Cambodia

Kem Sokha freed from house arrest

Cambodia has freed a prominent opposition figure from house arrest more than two years after he was charged with treason, a court spokesperson told media on Sunday, after attempts by his colleagues to return to the country were thwarted.Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 and accused of plotting to overthrow the government of strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled since 1985.He was sent to a remote prison, then confined to his house and the surrounding block and prohibited from talking to the m

11 November 2019
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Exiled Cambodian opposition figurehead in Malaysia

Cambodia’s exiled opposition figurehead Sam Rainsy arrived in Malaysia Saturday as he sought to get home to rally his supporters against strongman Hun Sen, while security was ramped up at the kingdom’s borders and in Phnom Penh.Rainsy, who has lived in France since 2015 to avoid jail for convictions he says are politically motivated, had promised a dramatic return on 9 November, Cambodia’s Independence Day. But Hun Sen, who has ruled the poor Southeast Asian country since 1985, has r

10 November 2019
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Cambodian Opposition Figures Blocked From Traveling

Exiled Cambodian opposition party leader Sam Rainsy was blocked in Paris on Thursday and his deputy detained in Malaysia as they tried to fly home despite arrest threats from Cambodia’s  leader Hun Sen.Both Rainsy and Mu Sochua had planned to meet up with other opposition supporters to mark Cambodia’s Independence Day on Saturday.“I am extremely shocked because the people need me in Cambodia,” Rainsy, archrival of Prime Minister Hun Sen, told journalists at Charles de Gaulle airport

8 November 2019
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Thailand blocks Sam Rainsy’s Cambodia return

Thailand will not allow Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy to transit through the kingdom in a bid to return to Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday.Rainsy, who has lived in France since 2015 to avoid jail for convictions he says are politically motivated, has promised a dramatic homecoming on 9 November, Cambodia's Independence Day.But Cambodia's strongman premier Hun Sen has said repeatedly that arrest warrants for his arch-rival have been sent to nei

7 November 2019
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The fall and rise of Cambodia’s opposition

Nearly seven decades after Cambodia gained independence from France, its people are still struggling for the right to determine their future. But today, it is not an outside power that is stealing Cambodians’ autonomy, but their own authoritarian government, led by Hun Sen, the world’s longest-serving prime minister.

3 November 2019
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Body of British tourist found off Cambodia coast

The body of a 21-year-old British tourist was found floating in the sea more than a week after she went missing from a Cambodian island, police said on Thursday.Amelia Bambridge was discovered in waters near the Thai border, said Chuon Narin, police chief of Preah Sihanouk province."We found the body of the missing British woman," Narin said, adding it would be taken to nearby Sihanoukville.He did not speculate what happened to her after she disappeared from a beach party on the isl

1 November 2019
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Online gambling and property prices in ASEAN

Will the end of Chinese involvement in ASEAN’s online gambling sector see a spiral in property prices?A stark example of this is playing out in Cambodia, where there have been reports of the property bubble bursting in Sihanoukville – a beach town now known for its casinos – after Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that the country would stop issuing online gambling permits on 18 August.In the Philippines, though, President Rodrigo Duterte has remained steadfast in his support for online gambli

26 October 2019
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Human hair trade is exploiting ASEAN women

Women’s hair is her crowning glory – even when the hair is not her own. Hair extensions have become an essential segment in the multi-billion-dollar hair industry, with an estimated annual sales range from US$250 million to over US$1 billion.

21 October 2019
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Sihanoukville has a smelly problem

The resort town of Sihanoukville is producing so much rubbish that it has to rope in the World Bank to help solve the smelly situation.Indiscriminate littering, poor public awareness of proper waste disposal methods, a lack of garbage trucks and an exodus of garbage collectors for better paying jobs have all contributed to residents in the once-sleepy Cambodian coastal city waking up to the smell of garbage on their streets.Other issues such as damaged roads and traffic jams have reduced the

14 October 2019
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China crime plaguing Cambodia?

Sihanoukville, Cambodia was once known for its quiet, cosy beaches. An atmosphere that mostly attracted families, individual travellers, and backpackers. That was until the Chinese investment flooded in, driven by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).By 2018, the once-tranquil city was transformed. Sihanoukville today is an enclave of Chinese investments and is peppered with Chinese-run, -operated and -patroned hotels, apartment towers, restaurants and gambling dens.

9 October 2019
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Hun Sen fires arrest warning to arch-rival’s fans

Cambodia's premier Hun Sen on Wednesday threatened to arrest supporters of his nemesis Sam Rainsy if they mobilise for the opposition figurehead's much-trumpeted return from self-exile next month. Rainsy, who has lived in France since 2015 to avoid jail for convictions he insists are politically motivated, has promised a dramatic return on 9 November, Cambodia's Independence Day.Seeking to maintain his support base after years outside the country, Rainsy has urged supp

3 October 2019
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ASEAN women are powering the coffee industry

International Coffee Day falls on 1 October every year with coffee businesses offering promotions to coffee lovers worldwide. But if coffee is not your cup of tea, it is important to know that it is a key commodity in Southeast Asia.In 2017, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia exported a total of US$5.34 billion worth of coffee based on a report by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

2 October 2019
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