saturday
Election campaigning will kick off on Saturday for the two weeks ahead of the June 5 vote, during which parties will be allowed two rallies per contesting commune as long as they stay within boundaries and give three days’ notice.
Hun Sen Vexed About US Shoe Throwing
Prime Minister Hun Sen asked supporters to tolerate a shoe thrown at him in Washington, but pondered why U.S. officials didn’t respond to a violent action.
