NGOs parse LANGO warning
Friday July 7th, 2017
NGOs huddled yesterday to make sense of a letter from the Interior Ministry asking them to comply with controversial provisions of the Law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO), with some considering requesting further clarification or an extension of a September deadline for compliance. The meeting was organised by the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC) following the issuance of an Interior Ministry letter calling on NGOs to comply with the law,[…]
Cambodia’s Hun Sen Doubles Down in Facebook ‘War’ Threat
Thursday June 1st, 2017
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen has yet again warned of war and chaos should his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) lose commune elections on Sunday, prompting the country’s opposition leader to slam him for trying to upend the democratic process. In a message posted to his Facebook account late on Wednesday, Hun Sen questioned whether Cambodians want to “try a taste of war and family separation,” after sharing an anecdote[…]
Activists Raise Voices Online
Friday April 28th, 2017
Though the Adhoc 5 cannot protest from behind bars, the #FreeThe5KH campaign has tried to keep their voices alive throughout 365 days of detention. The #FreeThe5KH campaign was born in August when a group of 55 local and international NGOs partnered up and began posting daily infographics counting the days the five workers have been detained. Mory Sar, co-founder and vice president of the Cambodian Youth Network, said he regularly[…]
Power line to Laos will ‘destroy forest’
Saturday November 12th, 2016
A new project to bring electricity to Cambodia from Laos threatens to destroy about 5 hectares of protected forest land in Preah Vihear and is being carried out without the consultation of local communities, residents say. According to documents obtained yesterday, the China National Heavy Machinery Cooperation was granted a permit to develop a 115-kilovolt power line that would connect the Kampong Thom region with Laos’ power grid via Peah[…]
Prey Lang community seeks selfies for a cause
Tuesday November 8th, 2016
Seeking to capitalise on Cambodians’ embrace of social media, the Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) will launch a selfie-taking campaign this month to build awareness about Cambodia’s deforestation problem. The group will urge Cambodians to post pictures of themselves with trees to remind the government of the pledges made last year at the Paris climate change conference, COP21, to increase the country’s forest cover to 60 percent by 2030. The campaign will[…]
Kem Ley’s Baby Born as Ceremony Tensions Rise
Tuesday October 4th, 2016
The birth of slain political analyst Kem Ley’s fifth son has brought new life to his family, but bickering among some of his friends and relatives over how to honor the man threatens to fray the very unity his career aimed to create. Plans to honor Kem Ley with a traditional 100-day ceremony were handed to a funeral committee made up of his friends and family after his widow, Bou[…]
Study faults contracts for dams’ negative impacts
Tuesday September 27th, 2016
Subpar project contracts may be to blame for the destruction of livelihoods and changes to ecosystems caused by foreign-run hydropower dams, a new report in the peer-reviewed journal Water has determined. In a study of the Kamchay dam in Kampot province, operated by the Chinese firm Sinohydro, researchers from the London-based School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) found that industries relied upon by local populations, such as bamboo collection and tourism,[…]
Ideas abound for Kem Ley memorial
Friday July 29th, 2016
Following his burial on Monday, slain government critic Kem Ley’s family and former colleagues are grappling with how best to commemorate his life and work. Kem Rithisith, Ley’s younger brother, said yesterday that he intends to erect a 1.75 metre statue in his Takeo province hometown, as well as a Khmer-style stupa – a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine. “I’m selecting a modern art style that mixes the Banteay Srey and Longvek eras,”[…]
Activist monk ‘in hiding’, says friend
Wednesday July 27th, 2016
But Buntenh, an activist monk and member of the funeral committee for slain political analyst Kem Ley, has gone into hiding after receiving a tip off that he was being hunted by authorities, according to a friend and local media reports. Tim Malay, head of the Cambodia Youth Network, said he had spoken to his friend Buntenh on the phone at about 3pm yesterday. He said the outspoken founder of the[…]
‘Terrorism concerns’ prompted petrol station closures during Ley funeral
Tuesday July 26th, 2016
City Hall yesterday defended its decision to ask petrol stations in the capital to halt sales along the route taken by Kem Ley’s funeral procession, citing the potential for “terrorism” and “third-party” attempts to burn down gasoline stations. Mourners noted on social media that the stations’ closure had prevented people from filling up their gas tanks as they made their way to Takeo province – Ley’s final resting place. Phnom Penh[…]