Ben Paviour
The Cambodia Daily
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Past articles by Ben:
Public Watches Warily as US-Cambodia Divide Intensifies
Interviews and polling suggest Cambodians see the U.S. as a role model, a view that is increasingly at odds with their government. → Read More
Probe Into CNRP Widens Amid Claims of Taiwan Conspiracy
The government will investigate anonymous, unsubstantiated claims that the opposition party received help from the “extremist” ruling party in Taiwan and also probe alleged foreign donations to the CNRP, officials said on Thursday. → Read More
CNRP to Be Investigated For ‘Color Revolution’
Opposition party members will be investigated for attempting to stage a color revolution, Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak told a local newspaper on Tuesday, in what one political analyst described as a move to “clear the deck” of obstacles in the way of a CPP national election victory next year. → Read More
RFA, VOA Broadcasts Booted Out of Cambodia’s Provinces
All radio stations carrying Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA) outside of Phnom Penh have been closed by the Information Ministry, spokesmen for the outlets said, as owners of the shuttered stations petitioned the ministry on Monday for a reprieve. → Read More
Fresh News Spins New Tales Of Spies and US Interference
Government-aligned media outlet Fresh News, the recent epicenter of pro-government leaks and attacks against NGOs, media and the political opposition, has continued to publish anonymous accusations that CNRP President Kem Sokha and his daughters were in a “political wedding” to U.S. backers and foreign agents. → Read More
Anger Mounts as Radio Purge Knocks 19 Stations Off-Air
Independent radio producers, managers and listeners said they were angry and confused on Sunday after an Information Ministry crackdown on at least 19 radio stations last week cut off access to programming for millions of potential listeners. → Read More
Radio Station Shuttered, Daily’s License Rejected
The Ministry of Information has revoked a license for a radio station known for selling airtime to the opposition party, according to a statement released on Wednesday, while the director of Voice of Democracy said the outlet had been bumped from the airwaves in Phnom Penh. → Read More
Observers Warn of New Era of Repression in Cambodia
A crackdown on independent NGOs, media and political parties that began almost two years ago has reached an inflection point that threatens to push Cambodia into a new era of repression, observers said on Wednesday. → Read More
Ministry Gives Conflicting Information on RFA, VOA Ban
Information Ministry officials on Tuesday gave contradictory accounts on whether the government is considering new rules barring radio stations from carrying broadcasts from U.S.-funded media outlets Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, adding to ambiguity surrounding the outlets’ fate in Cambodia. → Read More
Branding Daily A ‘Thief,’ Hun Sen Says Pay Tax or Leave
Prime Minister Hun Sen weighed in on Tuesday on a $6.3 million tax bill levied against The Cambodia Daily, an amount the newspaper disputes, branding the Daily a “thief” and ordering it to pay the bill or “pack up and go.” → Read More
A No Good, Very Bad Year For the US in Cambodia
To Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan, it all began with the Arab Spring. → Read More
Tax Head Threatens Daily With September 4 Closure
Cambodia’s top tax official pressed ahead on Saturday with warnings to shut down The Cambodia Daily and seize its assets over an alleged back tax bill of more than $6 million. → Read More
US Democracy NGO Joins Gov’t Doghouse
The National Democratic Institute became the latest U.S.-affiliated organization to face government allegations of wrongdoing on Wednesday night after its purported secrets spilled onto government-affiliated media. → Read More
US Businesses Give Cambodia Mixed Marks
U.S. companies doing business in Cambodia are optimistic about the country’s overall investment environment, but remain dissatisfied with the supply of cheap and skilled labor, corruption, tax structure, and attitudes toward the U.S., according to a new survey. → Read More
RFA, VOA Under Scrutiny Amid Tax Investigations
Two U.S.-funded radio broadcasters joined The Cambodia Daily and NGOs in what appeared to be a broadening and increasingly public Finance Ministry investigation into tax payments by institutions known for tense relationships with the government. → Read More
Ministry Says Most NGOs Ignore Tax Requirements
Only 200 of some 5,000 domestic NGOs have submitted required banking details to the Interior Ministry, its spokesman said on Monday, as the government steps up enforcement of tax requirements on organizations that may have racked up huge unpaid bills. → Read More
US Answers Citizenship Threat by PM
The U.S. Embassy has responded to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s threat to revoke his grandchild’s citizenship, saying it could not confirm whether any of his grandchildren in fact held U.S. citizenship, but directed him to the U.S. State Department website for help in case he wanted to follow through. → Read More
Government Digs Into Tax Returns of NGOs, Cambodia Daily
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cabinet recommended a new investigation into alleged unpaid payroll taxes at civil society organizations on Friday, according to notes from the meeting. → Read More
Prime Minister Threatens the Opposition, NGOs With Dissolution
The opposition party’s headquarters could be attacked and the party dissolved if it stages any demonstrations, while foreign-funded NGOs should “retreat” or face the same fate for violating the law, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday. → Read More
Human Rights Watch Calls for Loose-Lipped Minister’s Firing
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said he did not believe Social Affairs Minister Vong Sauth would face any disciplinary action after he repeated the gist of a seemingly confidential CPP meeting, including an alleged threat by Prime Minister Hun Sen to beat protesters with bamboo sticks. → Read More