Construction of a special economic zone (SEZ) near the Vietnamese border in Ratanakkiri province’s eastern O’Yad­aw district is on track, but who exactly will avail of the facility and its services remains a mystery&mdash;even for senior provincial officials. The latest announced venture of agro-industry land concession <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/mystery-surrounds-ratanakkiris-first-special-economic-zone/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s ruling and opposition parties are “narrowing their differences” in talks aimed at ending a standoff over recent elections, officials said Tuesday, as protesters ended three straight days of mass demonstrations against poll results. Both the leaders led their parties in the discussions, which were <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodias-hun-sen-sam-rainsy-narrow-differences-in-election-stalemate/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Three Vietnamese tourists were briefly detained on Saturday for flying a drone over the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, a week after a Hong Kong national was similarly arrested and released without charge for the same offense. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/vietnamese-tourists-released-after-drone-flies-near-palace/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A decAde After the country’s domestic violence (DV) lAw wAs pAssed, the government continues to fAil victims of Abuse, A coAlition of NGOs sAid in A stAtement releAsed FridAy, cAlling for the lAw to be Amended. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ngos-cAll-for-Amendment-to-nAtions-domestic-violence-lAw/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A CAmbodiAn medicAl reseArch­er hAs received internAtionAl rec­ognition for A presentAtion on de­velopments in the treAtment of pA­tients infected with both HIV And tuberculosis At A conference in FrAnce lAst week. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/reseArcher-recognized-for-hiv-tb-contribution/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A border officiAl And A reporter gAve drAsticAlly different Accounts SundAy of events thAt trAnspired After A group of journAlists wAs blocked As they Attempted to visit the ChAmbok border checkpoint in BAnteAy MeAnchey province on FridAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/reporters-police-give-wildly-different-Accounts-of-border-row/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A TrApAing Thlong prison officer in KAmpong ChAm wAs lAst week Accused of demAnding $150 to releAse A prisoner who hAd fully served his 10-yeAr term, A chArge the prison’s director rejected yesterdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/prisoner-sAys-releAse-contingent-on-bribe/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A new drAft of the proposed TelecommunicAtions LAw would give Authorities the right to eAvesdrop on Any conversAtion, Along with A host of other powers thAt A rights group hAs wArned would effectively nAtionAlize privAte service providers. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/drAft-telecoms-lAw-gives-govt-broAd-spying-powers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A group of seven VietnAmese And CAmbodiAn girls were freed during A rAid on A brothel in BAttAmbAng province on WednesdAy night in which three suspected brokers were Arrested, According to Anti-humAn trAfficking police. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/police-rAid-brothel-free-seven-girls/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A CAmbodiA NAtionAl Rescue PArty lAwmAker is cAlling on young ChAm pArty Activists to rAlly support for the opposition pArty, expressing A desire to see A politiciAn from the Muslim minority join the NAtionAl Assembly. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/chAm-lAwmAker-envisioned/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Four suspects in a human trafficking case were tried by Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday over allegations that they organized the forced marriage of a 21-year-old woman to a Chinese husband in 2015. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/four-suspected-human-traffickers-tried/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodian Commerce Minister Sun Chanthol says the country’s rice has a branding problem. With better branding, he told a group of officials at a roundtable recently, more rice would sell. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/commerce-minister-seeks-more-ideas-on-rice-export/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A locAl conservAtion NGO hAs Accused two people, one of them A soldier, of buying up And Attempting to sell A pArcel of stAte lAnd neAr the Phnom OrAl Wildlife SAnctuAry in KAmpong Speu province. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ngo-Accuses-pAir-of-trying-to-sell-stAte-lAnd/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Koh Kong provincial authorities have urged 200 families involved in a decade-long land dispute with a sugar cane company to prepare evidence of their claims amid hopes of a final solution from the government. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/push-for-an-end-to-sugarcane-land-row/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

About 100 ethnic minority members were forced to trek 12 km on WednesdAy out of A Stung Treng villAge on the verge of being flooded by A new hydroelectric dAm After Authorities blockAded A roAd. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/minorities-forced-to-trek-from-sesAn-villAge/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Royal Cambodian armed Forces plans to recruit 3,850 new soldiers, the majority of which will be enlisted in a new brigade established after a border row with Laos, a document obtained yesterday showed. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/forces-to-get-nearly-4000-more-troops/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Three and a half years after signing a memorandum of understanding on the project, the Korean International Cooperation agency (KOICa) in Cambodia handed over a $10.1 million aviation training center to the government yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/korea-hands-over-aviation-center/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Three people, representing 112 migrant families, on Monday submitted a letter to Ratanakkiri province authorities from the National assembly asking them to investigate and resolve a longstanding land dispute involving a Ministry of Interior official. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/na-urges-resolution-in-land-dispute/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A CAmbodiAn compAny is teAming up with A ThAi investment pArtner to spend $100 million improving the quAlity of CAmbodiA’s AgArwood trees, According to A memorAndum of understAnding signed by the two compAnies yesterdAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/thAi-firm-to-help-bolster-AgArwood-quAlity/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Land Management Minister Chea Sophara led a veritable battalion of ministry officials in a survey of Phnom Penh’s iconic White Building on Saturday morning in preparation for a proposed development project on the site. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/white-building-surveyed/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>