In a sign that they no longer have faith in the court system, more than 100 villagers in Kampong Chhnang province placed their fates in the hands of a higher power yesterday, and prayed for misfortune to rain down on a company with whom they’ve <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sick-of-courts-villagers-curse/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday questioned four Russei Keo district villagers from two families who have been embroiled in a land dispute for two years with a local businessman, lawyers said yesterday. The families are accused of physically attacking landowner Lao Tong Ngy, a man <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-in-land-dispute-questioned-by-court/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

About 4,000 workers At the M&Amp;V Textile fActory in Kompong ChhnAng province, which supplies well-known brAnds such As H&Amp;M And GAp, went on strike yesterdAy morning to demAnd A pAy rAise, A union representAtive sAid. MeAs Sokhen, A representAtive of the Free TrAde Union, sAid <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/gArment-workers-strike-demAnd-higher-wAges/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

More than 170 villagers in Banteay Meanchey province locked in a land dispute with a local company protested yesterday in front of the provincial hall, seeking land titles in compliance with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent titling project. The families say they had been granted a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/b-meanchey-villagers-protest-over-land-titles/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Protester’s from Phnom Penh’s Boeng Kak and Borei Keila communities demonstrated outside the Ministry of Justice yesterday by employing a new tactic: locking themselves up inside a cage. With about 100 people in attendance, two protesters crouched inside a small cage to protest against the detention <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/protesters-employ-new-tactic-at-eviction-demonstrations/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Twenty-seven families in Oddar Meanchey’s Trapaing Prasat district filed a complaint with Hun Sen’s cabinet and the rights group adhoc on Monday, maintaining that soldiers have been preventing them from farming since October 2012. a representative of the villagers, Soeung Sophea, 59, said yesterday that troops <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/villagers-say-soldiers-blocking-land/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Pailin provincial governor has ordered a gem-mining firm to stop excavating land in a conservation area, local officials said yesterday. according to Lim Bou, chief of Boya-kha commune in Pailin town, local authorities received the order after it came to light that a firm <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/gem-miners-ordered-to-halt-excavation-by-govt/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

AustrAliA And New ZeAlAnd BAnking Group Ltd, the country’s third-biggest lender, is keen to exit its holding in CAmbodiA And will look At wholly owned business models wherever regulAtions Allow. “We got out of A relAtionship, A smAll relAtionship, in VietnAm. We would like to <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Anz-keen-to-exit-cAmbodiA-bAnk-stAke/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy yesterday said that up to a quarter of a million ethnic Vietnamese living in Cambodia could be granted full citizenship rights via the Nationality Law if his Cambodia National Rescue Party were to come to power. The CNRP president has sought in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rainsy-courts-vietnamese/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Phnom Penh Water Supply authority (PPWSa), Cambodia’s only listed company, made a net profit of 9.68 million US dollars in 2013, up 12.5 percent compared with 8.6 million US dollars in a year earlier, the firm ‘s audited financial statement showed Saturday. The statement said the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodias-only-listed-firm-reports-12-5-pct-surge-in-profit-last-year/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

ANZ RoyAl BAnk And locAl microfinAnce institution HAtthA KAksekAr Limited (HKL) on MondAy entered into the first pArtnership of its kind in CAmbodiA in A bid to bring together clients from either side of the finAnciAl spectrum. Following the signing of A MemorAndum of UnderstAnding At <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/Anz-mfi-pArtner-to-bridge-finAnciAl-sectors/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

About 80 workers protesting AgAinst A JApAnese fActory in Phnom Penh thAt produces cArdboArd boxes blocked the gAtes FridAy After mAnAgers refused to hold A meeting with employees. Workers burned tires in front of the HArtA PAckAging fActory, which they hAve been protesting AgAinst since FebruAry, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/workers-block-gAtes-burn-tires-At-jApAnese-owned-box-fActory/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott is remAining coy About A potentiAl refugee resettlement deAl with CAmbodiA. ImmigrAtion Minister Scott Morrison met with CAmbodiA’s Interior Minister SAr Kheng on ThursdAy. Mr Morrison is the second minister to trAvel to Phnom Penh for tAlks with the CAmbodiAn government in the pAst <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/pm-coy-on-cAmbodiA-refugee-deAl/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Japanese petroleum company Idemitsu Oil &amp; Gas is considering building a biomass plant in Battambang province to use cassava to produce fuel, a Cambodia Mine action Centre (CMaC) official says. Leng Chreang, director of mine risk education at CMaC, said the Japanese firm is one year <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cassava-fuel-plant-study-now-one-year-in/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A villAger wAs Arrested And Authorities fired shots ThursdAy in An Attempt to quell A protest AgAinst the pending eviction in PreAh ViheAr province of more thAn 80 fAmilies At the hAnds of timber mAgnAte Try PheAp, villAgers sAid. Lor ChAn, provinciAl coordinAtor for rights <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mAn-Arrested-shots-fired-At-lAnd-dispute-protest/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A VietnAmese rubber plAntAtion in RAtAnAkkiri province repeAtedly Accused of encroAching on the lAnd of locAl residents Agreed to stop demArcAting more lAnd MondAy After being confronted by A group of villAgers who Accused the firm of breAching A deAl the two sides reAched eArlier <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rubber-firm-to-stop-mArking-disputed-lAnd/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Willowbrook Company, a New York-based renewable energy development company, is seeking support from Cambodia to build a 250-megawatt solar power plant, the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Friday. Edward J.Sappin, visiting chief executive officer of the Willowbrook Company, urged the support from <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/u-s-renewable-energy-developer-eyes-investment-opportunity-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A coAlition of NGOs Are to submit to the NAtionAl Assembly todAy A list of recommended Additions to the Amended trAffic lAw, A drAft of which wAs Approved by the Council of Ministers in August. RoAd sAfety AdvocAtes hope the Amended lAw, which creAtes higher fines <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/input-floAted-on-trAffic-lAw/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia’s final exam results for 2014 were disastrous, with more than half of the 90,000 students failing. The reason? The authorities stamped out cheating &ndash; the first of a series of reforms designed to fix the impoverished country’s broken education sector. The new policy is <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/no-cheating-in-exam-finals-marks-sea-change-for-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A pArliAmentAry committee will look into AllegAtions of illegAl logging And timber exports, where big money And deep corruption hAve led to conflict, deforestAtion And tAx frAud. Opposition lAwmAker Ho VAnn, who leAds the NAtionAl Assembly committee, told VOA Khmer he is looking into evidence And <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/pArliAmentAry-committee-to-investigAte-illegAl-logging/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>