Cambodia Morning News For March 21

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.

International trade swells to $22B
The value of Cambodia’s international trade surged to $22 billion last year on double-digit growth of both imports and exports, according to newly released data from the Ministry of Commerce.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Level the playing field: PM to World Trade Organization
Prime Minister Hun Sen accused the World Trade Organization (WTO) of operating under a double standard yesterday, claiming the international trade body was applying pressure on small developing economies while overlooking the regulatory breaches of its more developed member states.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodia to revise oil contract, paving way for first oil
Cambodia will sign a revised production sharing contract this month with Singapore-listed explorer KrisEnergy to develop an offshore field that could finally produce the country’s first oil after years of delays, a government official said.
— Reuters

Cambodia suspends human breast milk exports to US
Cambodia has temporarily stopped an American company from exporting locally-pumped human breast milk, AFP has learned, after reports highlighted how some of the country’s poorest women were supplementing their income through the trade.
— The Star Online

Attacks on lawmakers threaten the legitimacy of Cambodia’s political system, ASEAN MPs warn in new report
The Cambodian political system is facing a crisis of legitimacy that threatens to undermine the country’s already fragile claims on democracy, parliamentarians from across Southeast Asia warned today, citing a surge in harassment, threats, and attacks against lawmakers and civil society.
– APHR (media release)

Cambodian PM opens 5th China Round Table on WTO Accessions
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen opened the fifth China Round Table (CRT-5) on World Trade Organization (WTO) Accessions here on Monday, aiming at sharing best practices for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in preparing for the WTO accessions.
— Global Times

Cambodia to ink revised oil contract with KrisEnergy
Cambodia will sign a revised production-sharing contract this month with Singapore- listed explorer KrisEnergy to develop an offshore field that could finally produce the country’s first oil after years of delays, a government official said yesterday.
— The Straits Times

Cambodia crackdown casting ‘dark shadow,’ Asian MPs warn
An ongoing crackdown against opposition politicians and activists in Cambodia has cast a “dark shadow” ahead of upcoming elections and is part of a wider authoritarian “disease” infecting the region, Southeast Asian politicians warned on Monday.
— The Manila Times

U.S. Cambodia Caucus Has ‘Broadened Understanding’ of Political Developments
A year after a group of U.S. Congressmen created the Congressional Cambodia Caucus, its founders say that their mission, to educate their fellow members about the developing political situation in Cambodia, has broadened their understanding of Cambodian affairs.
— VOA

Death of Sok An in China Raises Questions Over Elite’s Trust in Local Hospitals
The death of former deputy prime minister Sok An in Beijing on Wednesday has once again brought into question the quality of medical services in Cambodia and the use of overseas treatment by the country’s elite.
— VOA

High Price Tag of Sok An’s Funeral Draws Criticism
News that the funeral for the late deputy prime minister, Sok An, will cost the state $750,000 has provoked dismay among critics in the impoverished country.
— VOA

Democracy in Cambodia Under Threat Amid ‘Climate of Fear’
Cambodia’s ruling party under Prime Minister Hun Sen has created a “climate of fear” as the government widens a crackdown on the opposition and activists ahead of commune elections in June, a group of Southeast Asian politicians said Monday.
— Radio Free Asia

Another taxi firm joins the capital’s crowded ranks
Phnom Penh Automobile Co Ltd became the latest metered taxi operator in the capital after launching operations yesterday with 25 vehicles, aiming to fill what it says is a growing demand by the capital’s residents and visitors to use air-conditioned taxis to get around.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Telecoms ordered to end promotion offers
The government has repeated its call for the country’s telecom operators to end their alleged predatory pricing of mobile consumer plans, giving firms until the end of the month to change the terms of their promotions.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodia, Sri Lanka and China debt trap
The influx of Chinese economic assistance into Sri Lanka and Cambodia has raised questions regarding the intentions behind these massive loans.
— Daily Mirror

Controversial casino located in Cambodia, not Thai national park, says Parks Dept chief
A controversial new casino alleged to be sited on overlapping territory between Thailand and Cambodia is actually located in Cambodia, 300 metres from the Thai border, and not in Ta Phraya National Park, the chief of the National Parks Department said on Monday.
— The Nation

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