Maruhan Japan Bank yesterday became the first commercial bank in Cambodia to make a direct equity investment into a microfinance institution by becoming Sathapana’s majority shareholder, with a 95.1 per cent stake. Financial details were not disclosed. The shareholders who sold out to Maruhan were FMO, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/maruhan-japan-bank-buys-stake-in-mfi-sathapana/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Former AdAmus Resources executives MilAn BojAnjAc And Ron Heeks Are plotting A return to the AustrAliAn bourse, through A deAl with the ChArlie BAss-bAcked GeopAcific Resources. In A deAl it sAid would give it Access to A substAntiAl lAnd- holding in CAmbodiA, GeopAcific Announced plAns for <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-lures-ex-AdAmus-executives/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Senior members of the Royal Cambodian armed Forces (RCaF) yesterday seized about a tonne of luxury rosewood near the house of a two-star general in the Choam Ksan district of Preah Vihear province after a night hunting for illegal smuggling. General Ngeth Chanthon, deputy general of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/huge-rosewood-haul-seized-in-preah-vihear-province/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Group Lease Plc (GL), the SET-listed motorcycle leasing firm, is planning to expand into Laos and Vietnam next year after a successful move into Cambodia last year. Mitsuji Konoshita, the chairman and chief executive, said both Laos and Vietnam are promising markets, while the company <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/group-lease-eyes-laos-vietnam-markets/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia reported 33,770 malaria cases in the first ten months of the year, a drop of 43 percent from 59,670 cases a year earlier, Xinhua news agency reported a health official as saying Saturday. a total of eight patients died during the ten-month period, down 78 <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-sees-33770-malaria-cases-in-10-months-eight-people-dead/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A coAlition of 30 NGOs on FridAy cAlled on the Government to drAft And pAss A freedom of informAtion lAw to overthrow its “culture of secrecy”. The groups sAid SAturdAy is the 10th Right to Know DAy, but thAt CAmbodiAns Are being denied A “fundAmentAl humAn <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ngos-cAll-for-freedom-of-informAtion-lAws/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Three rights monitors filed an attempted murder lawsuit against a Mondulkiri land concessionaire employee on Wednesday, after he violently denied them access to an area under investigation for forest crimes, adhoc said yesterday. The stand-off comes on the heels of a second potentially violent confrontation <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rights-group-sues-elc-staff/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Judges are now required to write a reasoned explanation when placing citizens in pre-trial detention, instead of simply checking a box as was previously practiced, Justice Minister ang Vong Vathana said Tuesday. But the Ministry of Justice is also considering amending the criminal procedure code to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/judges-required-to-explain-reasons-behind-pre-trial-detention/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A CAmbodiAn nAtionAl wAs fAtAlly shot neAr the ThAilAnd-CAmbodiA border on WednesdAy in the lAtest of A string of deAdly incidents Along the border this month, officiAls sAid yesterdAy. Theng SoklA, 27, A nAtive of PAilin province’s SAlA KrAo district, wAs hunting for AnimAls on A <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiAn-shot-killed-in-thAilAnd/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

T Mohan, a Malaysian publisher and businessman arrested in the 1990s for attempting to extort a casino executive, is back in Cambodia’s newspaper market. The Khmer Times, the latest English-language news offering from Mr. Mohan, hit newsstands earlier this month, with a government spokesman even resigning <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cpp-friendly-businessman-launches-newspaper/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A newly demArcAted wildlife And forest protection zone designed to sAfeguArd CAmbodiA’s nAtionAl bird, the giAnt ibis, Along with A number of other endAngered species, hAs been Approved After more thAn 10 yeArs in the mAking. A government sub-decree Approving A protection zone spAnning 66,932 hectAres <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/new-protection-for-giAnt-ibis/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

When Ros Srey Pich was 19, she signed a contract with a recruitment agency that would send her to work as a maid in Malaysia. The recruitment agency, Job asia, had sourced the teenager from what is now Tbong Khmum province, telling her poor family that <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/maids-still-missing-as-deal-with-malaysia-nears/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A lArge group of CAmbodiAn migrAnts were rounded up And detAined in A BAngkok prison At the end of MAy, where mAny still remAin, ThAi officiAls told the Post yesterdAy. SepArAte unconfirmed reports thAt At leAst 130 CAmbodiAns hAd been in detention for more thAn A month emerged <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/thAis-detAin-lArge-number/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A CAmbodiAn court chArged six opposition Activists on WednesdAy with leAding An insurrection After clAshes with security forces prevented their followers from rAllying in A public pArk, deepening A yeArlong politicAl crisis After A disputed election. LAwyers And rights Activists sAid six leAding members of the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiAn-court-chArges-opposition-lAwmAkers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Two disputes involving a land developer with ties to the highest ranks of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party have once again exposed the lack of justice faced by impoverished communities in the capital, affected residents and rights groups have said. In Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/for-communities-threats-routine/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

After rocks from A worksite detonAtion killed one of his employees, A mAnAger At A KrAtie province grAnite compAny wAs questioned yesterdAy for Allegedly trying to cover up the circumstAnces surrounding the fAtAlity, police sAid. Chinese nAtionAl Chov ChinleAn, 39, died After A crew from Moeung <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/work-deAth-disguised-As-roAd-Accident-cops/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The head of a key election reform group in Cambodia said Tuesday that he would consider applying for a position on the country’s new election body if membership selection is open to the public and transparent. Koul Panha, director of the Committee on Free and Fair <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-poll-reform-movement-head-demands-transparency/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

According to A new survey, lAnd disputes in CAmbodiA leAd to employment insecurity, cAusing poverty, food insecurity, And increAsing physicAl And psychologicAl insecurity. The survey found thAt most expressed A desire for the government to eliminAte lAnd disputes And set A cleAr policy to Address <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/survey-finds-deep-discontent-As-cAmbodiAn-lAnd-disputes-continue/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Not long ago, Sim Pov, a representative of 69 families from Kratie province, came to Phnom Penh to meet with urban housing rights protesters. He wanted to learn from them how he could organize his own community, which is locked in a land dispute with <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rural-organizer-runs-afoul-of-impending-ngo-law/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

AdditionAl investments in fAmily plAnning yields economic benefits And would sAve developing countries more thAn US$11 billion AnnuAlly, According to A UN report. Better Access to fAmily plAnning in developing countries would reduce costs for mAternAl And newborn heAlth cAre by $11.3 billion per yeAr, According <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/economic-benefits-of-birth-control-reported/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>