Cambodia

For the first time in 30 years, the government has reintroduced conscription. After completing their service, conscripts will remain in the reserves until they reach the age of 45. This comes against a backdrop of tensions on the border with Thailand, with 20,000 Cambodians still unable to return to their villages

For nearly five years, the union leader has been mobilising workers at Phnom Penh’s NagaWorld casino laid off in 2021. Amid protests, arrests, and legal proceedings, the dispute has become a symbol of the challenges facing independent unions in the country.

Ahead of a conference on combating online scam centres, the Cambodian government claims to have dismantled hundreds of such facilities. However, various investigations have documented a network of casinos and companies linked to members of the political elite. Meanwhile, trafficking victims often remain without assistance, while criminal networks are simply relocating.

Koh Rong Island, the most popular tourist destination after Angkor Wat, is set to become a smoke-free zone by the end of the year. There are already nine towns in Cambodia where smoking is banned. Over the last 25 years, the Kingdom has halved the number of smokers, but the low tax rate continues to encourage consumption.

In the first half of 2026, international arrivals fell by 48 per cent. There were 1.75 million visitors, compared with 3.36 million in 2025. There is growing focus on Muslim-majority countries. Global Muslim Travel Index: in 2025, around 196 million Muslims travelled abroad.

Satellite images by LICADHO show the destruction of hundreds of homes in three villages held by the Thai army. More than 20,000 displaced people are languishing in refugee camps. Phnom Penh is intensifying its diplomatic efforts with Bangkok, calling for the Joint Border Commission to resume inspections.

The city council’s decision comes after a social media storm over the publication of price lists for cremations at Buddhist temples, with fees that were unaffordable for the less well-off. An initiative to ensure dignity for all.

Twelve months after the start of hostilities with Thailand, 20,000 Cambodians are still unable to return home in the border areas, many of them children. The NGO Phare Ponleu Selpak is working to offer a glimmer of hope through art.

Cambodia reported 25,000 infections a year in 1995; today, it is a leader in containing them and providing antiretroviral drugs to the sick, thanks to awareness-raising efforts by village leaders and communities to eliminate the social stigma attached to the disease. The country’s small Catholic Church is also playing a key role in these efforts.

Unencumbered by the legacy technology of fossil fuel markets such as the US and Europe and startled by the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Asia is using an aggressive mix of incentives and penalties to win the race to EV dominance. For an Ember Energy expert, “EVs can help improve resilience against global oil market volatility and geopolitical disruptions”.

Even though the legal age of marriage is 18, cultural traditions and poverty continue to encourage early marriages. In tribal areas it is one in two, with brides as young as 13. The war with Thailand has exacerbated the practice, but some government pilot projects and the experience of the Christian NGO Chab Dai show that education can change things.

The Supreme Court suspended the sentence of the Cambodian dissident and opposition leader and reduced it from four to three years; it also barred him from running for and holding office. Rong slammed the authorities for trying to exclude him from local elections in 2027 and the general election in 2028.