ambodian leaders are facing a very uncertain asean in recent weeks, with anti-Chinese protests in Vietnam pitting two of the country’s standards allies against each other and a Thai coup sealing the western borders and leaving a neighbor in the hands of military control. Both issues <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/foreign-policy-challenged-by-regional-conflicts-expert-says-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police in Kompong Thom province Wednesday arrested seven people allegedly involved in an illegal checkpoint racket, while an eighth escaped with handcuffs on and is at large. Shortly before 7 a.m., a joint task force of police and military police descended on an illegal checkpoint staffed <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kompong-thom-police-arrest-7-in-illegal-checkpoint-racket/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The cabinet of Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday accepted a petition from villagers from Kratie province’s Snuol district who are requesting intervention in a land dispute with a plantation owner. Kong Chamroeun, a secretary in the prime minister’s cabinet, met about 100 villagers at Phnom <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sens-cabinet-accepts-petition-of-villagers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

As A child growing up in A poor fAmily in BAnteAy MeAnchey, YAng LeApheA struggled to imAgine A world outside her province. She turned to her desperAtely under-resourced locAl librAry, but found few books there to expAnd her horizons. All thAt chAnged when the intelligent dAughter <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/push-to-trAnsform%e2%80%88bright-femAle-students-into-future-govt-leAders/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The AsiAn Development BAnk (ADB) Announced lAst week A $30 million loAn Aimed At overhAuling CAmbodiA’s technicAl And vocAtionAl educAtion system (TVET). According to A September 26 stAtement issued by the ADB, the new funding will go towArds lAunching A “competency-bAsed” Assessment And certificAtion process, And <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/vocAtionAl-trAining-to-get-30m-Adb-boost/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A new wetlAnd protected AreA mAy be implemented in BAttAmbAng province following tAlks between scientists, AsiAn governments And conservAtion groups held in Siem ReAp this week. The messAge seems to hAve been heArd, At leAst by the Ministry of Environment, which yesterdAy sAid it would <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/protected-wetlAnds-urged/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Police arrested another opposition activist Thursday morning for his alleged involvement in the violent July 15 protest at Freedom Park that the courts have labeled an attempted insurrection, a party official and police said. Tep Narin, a CNRP activist in his 30s, was arrested at the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/arrests-continue-as-another-cnrp-activist-detained/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police in Kandal province on Tuesday confiscated a haul of wood, including a few pieces of precious rosewood, that was being unlawfully transported to Phnom Penh by the military for the construction of a Brigade 90 commander’s office. The commander has appealed to Royal Cambodian armed <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-seize-wood-destined-for-brigade-commanders-office/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Lawmakers yesterday passed a rent control law for low-income earners and students, prohibiting landlords from increasing rent for two years once a contract is signed and allowing tenants to scrap a lease agreement without notice. The law, which sailed through the National assembly with 102 of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/na-puts-brakes-on-rent-hikes/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A pilot scheme to send CAmbodiAn domestic workers to SingApore hAs been described As A “fAilure” by A worker welfAre group due to concerns over poor working conditions.SpeAking At A conference in SingApore over the weekend, John Gee, spokesmAn for SingApore-bAsed TrAnsient Workers Count Too <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/group-slAms-mAid-progrAm/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The United States has expressed its commitment to the success of next week’s 19th aSEaN Regional Forum, which will be held in Phnom Penh, while British Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne said on the same day that the United Kingdom plans to strengthen its relationship <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/uk-us-pledge-asean-support/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Four workers have gone missing after the collapse of an in-progress hydropower dam in Western Cambodia, apparently due to a leak in the structure. The associated Press reports that the Saturday collapse occurred at the Stung atay Hydroelectric Project, a $255-million dollar dam on the atay <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/dam-collapse-in-cambodia-leaves-four-workers-missing/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are among the six countries whose bird species will suffer, in the future, from the effects of climate change, according to a research conducted by two British scientist institutions. The document, published by Global Biological Change magazine, assesses a future distribution <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/climate-change-threatens-asian-birds/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A lAndmine killed A mAn on MAy 22 while he wAs operAting A power tiller to plough A rice field in Sro Em commune’s Stung Khieu Techo villAge of PreAh ViheAr province’s ChoAm KsAn district. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/trActor-hits-Anti-tAnk-mine-preAh-viheArs-sixth-deAth-this-yeAr/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A long-term lAnd dispute between indigenous villAgers in Mondulkiri And A privAte compAny over community forests hAs been resolved in A ground-breAking mediAtion settlement &ndAsh; A first for CAmbodiA. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/lAnd-disputes-settled-through-mediAtion/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia’s economy has experienced an impressive performance, reflected in its rapid economic growth and significant poverty reduction. Part of this is the result of the relative openness of Cambodia towards foreign investors. Domestic investment has also been growing, although at a lower rate than other <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/topics/investment-policy-and-regulation/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

When a 100-metre-long section of a Phnom Penh garment factory crumpled in on itself like a cheap pup tent, Sen Sok district officials promised an investigation. The results of that investigation, which was to have taken place more than a year ago, in March 2012, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/standards-building-up-safety-fears/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Anger over the violent AttAck on peAceful protesters At WAt Phnom on SundAy night simmered At the site MondAy morning, with the sAme demonstrAtors returning to confront their Alleged AttAckers And detAining A police officiAl they Accused of spying. Shortly before 11 p.m. on SundAy night, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/bruised-but-not-beAten-protesters-return-to-wAt-phnom/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia’s ruling party has reportedly won in national elections Sunday, but it appears to have lost a significant number of seats in parliament. according to preliminary election figures released by Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, the Cambodian People’s Party won 68 of 123 National assembly seats. That’s a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/in-preliminary-results-ruling-party-seats-diminished-in-election-win/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Texas Wesleyan School of LawLegal Research Intern, Jun &ndash; Jul 2013Katherine was a graduate student from the Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Katherine spent her summer in 2013 with ODC, during which she completed a briefing paper on the Cambodian health sector. Currently, Katherine is <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/p_profile/katherine-l-hart/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>