News
Freed students defiant
Still defiant, three of the four Yadanabon University students jailed in October on riot charges were released from Mandalay’s Ohbo Prison on 22 December. A fourth, Ko Naing Ye Wai, remains behind bars. Their conviction followed a demonstration in front of the university last June in ...
For migrants, the legal route brings few benefits: report
They are mired in debt bondage, their pay slips are slashed by hidden fees and fabricated taxes, and they’re forced to work excessive hours in slave-like conditions absent of breaks and without the guarantee of overtime pay. This is the lot of migrant workers who ...
Bagan schools slated for solar power
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Panasonic will provide solar-power systems to schools in the Bagan region to promote educational support aimed at sustainable development. Keep reading ...
‘Edge effects’ harming forests
Even comparatively small patches of human intrusion into contiguous forestland disproportionately saps forests’ ability to trap harmful carbon, a recent study has shown, a finding that suggests Cambodia’s government may be underestimating the environmental damage caused by logging and development. So-called “forest degradation” – unlike typical ...
Violent protests boil over in Bavet
Ongoing protests by striking garment workers in the Svay Rieng province town of Bavet spiralled into “anarchy” on 22 December after protesters pelted police with rocks, aggravating an already volatile situation and spurring national authorities to begin mediation efforts. Two military police were injured in the encounter, ...
Rent control law being ignored
The government is failing to enforce, or even make landlords and tenants aware of, the new rent-control law, even as rents begin to creep up in anticipation of garment workers receiving their annual wage raise next month, labour advocates say. The legislation, which went into effect ...
Tax revenues grow state coffers by $1.3B
Revenue from tax collection jumped 25 per cent in 2015, government officials revealed on 22 December, saying the tax department has collected about $1.3 billion on the back of better compliance and awareness among the private sector. At a seminar in Phnom Penh, Kong Vibol, director ...
Starbucks opens doors in airport
The long-awaited Starbucks coffee chain opened its doors to passengers on 22 December in the Phnom Penh International Airport’s new terminal. Keep reading ...
Talks with neighbours about migrant labour
Thailand is preparing to take migrant workers from three other ASEAN nations under memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community. Labour Minister General Sirichai Dithakul met on 22 December with delegates from Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia to discuss the MOUs. Thailand has already signed MoUs with Myanmar and ...
Foreigners targeted as police raid Pattaya nightclubs
A foreign tourist was arrested and three illegal migrant workers detained when Pattaya police raided popular Walking Street nightspots as part of a pre-New Year’s immigration crackdown. More than 100 officers from a special operations unit and Pattaya police station took part in the late-night sweep ...
