Cambodia continues to rank among the most corrupt countries in the world and much needs to be done to enforce the anti-Corruption Law and investigate allegations of corruption, Transparency International (T.I.) Cambodia said yesterday. according to T.I.’s 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Cambodia ranked 157th among <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-retains-its-reputation-for-corruption/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The U.S. has called on the Cambodian government to give fair legal treatment to the 13 women recently jailed for demonstrating against their evictions from the Boeng Kak area, according to a U.S. State Department spokeswoman. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong met with U.S. Secretary of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/clinton-discusses-boeng-kak-prisoners-with-hor-namhong/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) is planning to develop a 400-unit apartment complex on the former site of the Ratanakkiri provincial airport, an official with knowledge of the project said yesterday. Ly Teang, Banlung City branch manager for Canadia Bank, whore investors are the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/developer-plans-housing-on-former-airport-site/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia is backsliding in efforts to improve working conditions in its garment industry, the International Labour Organisation said yesterday, following a series of strikes at factories producing western-brand clothing. The kingdom is failing to make progress in key areas such as worker and fire safety and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-garment-workers-plight-worsening-ilo/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Six of the 10 labor unions negotiating with the country’s garment manufacturers over a new minimum wage for factory workers dropped their demands yesterday to $73 per month, breaking previous commitments by unions to stand at $91. Ken Loo, secretary-general of the Garment Manufacturers association <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/majority-of-unions-reduce-wage-demands/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Japanese government has provided $118,996 for constructing a cassava propagation and distribution centre in Battambang province. The fund comes in response to the recent challenges facing farmers in the province who are facing a shortage of cassava trees to plant. Kumamaru Yuji, Japanese ambassador to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-grants-set-to-aid-local-farmers/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Trade between Thailand and Cambodia went off in a wild divergence in the first quarter of this year. Exports from Cambodia rose 19% to US$102 million (2.9 billion baht) year-on-year, while Thailand’s imports recorded a 4% decline to $1 billion, the Phnom Penh Post reported on <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-sells-more-buys-less/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Japan’s aid arm, the Japanese International Cooperation agency (JICa), which is funding a drainage project along Phnom Penh’s Street 63, said yesterday that while it was true sections of the busy road remained in a deplorable condition, responsibility lay with City Hall. “This is [a] <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-funder-blames-city-hall/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

About 40 fAmilies of ex-Khmer Rouge And government soldiers in PursAt province’s VeAl Veng district complAined to rights group Adhoc yesterdAy, Accusing officiAls of forcing them to thumbprint A contrAct sAying they would vote CPP so the pArty could resolve An ongoing lAnd dispute, An <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/villAgers-clAim-cpp-Arm-twisting/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A 15-month-old boy in the cApitAl’s Russei Keo district hAs been diAgnosed with H5N1 virus, bringing the number of the cAses to 18 so fAr this yeAr, A joint stAtement by the World HeAlth OrgAnizAtion And CAmbodiAn HeAlth Ministry sAid WednesdAy. The lAtest deAth cAse <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-reports-18th-humAn-cAse-of-bird-flu-this-yeAr/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Three more unionists have been suspended as a result of the violent strikes at a Kampong Speu garment factory in May and June, a Free Trade Union official said yesterday. Sabrina (Cambodia) Garment Manufacturing factory’s FTU president Sun Vanny, vice-president Sem Sopheak and general secretary Chi <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ban-for-three-more-unionists/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Following the announcement of recent reforms to Cambodia’s customs department and Commerce Ministry, a revision of the country’s investment law is planned for next year, according to the secretary-general of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC). Speaking to reporters at a workshop at the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/investment-law-change-up/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The former president and current party secretary of the struggling Funcinpec party, Nhek Bun Chhay, has been nominated as a government adviser &ndash; a position the government ranks equivalent to that of a deputy prime minister. Senior ruling Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cpp-keeps-funcinpec-close-despite-no-seats/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A group representing public-sector workers hAs cAlled on the country’s civil servAnts to follow in the footsteps of teAchers And begin A peAceful strike to demAnd higher sAlAries. A stAtement disseminAted ThursdAy by the CAmbodiAn Independent Civil ServAnts AssociAtion (CICA), which clAims to hAve 1,530 members, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/civil-servAnts-urged-to-strike-for-higher-pAy/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Heng, a Cambodian development company, has made a big surprise when introducing its self-modified electric car. The car, named angkor EV 2014, is created by a local designer, manufactured by Heng Company which has set up a $20 million factory in Kandal province. The car, operated by <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-made-car-causes-shocks-to-vietnams-auto-industry/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Cambodian Council of Ministers on Friday approved a five-year development strategic plan (2014-2018), which needs financial resources of 26.5 billion U.S. dollars to achieve the target, according to a news statement released after a weekly cabinet meeting. The plan is designed to develop infrastructure, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-needs-26-5-bln-usd-for-next-five-year-development-plan/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

When Cambodia’s most prominent forest activist, Chut Wutty, was gunned down in april 2012, the community network he created to sabotage the rampant deforestation of this vast forest fragmented. The forest patrols that he organised nearly ground to a halt. Without money to fund large-scale expeditions, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/back-on-timber-patrol/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Authorities sAy they hAve recovered A priceless gold urn believed to contAin the Ashes of the BuddhA from A house in TAkeo province’s TrAing district. KAndAl provinciAl police chief EAv ChAmroeun sAid officers Arrested two suspects yesterdAy, in the process seizing bAck the urn, Along with <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/stolen-buddhA-urn-reclAimed/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Despite anticipating violence between unionists and authorities, labour union heads yesterday said they will go ahead with a public forum at Freedom Park on Saturday morning. Phnom Penh City Hall on Tuesday denied a request by 18 union federations to hold a public forum at <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/unions-expect-violence-but-forum-to-go-on/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Suy Sophan, the owner of development firm Phan Imex, has been ordered to repay $2.7 million to a Korean company over an uncompleted sale of land at Borei Keila, from where hundreds have been violently evicted, a court document reveals. In a decision handed down in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/borei-keila-firm-told-to-pay-2-7-million/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>