Author: Niem Chheng

With construction of the 180km Funan Techo Canal project set to begin later this year or early next year, the government has decided to freeze land sales along the length of the canal, in order to avoid property speculation. The position was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) during a May 3 meeting with journalists. He called on the residents of the proposed canal’s path to cooperate and ensure that the historic project is a success. “We need to make the Funan Techo Canal project successful! Please join…

The APSARA National Authority (ANA) is restoring several ponds at Bayon Temple to their former form, with the project scheduled to be completed later this year. An ANA spokesperson issued a clarification about the work, following some poorly informed speculation by concerned members of the public about the work’s impact on the temple, which dates back to the 12th century. Excavation to restore the ancient ponds only began following extensive study of the area around the temple, according to the ANA. ANA spokesperson Long Kosal told The Post that restoration work was being carried out on the northern and southern…

Despite overwhelming public support for the Funan Techo Canal project, concerns remain among some Vietnamese commentators. With this in mind, The Post submitted a series of questions to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) ­– the intergovernmental organisation which coordinates dialogue and cooperation between the Lower Mekong River Basin nations – to confirm Cambodia’s legal obligations, if any, and find out how the MRC is working to coordinate the success of the ambitious infrastructure project. Has the MRC received any formal complaints from any party/member of the MRC? The MRC secretariat received a notification from Cambodia via the Cambodia National Mekong…

Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, first vice president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) has made it clear that China played no role in the Kingdom’s decision to initiate construction of the Funan Techo Canal project. Vietnam has expressed some concerns about the project, suggesting it may have an environmental impact, while some critics have linked the project to geopolitical issues, such as China’s alleged expansionism. While presenting the canal project to journalists on the morning of May 3, Chanthol explained that a Chinese company will invest in its construction, and that a groundbreaking ceremony is planned…

Government officials and advocates for media freedom alike have recognised the importance of Prime Minister Hun Manet meeting with representatives of the media, noting that it will provide an opportunity for concerns to be discussed, and understandings to be reached. Prime Minister Hun Manet will meet with thousands of journalists and media representatives on May 3 at the capital’s Koh Pich. This is the sixth such meeting, albeit the first for Manet. The tradition was begun by his predecessor, former Prime Minister Hun Sen. Government spokesperson Pen Bona told The Post that this is a continuation of the positive culture…

As the number of factories and their labour force in the Kingdom increases, the work of the Arbitration Council is growing accordingly more important, says the government and several unionists. Although every nation in the world, including Cambodia, is feeling the impact of global conflicts and an economic slowdown in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of workers, factories and large enterprises in Cambodia has recently increased, said Prime Minister Hun Manet. In a speech delivered to observe this year’s May 1 International Labour Day, Manet noted that in the first quarter of the year, The Council for…

Analysts have noted that Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei’s visit to Cambodia for a meeting with Senate president Hun Sen is purely of a personal nature, and has nothing to do with current perceived tensions surrounding the Funan Techo Canal. Hun Sen greeted his close friend Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah as he arrived in the Kingdom on the night of April 29, before seeing him off at Phnom Penh International Airport in this afternoon’s heat. Hun Sen, now 72, has often described the Sultan, 75, as being like a “big brother” to him, with former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 74,…