Cambodia Morning News For March 23

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.

Keying into a hungry market
Cambodians and expats in the Kingdom’s biggest cities are increasingly finding convenience in using their computers or smartphones to order food and drinks to their homes and workplaces, fuelling demand for online meal delivery platforms.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Derivatives licensing capped by regulator
Cambodia’s capital market regulator announced yesterday that it would suspend the issuance of new central counterparty licences to derivatives trading firms, claiming that capping the market at four was sufficient to serve current demand.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Construction Begins on Hyatt Regency Hotel in Central Phnom Penh
Construction began on Wednesday on a 250-room Hyatt Regency hotel in central Phnom Penh, the product of a partnership between the U.S. chain and Cambodian conglomerate Chip Mong Group, which said it had invested $100 million in the project.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

South Korea-Funded Civil Aviation Training Center Inaugurated
A civil aviation training center was launched in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, three years after an agreement was signed with South Korea to fund the construction of the new facility.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

At Hong Kong Film Fest, Hope for a Booming Cambodian Film Industry Lingers
In the vibrant and diverse city of Hong Kong, Cambodian filmmakers came together for a recent exposition in the home of Asia’s biggest movie market with a shared mission – to represent Cambodian movies on the international stage.
— VOA

King Sihamoni Urges Cambodians to Vote in Upcoming Elections
Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni has called on Cambodians to vote in the forthcoming local elections without fear of political threats.
— VOA

Cambodia slams ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights for their critical report
Cambodia on Wednesday hit back at the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) for their critical report on democracy and human rights in Cambodia.
— Global Times

U.N. slams sale of Cambodian women’s breast milk by U.S. firm
The sale of breast milk from Cambodian women by a U.S. firm is a form of exploitation, the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said on Wednesday, after reports the Phnom Penh government had suspended exports of the milk.
— Reuters

Endangered elephant in Cambodia electrocuted by power pole
A park ranger in Cambodia says an endangered wild elephant has died after an electrical pole fell and electrocuted the animal.
— ABC News

Cambodian Government Blasts Report on CPP Moves Against Opposition
A Cambodian government spokesman on Wednesday slammed a rights group’s report condemning ruling party moves aimed at shutting down the country’s political opposition, saying the ASEAN-linked group’s views do not reflect those of the larger regional body.
— Radio Free Asia

Cambodia Appeals Court Denial of Bail ‘Flawed’: Jailed Political Analyst’s Lawyer
The lawyer representing jailed political and social commentator Kim Sok on Wednesday called a decision by Cambodia’s Appeals Court to deny his client bail “flawed,” saying the ruling assumes he is guilty of incitement and defamation charges without having been tried.
— Radio Free Asia

Call for tighter ATM security
A municipal spokesman responded yesterday to local media claims that Phnom Penh’s governor was considering issuing an order to remove stand-alone ATMs from public areas across the capital, clarifying that the governor had only called for financial institutions to provide better security measures at these locations.
— The Phnom Penh Post

No bidders for central bank’s repo auction
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) announced yesterday that no financial institutions expressed interest in its sixth liquidity-providing collateralised operation (LPCO), marking the first time the repo auction was held without attracting any bidders.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Gov’t Slams ‘Outrageous’ Asean Report on Cambodian Politics
A scathing report by the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) accusing the Cambodian government of threatening the country’s entire political system was branded “outrageous” and factually incorrect by the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Sub-Decree Relaxes Penalties Under Traffic Law
Motorists caught driving drunk will only be sent to court if they repeat their offense within a six-month period, according to a new sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Khmer Rouge Court Reparation Plan Sparks Criticism
The Khmer Rouge tribunal plans to spend millions of dollars in reparations to the victims of the regime who were included in Case 002/02 if the former regime officials are found guilty later this year, the court has said.
— VOA

A Cambodian-American Story of Love in the Time of Trauma
A recent book by an award-winning Cambodian-American novelist takes a fresh look at the trauma of living, and loving, as a Cambodian girl in the United States post-Khmer Rouge regime.
— VOA

Unicef decries sale of Cambodian breast milk to US mothers
Unicef on Wednesday condemned a company selling breast milk from “vulnerable and poor” Cambodian mothers to Americans, hitting out at the commercialisation of nutrients needed by babies inside the kingdom.
— The Nation

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