Latest Cambodia News

After his arrest for Facebook posts, a Cambodian reporter says he will become a farmer instead

Nov. 05, 2024 09:25 AM EST

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — It’s tough being a reporter in Cambodia, whose government frowns on independent journalism that questions authority. Veteran investigative reporter Mech Dara learned the hard way, when he was recently jailed on a felony charge for some items he had...

Cambodian archaeologists discover a dozen centuries-old sandstone statues at Angkor UNESCO site

Oct. 30, 2024 06:22 AM EDT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Archaeologists in Cambodia have unearthed a dozen centuries-old sandstone statues in a “remarkable discovery” at the Angkor World Heritage Site near the city of Siem Reap, authorities said Wednesday. The statues — depicting so-called “door...

How a nearly extinct crocodile species returned from the brink in Cambodia

Oct. 23, 2024 06:45 AM EDT

PHNOM TAMAO, Cambodia (AP) — A tiny snout poked out to widen the crack of the slowly shattering eggshell. The Siamese crocodile was taking its time, lagging others that had already wriggled out, chirping, into the sand. Adults can be up to 4 meters (13 feet) long and weigh up to...

Giant fish thought to be extinct is spotted in the Mekong River

Oct. 22, 2024 12:07 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A huge fish in the Mekong River thought to be extinct has been spotted three times in recent years. “The giant salmon carp is like a symbol of the Mekong region,” said Chheana Chhut, a researcher at the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute in...

Pregnant Philippine women arrested in Cambodia for surrogacy could be prosecuted after giving birth

Oct. 12, 2024 13:55 PM EDT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Thirteen pregnant Philippine women accused of illegally acting as surrogate mothers in Cambodia after being recruited online may face prison terms after they give birth, a senior Interior Ministry official said Saturday. Interior Ministry Secretary of...

Cambodian fishermen turn to raising eels as Tonle Sap lake runs out of fish

Oct. 10, 2024 09:18 AM EDT

KAMPONG PHLUK, Cambodia (AP) — Em Phat, 53, studies his eel tanks with the intensity of a man gambling with his livelihood. For millennia, fishermen like him have relied on the bounty of the Tonle Sap in Cambodia, Southeast Asia’s largest lake and the epicenter of the world’s...

Cambodian maid is arrested and deported by Malaysia for criticizing Cambodia leaders on social media

Oct. 03, 2024 10:39 AM EDT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian woman who worked as a maid in Malaysia has been deported to her homeland for comments she posted on social media criticizing Cambodian government leaders, in the latest example of a Southeast Asian government helping another arrest a dissident. ...

A Cambodian reporter who exposed scams charged over online posts

Oct. 01, 2024 11:49 AM EDT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian investigative reporter who exposed online scams and corruption was charged on Tuesday with a criminal offense that could land him in prison for two years for material he posted on social media. Freelance reporter Mech Dara was arrested...

A Cambodian reporter who investigated online scam centers has been arrested

Sep. 30, 2024 15:12 PM EDT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian freelance reporter Mech Dara, noted for investigative reporting in a country with limited press freedom, was arrested Monday, a leading local human rights organization and a journalists association said. Known especially for investigating...

Cambodia hopes a new canal will boost trade. But it risks harming the Mekong that feeds millions

Sep. 25, 2024 20:58 PM EDT

PREK TAKEO, Cambodia (AP) — The Mekong River is a lifeline for millions in the six countries it traverses on its way from its headwaters to the sea, sustaining the world’s largest inland fishery and abundant rice paddies on Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Cambodia's plan to build a...