Social development
UN envoy meets with Sesan villagers to discuss dam site
The U.N.’s human rights envoy to Cambodia on 27 March promised villagers in Stung Treng province who are set to be displaced by the construction of the Lower Sesan 2 hydropower dam for the massive energy project that she would raise their plight with the ...
Mekong Basin nations advised to step up disease surveillance
The six Mekong Basin countries convened in Vientiane on 23 March to discuss ways to increase their cooperation in disease surveillance, especially in border areas, to curb the spread of infectious diseases. Representatives from Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam attended the Mekong Basin Disease ...
Evictions signal coastal development dilemma
With the threat of eviction hanging over businesses on Sihanoukville’s O’Chheuteal and O’Tres beaches, land rights advocates congregated in Phnom Penh this week to give voice to thousands of families locked in land disputes with powerful firms turning swaths of coastline into tourism destinations. Keep reading ...
Coastal villagers call for dispute resolutions

A coalition of villagers in long-running land disputes with development companies along Cambodia’s coastline from Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot and Kep provinces held a press conference in Phnom Penh on 21 March calling for authorities to resolve their cases. Keep reading ...
UN agencies report continued food insecurity in post-disaster areas

The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program , both UN agencies, released a statement on 17 March revealing that rural communities in western Myanmar are still enduring increased levels of food insecurity, particularly in areas recovering from natural disasters. Keep reading ...
Beachfront evictions to begin In Sihanoukville next week
The eviction of businesses along Sihanoukville’s popular O’Chheuteal Beach will begin as early as Monday, after the provincial governor returns from a trip abroad, an official said on 17 March. Last month, the owners of bars, restaurant and guesthouses along O’Chheuteal and O’Tres beaches were informed ...
New program to fight gender-based violence
Physical, sexual and emotional violence against women is “common” in Ratanakkiri’s ethnic minority communities, and mostly committed by the victims’ husbands, a new gender-based violence report by CARE Cambodia has found. The new $1.17 million program, launched by CARE, will target 11 lower secondary schools in ...
Women urged to vote in upcoming elections
If more women vote in the upcoming election, more women will be elected to the National Assembly and the Provincial and Capital Assemblies, which would strengthen efforts centered on the advancement of women and child protection, according to a statement made by Head of the Secretariat ...
UN rights official sets tough targets for new government
Myanmar’s United Nations-appointed human rights investigator has given the new government a 100-day challenge. The task list – starting from its first day in office next month – includes lifting restrictions on freedom of movement in Rakhine State, meeting a 30 percent quota for women ...
Five Vietnamese punished for revealing police checkpoints on Facebook
Police in Hanoi have fined five people up to VND20 million (US$900) each for running Facebook pages that tell people how to avoid police officers. Keep reading ...