Cambodia Morning News For August 4

Cambodia jails Australian nurse running ‘rent-a-womb’ business
An Australian nurse who managed a surrogacy clinic in Cambodia that matched foreign couples with local women was sentenced to 18 months in prison Thursday, as authorities in the impoverished kingdom tackle the “rent-a-womb” businesses.
— New Straits Times

NGO Facing Expulsion Praised for Programs
Long time residents of Phnom Penh’s once-notorious Svay Pak neighborhood say an NGO facing imminent closure on orders from Prime Minister Hun Sen was a boon to their small community and they had mixed feelings about its pending demise.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Prey Veng officials halt sand export to Vietnam
Prey Veng provincial authorities intercepted sand being stored in two facilities that was allegedly destined for Vietnam, but the smugglers were let off the hook with a warning.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Bananas find export appeal
Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), which last month became the first company to officially export bananas from Cambodia, has secured more orders for the fruit and will ship another 100 tonnes of bananas from its plantations in Ratanakkiri province today, a company representative said.
— The Phnom Penh Post

PTT plans to keep filling demand for petrol stations
PTT (Cambodia) Ltd, a subsidiary of Thailand’s state-owned energy firm PTT Pcl, plans to expand its presence in Cambodia, opening new service stations, convenience stores and food and beverage outlets, a company executive said yesterday.
— The Phnom Penh Post

A gold mine shrouded in secrecy
Yem Phart, a Kouy indigenous villager in Trapaing Tuntem village in Preah Vihear’s Rovieng district, broke down in tears as she recalled her struggles over the last two years with a gold mining company operating within shouting distance of her house.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodian rice brings respite
In a desperate move to replenish the dried up food silos and boost rice supply in domestic market, the government has struck a deal with Cambodia to import 2.5 lakh tonnes of the staple in three months.
— Businessnews 24 BD

Developer links with China to build works
A local property developer inked an agreement yesterday with a Chinese construction firm to form a joint venture company that aims to funnel Chinese investment into infrastructure projects and secure coveted government-backed contracts for building roads, bridges, seaports and airports.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Volunteer Cleanups to Receive Boost From Website, Contest
The Tourism Ministry will introduce a website and contest—currently dubbed Mr. Clean City—later this month to better coordinate volunteer cleanup projects, but organizers worry the waste they collect won’t reach a proper disposal site.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Angkor Dynasty will open doors this month
A mixed-use precinct comprised of a performing arts theatre, shopping mall and water park in Siem Reap is set to open its doors later this month.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Raids on Alleged Scammers Send Chinese Fleeing Across Border
About half of some 200 Chinese nationals arrested in Poipet City for allegedly operating an internet voice call scam had been questioned on Thursday, though no ringleaders had been caught and other suspects had fled across the border to Thailand, an official said.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Breaking: KNUP President Nhek Bun Chhay arrested in Phnom Penh
Khmer National United Party president and former RCAF commander Nhek Bun Chhay was arrested this afternoon in Phnom Penh in relation to a drug production case dating back to 2012 in Kampong Speu province, a Ministry of Interior spokesman confirmed.
— The Phnom Penh Post

NEC Declines to Push Law for Overseas Voter Registration
The National Election Committee (NEC) will not be requesting an amendment to the election law to allow overseas voter registration or voting, the body’s chairman said on Thursday, a decision criticized by election and labor rights groups.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Feature photo Max Pixel
Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Cambodia morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Cambodia news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.