Author: Niem Chheng
Prime Minister Hun Manet on February 8 explained the agreement reached with his Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin regarding the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA), which had been stalled for 20 years, clarifying that the arrangement would not compromise maritime border integrity but aims to ensure energy security. Manet said a statement from opposition politicians had been released about the deal, reached during his state visit to Thailand on February 7, with some even accusing him of being a “traitor”. He rebuffed the claims, emphasising the need to distinguish between territorial integrity and oil matters. “On maritime borders, we must negotiate carefully,…
Cancer cases in Cambodia appear to be mirroring rising global trends. New cancer cases are predicted to hit 35 million in 2050 globally, a 77 per cent increase from the estimated 20 million in 2022, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). According to WHO’s Global Cancer Observatory Today report, released last week, the number of cancer deaths in the Kingdom in 2022 was 13,799, while 19,975 new cases were diagnosed in the same year, from a population of slightly more than 17 million. WHO figures released in 2020 indicate that cancer deaths in Cambodia in 2018 reached 11,636, from…
Prime Minister Hun Manet has ordered the closure of all firing ranges in Preah Sihanouk province. The move is aimed at strengthening public order in the province, he said, and will contribute to restoring the province’s excellent reputation. He issued the instruction while announcing his government’s “special programme to boost investment in Preah Sihanouk province in 2024” to a large assembly of government officials and foreign diplomats. Manet explained that the Kingdom has worked hard to build its reputation for the past two decades in order to attract both tourists and investors, but this reputation has been besmirched by a…
Residents of Phnom Penh will no longer face water shortages from late February, as daily supply capacity is set to exceed one million cubic metres, according to the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA). Long Naro, director-general of PPWSA, stated that the current demand in the capital is approximately 820,000 cubic metres per day, a figure provided by the Ministry of Information. The announcement was made during the groundbreaking ceremony of a project to connect the master water system along Win-Win Boulevard, extending from the Prek Pnov district to National Road (NR) 4 on January 29. Workers connect water supply…
The appeal hearing of former opposition party leader Kem Sokha gets underway at the Appeal Court today. Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in prison on charges of “conspiring with a foreign power to overthrow the government” in March last year. Today’s hearing is being held at Hall 1 of the Appeal Court in Phnom Penh, from 8 to 11 am, with Judges Im Vannak, Khun Sona and Ly Sokleng serving as the trial chamber, according to the Appeal Court schedule. The former president of the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was arrested in September 2017. He was…
Prime Minister Hun Manet has reiterated that Cambodia is upgrading its military in order to be better prepared for emergency response duties within the Kingdom, as well as to play its part in regional and global disaster relief and anti-terrorism operations. Speaking at today’s celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Cambodian Army Command Headquarters, Manet explained that Cambodia’s military cannot integrate with regional forces if its capacity remains limited. “They will not call on us to join them if we are going to be a burden. They will ask for our participation only when our…
Former Prime Minister Hun Sen, president of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), and former Russian Federation President Dmitry Medvedev, now chairman of the ruling United Russia Party, met for a 20-minute virtual discussion on bilateral and multilateral cooperation on January 22. The leaders of the two parties spoken highly of their party-to-party relations and close collaboration over the past 25 years, according to a social media post by Hun Sen. Both leaders committed to continued mutual support on international cooperation, mutual interests, and the strengthening of regional and global multilateralism. “The leaders of both parties saw the necessity of…
Cambodia has been mooted as a possible French language hub in Asia, with a new French cultural centre to be established in the Kingdom in the near future, according to the outcome of a meeting between Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the French National Assembly, and Prime Minister Hun Manet. Manet took to social media to announce the outcome of the January 18 meeting. He said Braun-Pivet noted the excellent cooperation between France and Cambodia in all sectors. She also offered her appreciation to Manet for selecting France as the destination for his first official visit to Europe, added the post.…