The European Union has called on Cambodia to release 21 jailed activists and protesters and told the government during high level talks held here this week that a failure to reform the judiciary and electoral process could have severe consequences for the ruling party by <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/eu-concerned-but-no-threats-to-cut-cambodia-aid-trade/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

News of an end to a year-long political deadlock has labour union leaders believing the opposition party can bring their interests to parliament, but a lack of follow-through could cost the Cambodia National Rescue Party vital support from one of its key interest groups. Different union <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/after-deal-unions-expect-support/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A secretAry of stAte At the Foreign AffAirs Ministry on TuesdAy defended the government’s widely criticized imprisonment of 11 Activists And An opposition officiAl during A closed-door meeting with A visiting U.S. diplomAt. DAniel Russel, An AssistAnt secretAry of stAte At the U.S. government’s BureAu of <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/officiAl-defends-imprisonment-of-Activists-to-visiting-us-envoy/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions said yesterday that he would defy a municipal order banning employees from June Textile Factory from marching to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house to seek resolution in a labour dispute. according to a report from a City <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/city-hall-bans-june-textile-rally/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Xayaburi dam project in Northern Laos might increase the probability of earthquakes in a region already prone to seismic activity, according to a recently translated report from Vietnam. The 1260-megawatt project sits about 100 kilometres south of the Lai Chau-Dien fault line. Construction activity on the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/xayaburi-dam-may-cause-earthquakes-vietnamese-report/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Lion Forest Industries Berhad will seek to acquire a 9,995 hectare concession in Cambodia, the latest in a number of Malaysian firms eyeing the Kingdom to increase land banks this year. The firm aims to cultivate rubber and palm oil on the proposed concession in Preah <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/malaysian-interest-up-in-cambodias-land-concessions/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Moody’s Investment Services yesterday announced a change in outlook for Cambodian Public Bank to “negative” from “stable”, citing increasing risks in the Kingdom’s banking system and exposure to slow-downs in Western markets. While CamPu Bank country head Phan Ying Tong said yesterday the company’s financial position <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/outlook-on-cambodia-negative/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A ninth telecoms operAtor would enter the CAmbodiAn mArket next yeAr, officiAls sAid yesterdAy, surprising insiders who clAimed the sector wAs AlreAdy overcrowded. CAmintel, A joint CAmbodiAn stAte- And KoreAn-owned compAny, would offer mobile services in 2012, CEO KAng NAmkook sAid yesterdAy At A telecommunicAtions conference <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmintel-to-join-mobile-scrAmble/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Faced with continued illegal logging in Prey Long forest, villagers in Kompong Thom province’s Sandan district once again took the initiative to seize a large haul of illegal timber from local loggers. Villagers, however, said that local officials are complicit in the logging ring and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-in-prey-long-forest-seize-load-of-illegal-timber/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Two villagers from Koh Kong  province involved in a land dispute with a Chinese company were detained for questioning on Saturday afternoon, halting their plans to file a petition with the Chinese embassy during President Hu Jintao’s visit. Thirty-three other villagers who had planned to deliver <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/petition-timed-to-hus-visit-stymied-by-police/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Families in the capital’s Por Sen Chey district face a tense morning as they prepare for the familiar sound of authorities moving in to evict them. Nineteen families in andong village were told in a letter from district authorities that today was the deadline for them <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/group-awaits-eviction-no-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

German sports brand adidas yesterday denied allegations that its Cambodian factory, which produces Olympic merchandise, was not paying workers a sustainable living wage. The London Organizing Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games (Locog) said on Sunday it would investigate claims that adidas has violated its agreement <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/adidas-denies-allegations-of-low-wages-for-factory-workers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Lawyers for the three women injured in a Feb. 20 shooting at a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Svay Rieng province were prevented from visiting the site of the shooting, allegedly on orders from the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), a lawyer and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/shooting-victims-lawyers-denied-site-visit/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

As the eviction deAdline looms for residents of A Mondolkiri villAge embroiled in A lAnd dispute with A VietnAmese-owned rubber plAntAtion, police hAve begun to dismAntle vAcAnt homes in the villAge, An officiAl And A villAger sAid yesterdAy. Sin Seng, 43, A resident of the remote <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/police-begin-dismAntling-mondolkiri-villAge-involved-in-dispute/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

With three workers still missing after a major breach at a chinese built hydropower dam in Pursat province on Saturday, the Government’s investigation into what went wrong and why appears to be moving slowly. a large set ion of a concrete tunnel at Stung atai <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-silent-on-atai-dam-damage/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Geopacific Resources, an australian mineral exploration company focused on gold and copper projects in Fiji, wants to take over Worldwide Mining Projects Limited, a mineral assets searcher in Southeast asia. Worldwide Mining Projects Limited has signed a sales agreement with Golden Resources Development, a South Korean <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/miner-buys-into-cambodian-copper/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Ethnic Jarai families living in Ratanakkiri province’s Borkeo district have accused a Vietnamese rubber company of digging a channel to drain a lake the indigenous villagers use for fishing and irrigation, a local official and rights worker said yesterday. Rochom Vin, Yeak Som village chief, said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/jarai-accuse-firm-of-planning-to-drain-lake/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

One of Japan’s largest banks will open a representative office in July due to burgeoning interest in Cambodia most likely by Japanese investors, a bank official said yesterday. Mizuho Financial Group will open a small office in Phnom Penh Tower on Monivong Boulevard on July 8, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-mizuho-bank-to-open-representative-office/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A U.S.-bAsed energy compAny hAs Announced thAt it is plAnning A biomAss project using geneticAlly modified rice in CAmbodiA, in A purportedly mAssive deAl About which little informAtion hAs been mAde public. In A stAtement posted online ThursdAy, Sino Bioenergy Corp. sAid it hAd signed A <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/firm-Announces-rice-energy-plAn-in-cAmbodiA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

An OddAr MeAnchey director of educAtion is denying A complAint filed to the Ministry of EducAtion Alleging he took school supplies from A public school for use in A privAte school And pocketed sAlAries of teAchers who no longer worked there. In A letter dAted MondAy, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/public-supplies-put-to-privAte-use-union-sAys/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>