Report Shows Rise in Garment Labor Disputes
Increasing discrimination by factories against unions and continued poor wages in Cambodia’s garment sector have resulted in a rise in the number of worker protests, according to a report released yesterday by the International Labor Organization (ILO). according to its periodic synthesis report on working <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/report-shows-rise-in-garment-labor-disputes/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Sam Rainsy Wants Ruling and Opposition Parties Declared Joint Winners
Cambodia’s opposition leader Sam Rainsy called Friday for election officials to declare his party and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party joint victors in recent polls saying the move would be a first step toward resolving a deadlock over the disputed election. With the opposition Cambodia National <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sam-rainsy-wants-ruling-and-opposition-parties-declared-joint-winners/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Radio Free Asia News Staff
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cnrp-09202013174129.html
Protesters Stop Try Pheap Tractor From Clearing Land in Preah Vihear
More than 100 people on Thursday protested and stopped a bulldozer belonging to businessman Try Pheap from clearing their land next to a rubber plantation he owns in Preah Vihear’s Rovieng district, villagers and local officials said. Oeun Sitha said he was among more than 100 <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/protesters-stop-try-pheap-tractor-from-clearing-land-in-preah-vihear/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
As free man, Polonsky plans tourism mecca
Sergei Polonsky, a Russian fugitive and former billionaire real estate magnate who was recently released from prison in Cambodia, has grand plans for a string of islands off the coast of Sihanoukville. Less than a month after the Supreme Court refused to extradite him to Russia <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/as-free-man-polonsky-plans-tourism-mecca/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Joshua Wilwohl
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/as-free-man-polonsky-plans-tourism-mecca-58726/
Labor minister says solution to Bavet strike in the works
On the sidelines of a government event marking International Labor Day, Labor Minister Ith Sam Heng on Thursday blamed recent strikes in Bavet City on unnamed provocateurs, but said efforts were underway to resolve the dispute. He also said that a government-ordered shutdown of the 30-plus <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/labor-minister-says-solution-to-bavet-strike-in-the-works/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Aun Pheap and Khuon Narim
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/labor-minister-says-solution-to-bavet-strike-in-the-works-57942/
Kreung protest for release of charged arsonist
Dozens of ethnic minority Kreung villagers protested outside the Ratanakkiri Provincial Court on Monday, demanding the release of a fellow Kreung man presently in pretrial detention for setting fire to a pile of wood on land the community sold in 2007 but claims it was <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kreung-protest-for-release-of-charged-arsonist/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Aun Pheap
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/kreung-protest-for-release-of-charged-arsonist-54429/
Factories still skimping: ILO
Cambodia’s garment exports exceeded US$1 billion during the first quarter of 2012, yet many factories are failing to pay workers proper maternity leave benefits or address issues of fainting, a labour report says. The International Labour Organization-Better Factories Cambodia’s Twenty Eighth Synthesis Report on Working Conditions <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/factories-still-skimping-ilo/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
ADB admits mistakes over controversial railway project in Cambodia
In a rare admission, the asian Development Bank has surprisingly acknowledged its own shortcomings following a controversial railway rehabilitation project in Cambodia that sparked complaints from thousands of displaced local residents affected by forced resettlements, insufficient compensations and neglect of their human rights. The concerns were confirmed by the Compliance <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/adb-admits-mistakes-over-controversial-railway-project-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Lean Alfred Santos
https://www.devex.com/en/news/adb-admits-mistakes-over-failed-railway-project-in/82809
Cambodia gets rolling
The small but sleek angkor Car can easily navigate the narrow streets of Cambodia, while with an electric engine saves on expensive fuel costs. It may cost $10,000 per vehicle, a bit steep for most local people, but the vehicle is a welcome testimony to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-gets-rolling-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/marketing/348783/cambodia-gets-rolling
US, Australia Continue Call For Credible Election Inquiry
In the wake of an announcement by the National Election Committee (NEC) that it has completed its investigation into election irregularities, the U.S. and australian embassies in Phnom Penh on Monday continued to call for an independent and transparent inquiry into the results of the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/us-australia-continue-call-for-credible-election-inquiry/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Colin Meyn
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/us-australia-continue-call-for-credible-election-inquiry-40185/
Cambodia Garment Wages Set to Rise as H&M Pushes New Approach
Swedish clothing giant H&M recently announced a program to boost wages for garment workers in its sub-contractor factories around the world, including in Cambodia, where the company is a leading buyer. H&M’s announcement comes at the end of a turbulent year in the garment sector <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-garment-wages-set-to-rise-as-hm-pushes-new-approach/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Robert Carmichael
http://www.voanews.com/content/cambodian-garment-wages-set-rise-hm-pushes-new-approach/1803179.html
Maids set to work abroad, but safety fears linger
After A three-yeAr morAtorium on sending mAids overseAs&mdAsh;spArked by A spAte of serious Abuses by recruiters And employers&mdAsh;momentum is building to once AgAin send hundreds of thousAnds of CAmbodiAn women to work overseAs As domestic servAnts. Since Prime Minister Hun Sen shut down the industry in <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mAids-set-to-work-AbroAd-but-sAfety-feArs-linger/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Matt Blomberg
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/maids-set-to-work-abroad-but-safety-fears-linger-58853/
Factory bows but strike continues
Workers striking for a second day at a garment factory in suburban Phnom Penh succeeded yesterday in having one of their eight demands met, as Taiwanese-owned Meroson Cambodia Co Ltd agreed to reinstate three employees allegedly fired for joining a union, a union official said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/factory-bows-but-strike-continues/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
NGOs voice concerns about draft law ahead of aid forum
The government’s proposed NGO draft law is a barrier to effective aid and development, civil society organizations said yesterday during a workshop in Phnom Penh focused on compiling a report on Cambodia’s climate for NGOs ahead of a global forum on aid effectiveness to be <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ngos-voice-concerns-about-draft-law-ahead-of-aid-forum/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Another timeout for Anful
About 170 gArment workers fAinted At A fActory in KAmpong Speu yesterdAy, the first dAy Anful GArments MAnufActuring reopened After being hit by A mAss fAinting incident on MondAy, workers And government officiAls sAid yesterdAy. The second mAss fAinting At the Hong Kong-owned fActory, which supplies <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Another-timeout-for-Anful/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011102852413/National-news/another-timeout-for-anful.html
Relocation, cash offered to make way for bridge
More than 144 families threatened with eviction from Daun Penh district’s Srah Chak commune to make way for a new $27.5 million Chinese-Cambodian Friendship Bridge attended a meeting on Friday to discuss an offer of relocation and compensation, an official said The meeting with Deputy District <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/relocation-cash-offered-to-make-way-for-bridge/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Calls for Kingdom to join transparency group
A new US commitment to oil And mining trAnspArency mAy push the Kingdom closer to A similAr Agreement, CAmbodiAn experts hAve sAid. US President BArAck ObAmA Announced eArlier this week thAt the US would join the ExtrActive Industries TrAnspArency InitiAtive As An implementing country, According to <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAlls-for-kingdom-to-join-trAnspArency-group/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Tariffs on rice slashed to help fuel exports
As pArt of A continuing push to bolster rice exports, the government hAs Agreed to wAive All export tAriffs on milled rice And will Also eliminAte vAlue-Added tAx (VAT) on pAddy rice purchAsed domesticAlly. According to A promulgAtion signed lAst month by FinAnce Minister KeAt Chhon, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/tAriffs-on-rice-slAshed-to-help-fuel-exports/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
PM mulling referendum over death penalty for ‘beasts’ who rape children
Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Sunday that he was considering introducing the death penalty for people who rape children, but he said it would only happen after a nationwide referendum. He was speaking during a meeting in the capital’s Dangkor district with 44 staff <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pm-mulling-referendum-over-death-penalty-for-beasts-who-rape-children/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Niem Chheng
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-mulling-referendum-over-death-penalty-beasts-who-rape-children
Government: UK-Cambodian trade will remain strong
Two-way trade between Cambodia and the UK will remain strong even if the UK leaves the EU as bilateral trade between the two countries surpassed $1 billion last year, said Ministry of Commerce spokesman Seang Thay on Wednesday. according to a Ministry of Commerce press <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-uk-cambodian-trade-will-remain-strong/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Hor Kimsay
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/government-uk-cambodian-trade-will-remain-strong