By: Mu Sochua
The residents of Prek Preah Sdech in the city of Battambang have lived for years in uncertainty of forced eviction as the land they have lived on is state land, destined for a public park. Confusion and fear reign in this small community and tension rose high last week between authorities and the residents. Members of Parliament and elected local councilors from the Cambodia National Rescue Party held a public forum to listen to and to collect the people’s complaints. In no more than 30 minutes after we left the community, we received an invitation to meet the city governor. On behalf of the people, we raised their concerns, we defended their rights.
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by: Natasha Stott Despoja
It is a great pleasure to visit Cambodia in my capacity as Australia’s ambassador for women and girls. Australia recognises the critical role that women and girls play in national and global prosperity and security. My position was created to empower women in the context of Australia’s engagement with the region. Women’s roles are a key focus of our foreign policy and a critical part of our aid and development work. By Ame Trandem
The charade over whether to proceed with the Don Sahong Dam, the second Mekong mainstream hydropower project near the Lao-Cambodian border, will soon reach a defining moment. On Wednesday, the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam are expected to bring to a close the Mekong River Commission’s six-month prior consultation process over the dam. The future of the river balances on what happens next. By: Chak Sopheap
Earlier this month, in Prey Sar prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, I sat and talked with Tep Vanny, Song Srey Leap, Kong Chantha and Nget Khun, four inspirational activists from the city’s Boeung Kak lake community. They were jailed in early November after protesting against the now infamous 2007 real estate deal which saw the lake filled with sand and thousands of people forcibly evicted. They looked pale and tired, but spoke with quiet dignity of their determination to seek justice for the loss of their land. In today’s Cambodia, they are not alone. By: Cyn-Young Park
Cambodia’s development in the past two decades has been remarkable. Economic growth has averaged 7.6 per cent a year since 1995. The national poverty rate has been cut in half. Led by supportive government policy, the country’s strengths – in arable land and natural resources, low-cost labour, and cultural heritage – have secured Cambodia a strong global presence in rice production, garments, and tourism. By: Marie-Odile Emond
‘The last mile on the journey for the elimination of new HIV infections might actually be the most difficult. Despite the decline of external funding, Cambodia remains committed to and will achieve the elimination of new HIV infections by 2020.” This was the conclusion of a HIV health sector strategic planning consultation recently led by the National Center for AIDS, Dermatology and STI (NCHADS). By: Rana Flowers
All children have one thing in common: their rights. The right to life, health, education, protection and play are all fundamental children’s rights that were acknowledged for the first time on a global scale 25 years ago, with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In this document, the world agreed to protect the rights of our children: the next generation of parents and leaders. By: Tony Kevin
I had long since completed my posting to Cambodia as Australian ambassador 1994-97, the decisive years of the post-UNTAC struggle for power between Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) leader Hun Sen, royalist party leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh, dissident democratic leader Sam Rainsy and King Norodom Sihanouk. By: Mou Sochau
As a lawmaker, I wish to commend Daniel de Carteret and Vincent MacIsaac for reporting on the perks paid by the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) to government ministries. GMAC needs to review its practice of responding to official letters from government ministries soliciting donations. According to the GMAC director general, these official requests “happen all the time from all ministries – bar none” and are supposedly nonpartisan in nature. By: Heng Pheakdey
Due to rapid economic growth in the last decade, Cambodia’s poverty rate has dropped dramatically from more than 50% in 2004 to just 19% in 2013. However, it should be noted Cambodia’s economic success has been a largely urban phenomenon. |
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