Checkpoints went up on national roads, barricades were dumped in front of the Supreme Court and police paid unannounced visits to civil society organisations and opposition officials as darkness fell yesterday ahead of today’s Supreme Court hearing on the dissolution of the opposition CNRP. The security measures coincided with reports of a sharp uptick in harassment and surveillance of Cambodia National Rescue Party officials in the provinces, party members said[…]

The Interior Ministry has instructed provincial officials to urgently report any instances in which activities are carried out by any NGOs or grassroots associations without prior notification, adding that authorities can stop any planned events if they affect “public order and national security”. The letter, which was dispatched countrywide on October 2, coincides with an intensified government crackdown on nongovernmental organisations. “Associations and NGOs wishing to conduct activities in the[…]

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[…]