Cambodia in brief: October 20, 2016

UN envoy says Paris Peace Accords ‘not yet fully fulfilled in Cambodia’
Wrapping her 10-day visit to Cambodia, UN envoy Rhona Smith yesterday said that many elements of the historic Paris Peace Accords – which turn 25 on Sunday – have yet to be “fully delivered”, singling out promises of human rights protections and free and fair elections.

Chinese dual tax burden relieved
An extensive tax treaty that would shield Chinese businesses operating in the Kingdom from double taxation, and vice versa, has been drafted and is expected to be approved imminently, according to a senior Cambodian tax official.

Manet upset over Australia protests
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son Hun Manet returned yesterday from an almost two-week trip to Australia, complaining about protests that met him there and suggesting that the ruling party had the capacity to stage protests of its own.

Not in accord: CNRP, City Hall differ on rally
City Hall has kicked the opposition party’s request to hold a 7,000-person event at Freedom Park on Sunday up to the Interior Ministry, with a representative saying the municipality only has the authority to approve gatherings of 200 people or fewer.

Workers hurt, killed in crashes
At least 20 garment workers were injured yesterday in Takeo province’s Tram Kak district, a day after an agricultural worker was killed in a similar road accident.

Guidelines seek to streamline domestic adoptions
New guidelines aimed at clarifying domestic adoption procedures in Cambodia were released yesterday, with officials saying the so-called explanatory note could increase the number of in-country adoptions by helping would-be adoptive parents more easily navigate the byzantine process.

Agro SEZ to grow China exports
A Chinese firm plans to invest at least $2 billion into developing the Kingdom’s first special economic zone geared entirely for agro-processing and storage, with the sprawling zone’s factories and warehouses aimed at meeting the growing potential for Cambodia to export its agricultural produce to buyers in Asia’s biggest economy.

More than 100 kids fall ill after event at school
Five of 137 Ta Tai Primary School students in Takeo’s Tram Kak district yesterday remained hospitalised, and in serious condition, after eating what is believed to have been tainted food they received during a charity event organised by 11 students at a Phnom Penh business school on Tuesday, according to a health official.

Flood advances across Dangkor
More families have been forced to temporarily move and numerous businesses were affected after a still-unpatched leak in the capital’s Prek Thnout dam led to unprecedented flooding along a section of road in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district starting late on Tuesday night.

Sokha seeks registration allowances for migrants
Cambodia National Rescue Party deputy president Kem Sokha has appealed to the National Election Committee to allow Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand to register near border checkpoints inside the Kingdom.

Purges culled the loyal: expert
Expert witness Stephen Morris offered a nuanced view of the Cambodian-Vietnamese conflict during the Khmer Rouge era yesterday, reiterating his belief that Vietnam intended to control the Cambodian communist movement, but also noting that Cambodian forces antagonised the Vietnamese prior to the 1979 invasion.

High Court denies Sovannara travel bid
The Supreme Court yesterday heard the appeal of a decision barring CNRP official and US citizen Meach Sovannara from seeking medical treatment in the US while he serves a 20-year sentence for “leading an insurrection”.

Hun Sen pulls plug on bus station relocation
A controversial plan to relocate Sisophon bus station in Banteay Meanchey has been cancelled thanks to Prime Minister Hun Sen, according to Deputy Provincial Governor Ly Sary.

Still falling short of Paris pact, say NGOs
In the run-up to this weekend’s 25th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords, 50 NGOs yesterday said the government has yet to fully comply with tenets of the historic pact, as evidenced by continuing human rights violations, a biased judiciary and questions over free and fair elections.

Singapore’s data mirrors UN’s on Cambodia’s sand export numbers
Singaporean customs data on sand imports from Cambodia show near identical figures to those recorded by the UN, which last month were dismissed by a top official amid a reporting discrepancy in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Officials struggling to fix dam as floods continue
The homes of 230 families in Phnom Penh’s southwest have now been evacuated due to flooding, an official said yesterday, as authorities worked to stem flooding caused by a leak in the Prek Thnout dam that threatens to send yet more water into the capital.

Low marks for Cambodia’s efforts to combat illicit trade
Cambodia ranked third-worst for illicit trade out of 17 countries in the Asia-Pacific region in a recently released index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) that analysed governments’ abilities to combat illegal trade operations.

Casinos pay $37.4M in tax during first 9 months
Tax revenue from Cambodia’s 69 licensed casinos reached $37.4 million for the first nine months of the year, growing 35.5 percent compared to the same period last year, according to a report from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Angel investors return to help start-ups take flight
Investors from the Mekong Angel Investor Network (MAIN) will arrive in Cambodia today for the group’s third official visit to the Kingdom, with its members scheduled to meet entrepreneurs in Siem Reap before heading to Phnom Penh to hear startup pitches – and possibly sink funds into the projects.

Repo auction offers quick liquidity fix
The National Bank of Cambodia rolled out a new mechanism yesterday that offers immediate liquidity to financial institutions to cover their payments and reserve obligations, while giving the central bank greater control over the country’s money supply and moving toward the establishment of a benchmark interest rate.