Six months after the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the Cambodian government to scrap a draft NGO law that came into effect in August, the E.U. announced on Monday that it had pledged 8.2 million euros (about $8.9 million) to local and international NGOs in the country.
The grants will be awarded to 11 NGOs and their partners for three-year projects, according to a statement issued by the E.U.’s country office on Monday.
Among those set to benefit are the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and ActionAid, which have jointly been awarded 1 million euros (about $1.1 million) for a project that aims to assist communities affected by “land rights violations” in Kampot and Oddar Meanchey provinces.
In July, the European Parliament adopted a resolution entreating the Cambodian government to scrap the NGO law, warning that the legislation was overly restrictive and that its passage could cost Cambodia as much as $700 million in development aid.
E.U. officials could not be reached for comment on Monday.
