Law making process

Cambodia’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has defended the controversial new Telecommunications Law following a biting legal analysis by rights group Licadho, which says the legislation is a veiled tool to silence critics and potentially criminalize private expression. Keep reading ...

Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly has approved law that bans street beggars but will allow buskers provided they have a licence. The military-appointed assembly approved the Begging Control Act by 178 votes to two with seven abstentions. The law forbids all begging and sets out punishments for anyone who ...

Following a troubled rollout of the 1 January Traffic Law, the Cambodian government announced on 10 January in a press conference that an inter-ministerial team has been established to determine what amendments will be made in reaction to widespread criticism from the public and civil society. Addressing ...

Despite starting with a bang just a week ago, the Land Traffic Law has already been subject to two amendments from Prime Minister Hun Sen in direct response to a public outcry on Facebook, a stark contrast to the premier’s usual attitude toward online criticism. In ...

In his latest abrupt policy backtracking, Prime Minister Hun Sen used a speech on 7 January to rescind a recently announced plan to ban dual nationals from leading political parties—an effort that had ostensibly been aimed at the self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy. On 28 December, Mr. ...

In his latest abrupt policy backtracking, Prime Minister Hun Sen used a speech on 7 January to rescind a recently announced plan to ban dual nationals from leading political parties—an effort that had ostensibly been aimed at the self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy. On 28 December, Mr. ...

The amended Law on Government, which was passed by the National Assembly (NA) on 15 December, aims to improve the government’s performance through more transparent and frugal practices. Amendments to Article 4 on the performance principles to be followed by government stipulate that its performance or ...

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on 15 December dropped a controversial bill regulating genetically modified organisms (GMOs), saying the bill currently was unnecessary.  The legislation was initiated long ago and its consideration should stop as there was no pressing need for it, the prime minister said after the ...

National Assembly (NA) members on 8 December approved a second amendment to the constitution in response to changing needs in the current era of development. The constitution serves as the foundation for the enactment of the country’s laws and the changes aim to better manage state and ...

The government has agreed to delay the passage of a controversial law governing the trade union sector, announcing it would set up a national workshop to work out the legislation’s thornier clauses on 15 December. The decision comes after repeated protestations from a coalition of 23 ...