Cambodia Pursues Foreign Interference Law Inspired by Singapore, Angkorian-Era Invasions
An Interior Ministry official said Cambodia was studying foreign interference laws, pointing to Cham invasions of ancient Cambodia, while a human rights advocate worried about “color revolution” labels.
French Court: ‘Sufficient Evidence’ of PM Bodyguards’ Role in 1997 Grenade Attack
A French Appeal court indicted senior Bodyguard Unit generals Hing Bun Heang and Huy Piseth for their involvement in the 1997 grenade attack targeting a Sam Rainsy rally.
Briefs: Sugar Firm Reprimanded, More US Lobbyists, Corruption Rankings
Controversial sugar giant Mitr Phol should not be part of a sustainable sugarcane industry platform, said a U.K. government body. Cambodia has hired new Washington lobbyists for $720,000. The country ranked 157th of 180 in Transparency International’s latest corruption index.
NagaWorld Issues Statement That It Encourages Unions
In a rare public statement amid ongoing protests, NagaWorld denied accusations that it targeted union employees as part of mass layoffs last year that have led to a monthlong strike by casino workers and the arrests of senior union leaders and members.
Return or Limbo: Possible Paths as Kem Sokha Hints at Deal
Speculation has been rife about whether the resumption of Sokha’s trial — nearly two years after it was stopped due to Covid-19 — signaled an imminent political deal that could see the former CNRP president return to politics.
Deal With District Hasn’t Stopped Trash Dumping: Takeo Residents
Nine of the 10 trucks that enter one Takeo village daily are still dumping trash in a 1 hectare field, despite a deal struck earlier this month between the district and company to first incinerate everything in a furnace, residents said.
Opinion: Feminist Foreign Policy’s Rising Significance for Cambodia
Currently, five Cambodian ambassadors are women. Those like Pech Puthisathbopeaneaky, who is general consul in Hong Kong, are at the frontiers of equitable foreign policy, changing perceptions of diplomacy as a man’s job, writes Marie Kepler.
Hun Sen Asks Indonesian President to Tell Malaysia FM to ‘Not Be Too Arrogant’
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s controversy-inducing Asean chairmanship continued Friday morning as he called the Malaysian foreign minister “arrogant” for making inappropriate remarks about him as an Asean leader.
US Lawyer’s Support for CNRP Defendant Violated Tourist Visa: Interior Ministry
The Interior Ministry said an international lawyer assisting CNRP-linked Seng Chan Theary had damaged Cambodia’s honor when attending her trial. The lawyer says he was only attending a friend’s trial hearing.
News Publisher Put Under Court Supervision Over Land Dispute Broadcast
LSN publisher Los Seng was put under judicial supervision by the Kampot Provincial Court on Thursday after two LSN reporters, who are also on bail, covered a provincial land dispute in November 2021.
Family of Hun Sen Assistant, General Receive Plots on Rapidly Dwindling Lake
The filling of Phnom Penh’s Boeng Tamok lake is continuing briskly as the government allocated more landfill plots to people close to government and military leaders.
Opposition Mass Trial Reviews Announcement of ‘Rescue Movement’
A video from 2018 about the formal announcement of an opposition movement was presented Thursday as evidence of plotting and incitement.
Updated: Myanmar ‘Ceasefire’ Hollow Promise: Homes Burned, Refugee Camps Shelled
According to a Myanmar ethnic political group, the ceasefire extension announced after Hun Sen’s visit has not stopped military action.
Opposition Leader Says Reconciliation Is Near as Treason Trial Resumes
As a treason trial against former opposition leader Kem Sokha resumed on Wednesday after a delay of nearly two years, lawyers attacked each other over the postponement, while the defendant said he had believed a reconciliation was in the cards.
Seven International Labor Groups Back NagaWorld Strikers
International labor groups criticized NagaWorld’s “long-standing failure” to respect workers’ rights and authorities’ “undue interference” of a legitimate strike, as one representative said the groups would bring the dispute before the ILO and Asean, and affiliated workers overseas would also look to exert pressure.
Party Policies Prioritize Investment in Farms as Commune Elections Loom
Less than five months to commune elections, the ruling CPP and minor opposition parties are pointing to agriculture as key planks of their agendas, many echoing a desire to increase investment in farms and “find markets” for exports.
‘I Didn’t Know This Caused Such Punishment’: Trafficker Appeals 16-Year Sentence
A woman sentenced for 16 years for trafficking women to work in Malaysia appealed her sentence on Tuesday, while a Takeo prosecutor urged the Appeal Court to issue heavier sentences for two men convicted of raping their under nieces.
Indigenous Community Sues Cosmetics Tycoon Try Dana Over ‘Bunong’ Insult
The Bunong community is asking high-profile online cosmetics and jewelry seller Try Dana to visit them and join a traditional ceremony as an apology after Dana publicly disparaged her violent husband as “Bunong.”
Thy Sovantha Chat Not About Dropped Charges, Says CNRP South Korea Head
A recording between reformed ruling party celebrity Thy Sovantha and former CNRP South Korea leader Yin Sinorn is old and not related to the court’s decision to drop Sinorn’s charges, he said.
Dismissed After a 26-Year Stint at NagaWorld: ‘My Heart Dropped’
Som Sophea witnessed NagaWorld grow from a cruise ship to a sprawling casino complex. The company recognized her for two decades of service, but fired her during year 26. One month into a labor strike, Sophea says she wants respect for longtime employees.
Kem Sokha Trial: The Case So Far
After almost two years of break, VOD looks back at coverage of former opposition leader Kem Sokha’s trial for alleged attempts to topple the government with foreign assistance.
Mekong Drought, Tonle Sap Fish Shortage Tied to Low Rainfall, Hydropower: MRC
The Mekong river endured three years of drought and its lowest-ever water levels due to minimal rainfall as well as the actions of upstream hydropower dams, which had spillover effects for the Tonle Sap lake and Cambodia’s fishing industry that relies on it, according to a new report.
NagaWorld Workers, Admitting Fatigue One Month Into Strike, Take 1,300 Signatures Around Embassies
NagaWorld workers started submitting petitions to embassies, asking 14 foreign delegations to monitor rallies and raise the labor dispute and unionists’ arrests to high-level Cambodian officials, as participants say they’re experiencing strike fatigue.
Two-Star Police General Asks for Leniency Over Covid-19 Lockdown Party
A two-star police general and two associates who were sentenced to 18-months in prison for having drinks during the Covid-19 lockdown last April pleaded for sentence reductions at the Supreme Court on Monday.
Attacks on Political Opponents Followed Hun Sen’s Visit to Myanmar: Singapore
While a government news agency touted Prime Minister Hun Sen’s visit to Myanmar, Singaporean and Malaysian officials were unsettled by the Asean chair’s interaction with the military regime.
Cosmetic Surgeons Sent to Court Over Injuries, Counterfeit Medicines and Unlicensed Operations
A counterfeit committee said on Thursday that an unlicensed Phnom Penh cosmetic surgery clinic had injured multiple patients and imported fake drugs, leading to the arrest of four foreign doctors.
Woman Says Pregnancy, Layoff, Sick Child Drove Her to Drug Deal
Sam Da, who was convicted for drug possession and dealing, pleaded with the Supreme Court for leniency and asked the high court to consider her living and financial situation at the time of the drug deal.
Workers Get ‘Last Call’ From NagaWorld to Quit Strike
Active employees of NagaWorld on strike are getting phone calls from the casino asking them to return to work. Audio recordings of the calls heard by VOD reporters have casino management calling it the “last call.”
Four Pakistanis Rescued From Captivity, Forced Labor in Sihanoukville
Four Pakistani nationals were kidnapped in Sihanoukville and held against their will by a foreign company, the Pakistani Embassy said on Thursday
Private Conversations Presented as Evidence in CNRP Plotting Trial
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Thursday presented transcripts extracted from defendants’ private conversations in a plotting and incitement trial against CNRP officials and supporter.
