Thai-based movie theatre company Major Cineplex said it will build “a high-end lifestyle and entertainment complex” at the aeon mall in Phnom Penh, hoping to capture Cambodia’s youth market in what it believes is a stable business environment for its entertainment products. While it sees prospects in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/major-cineplex-comes-to-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A locAl officiAl And four ethnic minority Tompuon villAgers AppeAred in A RAtAnAkkiri court on FridAy to fAce AccusAtions of lAnd-grAbbing And protesting AgAinst A privAte compAny thAt purchAsed their lAnd in 2007, Authorities sAid yesterdAy. RochAm Pheun, An AssistAnt to the chief of Keh Chung <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ethnic-villAgers-firm-bAttle-over-rAtAnAkkiri-plot/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Hong Leong Bank Bhd’s (HLB) subsidiary Hong Leong Bank (Cambodia) PLC (HLBC) has clinched a banking licence for its operations in the country from the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC). HLBC, a commercial bank with a capital of RM119.25mil, would begin operations on July 8, the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hong-leong-bank-cambodia-gets-banking-licence/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Acting opposition leAder Kem SokhA will hAve A rAre chAnce to fAce off AgAinst A ruling pArty opponent in A nAtionAlly televised debAte before the election. The debAte will be one of two broAdcAst on TVK on July 20 And 21 in A series orgAnised by <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/sokhA-given-chAnce-to-debAte-cpp-on-tv/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A group of locAl journAlists in PreAh ViheAr province Allege, in A complAint filed with A rights group, thAt Authorities Are involved in the sAle of illegAlly logged timber. Seven journAlists, who Asked thAt their nAmes And respective outlets not be identified for feAr of retribution <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/journos-clAim-officiAls-Are-involved-in-logging/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Seven police officers and an NGO staffer in Mondulkiri province escaped a potentially violent confrontation with illegal loggers on Wednesday, while a soldier who was accompanying the group claimed he received death threats from military police connected to the logging operation. Khleuv Krak, 40, a Royal <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/threats-as-police-wwf-officer-probe-logging/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Opposition officials in Poipet have requested the provincial government intervene after a village chief on Monday confiscated a book of Cambodia National Rescue Party supporters’ thumbprints. Mean Sarith, chief of the CNRP working group in the border town, said Seng Long, the Cambodian People’s Party village <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cnrp-thumbprints-confiscated-in-poipet/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The National Election Committee yesterday announced a date for the election of district and city-provincial council members, a vote that will only be open to current commune council members, a vote that will only be open to current commune council members. NEC Secretary-General Tep Nytha took <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/council-elections-will-lack-democracy-ngos/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Pailin Provincial Court on Wednesday charged four villagers with infringing on public property because they cultivated 684 hectares of land that the court says belongs to the state, but which villagers claim to have farmed legally since 1999, a rights worker said. The villagers were arrested <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/court-charges-four-pailin-villagers-for-violating-state-property/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Twenty-two families who have been locked in a bitter, seven-year dispute over 145 hectares of land in Kompong Chhnang province with a company owned by the wife of Mines and Energy Minister Suy Sem claim they were illegally pressured into accepting compensation and filed a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kdc-families-want-compensation-deal-revoked/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A CAmbodiAn court on FridAy sentenced 13 men to prison terms rAnging from five to nine yeArs for plotting to overthrow the government in A cAse thAt wAs criticized by A humAn rights group As A politicAl setup. The men were members of A self-styled Khmer <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-sends-13-to-prison-for-insurrection-plot/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A pAckAge contAining chArred humAn remAins wAs delivered to the CAmbodiA NAtionAl Rescue PArty office in Phnom Penh yesterdAy morning. Despite A seeming complete Absence of hArd evidence, some Are convinced the remAins &ndAsh; found on SAturdAy At A mountAin in KAmpong Speu &ndAsh; belong to <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mysterious-bones-stoke-conspirAcy/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In what looks to be a concerted push into the Southeast asian energy sector, Japanese import and export conglomerate Marubeni Corporation has acquired a large stake of Cambodia’s power generation infrastructure. In a Tokyo Stock Exchange filing dated June 2, Marubeni announced it had purchased a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japan-firm-buys-share-of-new-power-plant/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Kompong Chhnang provincial authorities allegedly locked villagers out of the provincial hall after dozens came to deliver a complaint against the wife of Mines and Energy Minister Suy Sem, before locking out a newly appointed councilor who left the building to talk with them. The villagers <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villages-blocked-from-delivering-complaint/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Authorities in SvAy Rieng town Are ignoring locAls’ complAints over A Chinese firm thAt hAs Allegedly been filling in A river in prepArAtion to build A cAnAl, villAgers sAid yesterdAy. More thAn 130 fAmilies in SvAy Teu commune, SvAy Rieng province, hAve delivered petitions to provinciAl <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/bAttle-over-river-in-svAy-rieng/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has distanced itself from australia’s still unsigned deal to transfer refugees from the Nauru refugee detention center for resettlement in Cambodia, one of Southeast asia’s poorest nations. First raised in February, the cash-for-refugees deal is believed to be imminent. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-refugee-agency-slams-cambodia-australia-deal/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodian scholars have voiced their support to Chinese President Xi Jinping for his announcement of China’s contribution of 40 billion U.S. dollars for the establishment of a Silk Road Fund, saying that such a fund is vital for developing countries. Chheang Vannarith, senior researcher of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-scholars-hail-chinas-contribution-to-silk-road-fund/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A spokesmAn for the CAmbodiAn PArliAment on WednesdAy strongly denied thAt the country’s PArliAment chief Heng SAmrin hAs promised VietnAm to tAke strict meAsures to punish ethnic Khmer Krom Activists who hAd held protests AgAinst A VietnAmese diplomAt. The deniAl cAme After VietnAmese mediA reported MondAy <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-pArliAment-denies-chiefs-promise-to-punish-khmer-krom-Activists-for-protesting-AgAinst-vietnAm/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Total loans and deposits at the Kingdom’s microfinance institutions jumped in the first quarter of 2012 despite what is typically a slow season for the industry, insiders said yesterday. Loans outstanding reached US$708 million for the period ending on March 31, climbing 9.8 per cent from <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/mfis-defy-typically-slow-first-quarter-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Kratie city &ndash; Soldiers and military police yesterday blocked all access to a village where a 14-year-old girl was shot dead by security forces on Wednesday while the authorities launched a massive operation to evict hundreds of families from the area under a cloak of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kratie-village-sealed-after-girls-killing/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>