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[…]

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[…]

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[…]

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,[…]

“I’m selecting a modern art style that mixes the Banteay Srey and Longvek eras,” Rithisith said, adding that further developments would be budget dependent. “We will turn his memorial into a piece of history. We will keep building: a library, a museum, a garden and a coffee shop, because he liked coffee. After that, we’ll move his papers there for young researchers to study.” Yeng Virak, president of the Grassroots[…]

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[…]

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[…]

After two days of meetings, City Hall and the funeral committee of slain political activist Kem Ley have hashed out details for Sunday’s funeral procession, with the committee agreeing to restrict mourners to motos and cars. City Hall on Wednesday raised two objections to the committee’s plans: allowing mourners to walk and the use of Monivong and Russian boulevards. While mourners still cannot march, the two sides reached an agreement that will[…]

Hundreds of environmental activists donning facepaint and animal costumes were met with a police blockade when they gathered in Phnom Penh yesterday to mark World Environment Day. Dressed as a Siamese crocodile, 31-year-old Thai Kini said there was a serious message behind the costume. “I pretend I am a Siamese crocodile, because I want to protect the natural resources such as forests and wildlife,” he said. Tim Malay, director of[…]

The NGO that screened a banned documentary about Chut Wutty on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the environmental activist’s death will not face any punitive action, according to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. Cambodia Youth Network president Sar Mory said a representative of the ministry yesterday went to Solidarity House, where I Am Chut Wutty was shown, and demanded the film be handed over. “We refused,” said Mory. Sin Chansaya, director[…]