Cambodia morning news for January 1, 2019

Cambodia’s foreign policy outlook
As the international order enters into a multi-polar world, Cambodia, it seems, is adjusting its foreign policy objectives and strategies accordingly. In the new world order, current Cambodian ruling elites believe that Cambodia’s destiny cannot be detached from the Asian powers.
— The Khmer Times

Solar power plant set for 2019
A solar power plant worth more than $58 million, which is under construction in Kampong Speu province, will start installing 200,000 solar modules in January next year and begin operating late next year, said solar panel supplier JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd.
— Phnom Penh Post

Japan gives nearly US$700,000 for education and nutrition projects
Government of Japan has provided US$692,522 worth grant aid to support education, food security and nutrition projects in Cambodia.
— akpnews.info

Japanese vet to help Cambodia prevent rabies
A Japanese veterinarian will open a clinic in Cambodia in February to support the country’s anti-rabies measures.
— NHK World

A Chinese takeaway in Cambodia
Rarely have Beijing and its minions been seen in such a dreadful light. The arrival of mainland Chinese in their droves as developers, financiers, restaurateurs, boiler room operators, gamblers, construction workers and tourists is sorely testing the patience of locals in Cambodia.
— La Croix World

Ministry warns six provinces of low temperatures
The Water Resources and Meteorology Ministry yesterday issued a statement warning that temperatures in six provinces could dip to as low as 17 degrees Celsius starting today.
— Khmer Times

Mekong River agriculture project yields just 60 tonnes of vegetables
A $20 million food production project in the Mekong River provinces is yielding just 60 tonnes of vegetables a day out of its 160-tonne daily goal, a Ministry of Agriculture official said.
— Phnom Penh Post

More than 200 garment workers petition ministry
More than 200 workers from Prestige Garment Co Ltd in Kandal province’s Kandal Stung district have petitioned the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training for an intervention after the factory owner refused to reinstate their sacked representative who stands accused of intending to form a trade union.
— Phnom Penh Post

CSX closes 2018 at all-time high
The Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) closed 2018 at an all-time high of 480.98 points, rising 40 percent year-on-year for a market capitalisation of $442.92 million (1.77 trillion riel) on the back of robust trading in the tail-end of the second half of the year.
— The Khmer Times

Detained opposition chief calls for ‘genuine reconciliation’ in Cambodia on eve of New Year
The leader of Cambodia’s now-dissolved opposition party called for “genuine reconciliation” amid a political stalemate in the Southeast Asian nation in a message he delivered on the eve of the new year from his home in Phnom Penh, where he is being held in detention ahead of a trial for “treason.”
— Radio Free Asia

Police handle 8,000 drug offences
Authorities detained 16,139 people in 7,979 drug trafficking and abuse cases between January 1 and December 29 this year, a report published by the anti-drug campaign’s Third Committee, chaired by Interior Minister Sar Kheng, said.
— Phnom Penh Post

Hun Sen’s monument to himself
The Cambodian prime minister inaugurated a monument celebrating his own achievements.
— The Diplomat

Illegal logging claims refuted
Forest activists in Battambang province’s Samlot district said on Thursday that a company that has received an economic land concession (ELC) in the area is trading timber from outside its ELC boundary.
— Phnom Penh Post

CBC announces credit reporting system
Credit Bureau Cambodia (CBC) announced last week that it will launch a new credit reporting system which will transform the current consumer credit report into a commercial credit report that functions as a platform detailing a company’s credit history.
— Phnom Penh Post

More than 200 garment workers petition ministry
More than 200 workers from Prestige Garment Co Ltd in Kandal province’s Kandal Stung district have petitioned the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training for an intervention after the factory owner refused to reinstate their sacked representative who stands accused of intending to form a trade union.
— Phnom Penh Post

All benefits will be provided: Labour Ministry
The Labour Ministry on Friday issued a statement asking all factory workers to remain calm and trust that all benefits they are lawfully entitled to will be provided in due time.
— Khmer Times

Macau Legend buys Siem Reap ‘integrated resort’ land
Macau Legend Development Ltd says it is buying a company that owns land in Cambodia that could eventually house a Macau Legend-branded “integrated resort”.
— GGR Asia

Global Exchange extends network with triple airport win in Cambodia
Foreign exchange specialist Global Exchange has won a five-year contract to manage currency services at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanouk international airports in Cambodia. The business was previously run by local banks at these locations
— The Moodie Davitt Report

Clik to launch in Cambodia in 2019
A new payments app is about to enter the Cambodian market and it raised over $2 million before its scheduled launch. Clik is poised to launch a new payment gateway and aggregator and many are said to be excited about the event.
— FX Compared

First banana shipment to China confirmed
Longmate Agriculture Co has announced that it will conduct a test shipment of bananas to the Chinese market next month, which will be followed by the company’s first official shipment to China in February.
— The Khmer Times

Garment workers continue strike
Striking garment workers from two factories in Phnom Penh have refused top return to work until they have their benefits paid as stipulated by the Labour Law, despite a Labour Ministry letter ensuring them that they will get their benefits.
— The Khmer Times

Fate of two nations: Cambodia and East Timor
Western Sydney University in late November hosted the ninth International Conference on Human Rights Education (ICHRE), attended by more than 380 delegates including scholars and speakers from 50 countries, focusing on a range of pedagogy and the implementation of human rights in post-conflict countries such as Colombia.
— Asia Times

Rangers prepare incitement action against ‘armed mob’
Environmental rangers in Preah Vihear’s Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary are preparing to file a complaint against 15 people for inciting an armed mob of villagers on Saturday to “liberate” three rice tractors impounded at an environmental office.
— Phnom Penh Post

Malnutrition concerns raised
In conjunction with the Ministry of Health, two civil society groups on Friday expressed their concern about malnutrition among children and pregnant women in Cambodia, quoting statistics showing that almost one in three children in the Kingdom suffers from it.
— Phnom Penh Post

PM calls on West to learn from past and avoid a ‘third mistake’
Prime Minister Hun Sen used Saturday’s inauguration of the “Win-Win Monument” to blast Western governments he accused of making policy mistakes damaging to Cambodia.
— Phnom Penh Post

Research on rodents in natural habitat conducted
A study assessment on rodents in the natural habitat has been conducted in Cambodia recently, according to the Cambodian Journal of Natural History.
— akpnews.info

Holidays in Cambodia
It’s official. Cambodia leads region in number of public holidays.
— Cambodia Daily

Feature photo AIP Foundation

This week’s Cambodia morning news feature photo focuses on the death, pain, and loss that typically occurs at this time of year on Asean roads due to drunk driving, speeding, and a failure to wear protective helmets when travelling on motorbikes.

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.

Cambodia morning news for January 1 added by Mark Roy on January 1, 2019
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Mark Roy

With a decade of experience as an editor and journalist, Roy has edited mastheads across Australia and Southeast Asia, from the remote island communities of the Torres Strait to Cambodia’s only award-winning newspaper, The Phnom Penh Post.

A a professional photographer since the days of film, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photomedia and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism.