A group of environmental activists petitioned the government yesterday to release information about the potential impact of the proposed 2,600-megawatt Sambor dam on the Mekong River in Kratie province, which they say could displace thousands and destroy ecosystems. Speaking after submitting the petition to the Ministry of Environment, Chum Hour, a representative of the youth group Social and Environmental Protection Youth (SEPY), said 20,000 families would be evacuated and 70,000[…]

The government has officially staffed a newly created “Civil Society Forum” – empowered to influence policy in the sector – with government officials and very few civil society members, prompting observers to suggest the body will only serve to legitimise flawed legislation like the controversial NGO Law and the recent clampdown on independent NGOs. While the forum was created through a sub-decree last year, a directive issued earlier this month – and published[…]

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 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[…]

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[…]

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[…]