Prime Minister Hun Sen approved a request from Defense Minister Tea Banh last week to promote 29 lieutenant generals to the rank of four-star general, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. The promotions, which follow repeated calls from General Banh last month for <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-promotes-29-to-four-star-general/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

NGOs working in democracy, human rights and transparency all say they face a lack of cooperation from Cambodian authorities, especially in the provinces, a new report finds. The Cooperation Committee for Cambodia conducted research on Cambodia’s overall climate for civil society organizations, finding that those dealing <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/democracy-rights-ngos-face-tough-conditions-report-finds/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Activist monk Luon SovAth hAs been nAmed the recipient of this yeAr’s MArtin EnnAls AwArd for HumAn Rights Defenders for his work promoting villAgers’ lAnd clAims And publicising rights Abuses. A fAmiliAr figure At protests in CAmbodiA, including the widely decried MAy triAl of the Boeung KAk 13, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/multimediA-monk-is-honored-for-Activism/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Preah Vihear Provincial Court last week questioned five community representatives from Prame commune over allegations that they had issued a death threat to a man who had been clearing contested land in Tbeng Meanchey district. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/five-preah-vihear-community-representatives-released-after-questioning-over-death-threat-allegations-in-long-standing-land-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Three NGOs filed a complaint Monday to a Dutch government watchdog accusing social investor Oikocredit of failing to conduct due diligence by investing in Cambodian microfinance institutions (MFIs) whose lending practices have been linked to rights abuses. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rights-groups-file-complaint-against-dutch-mfi-investor-oikocredit/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The government has launched a social security pension fund aimed at providing retirement benefits to private sector employees, in a move applauded by civil society groups and workers. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-kicks-off-pension-scheme-for-private-sector/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Interior Ministry police are searching for the ringleader in a human trafficking case following the rescue of a 16-year-old who was trafficked to China. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/teenager-rescued-after-trafficked-to-china-for-marriage-police-search-for-ringleader/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Minor tremors were felt in Ratanakiri province last Sunday after a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck a nearby province in Vietnam, raising concerns among locals about Cambodia’s preparedness for similar seismic events. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/vietnam-earthquake-shakes-ratanakiri-raises-concern-for-cambodias-disaster-readiness/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s central bank is looking to tighten monetary policy to slow an inflation rate that could hit 8 to 9 percent this year, National Bank of Cambodia Director General and Spokeswoman Nguon Sokha said yesterday. Increases in commodity prices and petroleum has led to rising <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/central-bank-mulls-its-inflation-response-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Ministry of Information on Tuesday ordered two Khmer-language newspapers owned by the same publisher to halt publication for failing to follow ministry rules. In a notice signed by Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith, Phnom Penh-based The Water and Fire News and The World newspapers <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/two-khmer-papers-told-to-halt-publishing/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 500 workers at a garment factory in suburban Phnom Penh went on strike yesterday over what they described as their employer’s history of disregarding labour laws, including firing pregnant employees.  Taiwanese-owned Nan Kuang Garment (Cambodia) allegedly forces staff to work overtime, employs under-age <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/firing-pregnant-staff-triggers-strike/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Southeast asia needs to push ahead with a regional free trade bloc and policies to cope with global financial crises, Indonesia’s government said yesterday. Indonesia’s Vice President Boediono, addressing trade ministers from the association of Southeast asian Nations (aSEaN), said it was evident since the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/asean-to-forge-ahead-through-global-crises/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Phnom Penh municipality is set to launch a campaign today at Daun Penh district’s Kandal market aimed at educating residents about disposing their garbage correctly in an effort to reduce flooding in the area. The campaign comes after the area experience several bouts of severe <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/city-officials-talk-trash-with-new-campaign/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The total value of approved construction projects in the Kingdom soared 97 per cent year-on-year through September, according to official figures, reaching nearly US$1 billion. The number of projects fell to 1,689 for the first nine months of 2011, down from 1,718 in the same period <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/construction-spend-nears-1bn/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Foreign visitors to the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, on the Cambodian-Thai border, rose almost 78 per cent between January and October compared with the same period last year, despite a deadly border dispute that drew international attention in February. about 2,140 foreign nationals visited the 1,000-year-old <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/increase-in-visitors-to-preah-vihear/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

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Environmental Group World Wildlife Fund yesterday called on the four member governments of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to shelve Laos’ proposal to build the first Lower Mekong River hydropower dam when the countries meet next week in Siem Reap province. Las has planned numerous dams <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/environmental-group-calls-for-halt-of-laos-mekong-dam/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police and military police stopped about 200 villagers from entering rice fields in Battambang province yesterday, saying they had no right to harvest in the 100-hectare area because it belonged to well-known businessman Song Thon, villagers said. Chhut Mao, a 64-year-old village representative of Lvea commune, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-locked-in-land-dispute-threaten-arson/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Kingdom’s strong economic growth so far this year has driven petroleum imports 67 per cent higher year-on-year through October, according to Ministry of Commerce data. Total imports reached 1.2 million tonnes, or US$1.14 billion worth, in the first 10 months of the year, compared to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/gdp-growth-drives-petrol-imports-67-year-on-year/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>