Civil and political rights

Myanmar press freedom has hit an all time high, ranking No. 3 in ASEAN just behind Indonesia and the Philippines, according to the latest survey by Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres. But some veteran journalists also warned that Myanmar media freedom still has a long way ...

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on May 2 stepped up its pressure on Radio Free Asia reporter Chun Chanboth by issuing an arrest warrant for him, hours after his lawyer submitted a written statement admitting Chanboth had joined an opposition delegation visiting Prey Sar prison, but ...

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture has announced on April 30 that it is monitoring the situation and will take appropriate action after ‘fake news’ that Arabic schools in Thaketa township in Yangon Region were closed went viral on social media networks. It said ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 27 defended himself from critics who claim the massive flow of workers leaving the country is indicative of a lack of development at home, and sought to clarify any misunderstanding on Cambodia’s recent request to amend a repatriation agreement with ...

Cambodia’s press freedom ranking has fallen four spots compared to last year, to 132 out of 180 countries, according to Reporters Without Borders’ latest World Press Freedom Index. The 2017 index, published on April 26, cited the high-profile killing of political commentator Kem Ley as ...

Despite the Foreign Ministry reiterating its request to suspend and renegotiate its repatriation agreement with the US – which allows for the deportation of Cambodians with criminal convictions living in the States back to the Kingdom – the timetable for such a plan remains uncertain. ...

The prime minister and many senior government officials said the disappearance of a historic plaque was no big deal – yet well-known lawyer and activist Srisuwan Janya was arrested on April 18 as he urged the PM to conduct an investigation into the matter. “This issue ...

Two former exiled news outlets—the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and Mizzima—have been selected to run their own digital channels in Burma under the state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV). In late 2016, the Ministry of Information (MOI) put out a call to local companies ...

More than 3,000 workers and union activists have asked City Hall for permission to celebrate International Workers’ Day in Phnom Penh on May 1, but officials will not confirm if the event can go ahead until after Khmer New Year. Ath Thorn, the president of the ...

European Union Ambassador Roland Kobia presented Schuman Awards to U Ko Ni (posthumous), Daw Ja Nan Lahtaw and U Aung Myo Min in Yangon on April 4. The Schuman Awards – named after former French Foreign Minister and founding father of the European Union, Robert Schuman ...