Students, NGO workers and map enthusiasts came together Saturday in Phnom Penh to contribute information to an online map of Cambodia as part of a worldwide mapping effort, the event’s organizers said yesterday. The global project, known as the OpenStreetMap Project (OSM), uses a similar concept <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/online-mapping-project-for-cambodia-gets-under-way/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s government has ignored a suspension on new land concessions to private companies, announcements in an official publication showed, despite ordering a freeze after growing discontent over forced evictions and illegal logging. Prime Minister Hun Sen signed off on 12 sub-decrees on June 7 and 12 <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodia-approves-land-concessions-despite-ban/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday charged a Ministry of Interior police general with intimidation and unlawful interference in the discharge of a public function for allegedly attempting to use Prime Minister Hun Sen’s student volunteer program to settle a personal land dispute. Mr. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/court-changes-general-denounced-by-hun-sen-over-land-claim/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

As the lAtest UN climAte chAnge conference begins todAy in DohA, QAtAr, A coAlition of CAmbodiAn NGOs is joining cAlls for developed countries to beAr more of the burden of combAting climAte chAnge. CAmbodiA And other poor countries Are unprepAred to deAl with rApid climAte chAnge <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/coAlition-of-cAmbodiAn-ngos-cAlls-for-help-with-climAte-chAnge/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Manufacturers and unions aligned with the ruling CPP yesterday said the current labor shortage inside the garment industry would act as an incentive for employers to increase salaries, and that there was no need for the government to impose a new minimum wage. During a meeting <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/should-minimum-wage-be-market-driven-or-government-dictated/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The National assembly has announced that it will discuss a draft law on the financing of a controversial dam project in Stung Treng province on February 15, a move environmental groups called premature. Meach Mean, coordinator for 3S Rivers Protection Network &ndash; which has been <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/lawmakers-to-discuss-sesan-2-dam-draft-law/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Malaysia-based Hong Leong Bank, a subsidiary of Hong Leong Financial Group Berhad, is planning to open a branch in Cambodia sometime this year, which would make it the fourth Malaysian bank and the 33rd commercial bank in Cambodia’s crowded banking industry. Ngoun Sokha, director general of the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/malay-hong-leong-bank-plans-cambodian-branch/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A combined force of police, soldiers And militAry police lAst night set A deAdline of 8Am this morning for villAgers in Mondulkiri province’s tiny RAyum commune to leAve their homes or fAce forcible eviction. Authorities, who hAve surrounded the villAge for A week, sAy the villAgers’ <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mondulkiri-villAges-residents-sAy-theyd-rAther-die-thAn-run/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A fActory in Phnom Penh thAt Assembles motorcycles for HondA decided on FridAy to reinstAte four workers who hAd been fired in December for creAting A new trAde union. About 300 workers At the HondA NCX CompAny in Pur Senchey district hAd been on strike since <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/workers-At-hondA-plAnt-given-bAck-their-jobs/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Banks here are trying to take advantage of a growth in Chinese investment by launching services that will allow payments from local banks to be made in China’s currency, the renminbi. Grant Knuckey, CEO of aNZ Royal Bank, said that because of a growing number of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/banks-look-to-offer-services-using-renminbi/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The United States on Monday criticized a decision by the struggling asian nation of Laos to build the first dam across the mainstream of the Mekong River, a project that environmentalists warn could affect tens of millions of livelihoods and trigger a dam-building spree along <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/us-criticizes-laos-decision-to-build-mekong-dam/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s total exports increased more than 13 per cent in the first nine months of this year, with a year-on-year comparison indicating a widening trade deficit. a private-sector representative, an exporter and an independent economist said the slow growth was mainly due to the slowing of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/kingdoms-trade-deficit-widens/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The custodians of a community forest in Ratanakkiri have accused a company of illegally bulldozing their protected jungle. Sen Youn, a representative of the Jarai ethnic minority in O’Yadav district’s Lumchor commune, said yesterday an investigation with rights groups had uncovered that the Chea Chanrith Development <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/jarai-ethnic-minority-claim-forest-razed/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The open-source mapping website Urban Voice launched a campaign yesterday against a government order banning Internet cafes withing 500 meters of schools that will effectively make it illegal to operate such businesses in much of Phnom Penh. “Implementation of this order would mean the closure of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-order-may-close-many-of-citys-internet-cafes/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

More than 400 activists fighting the destruction of the Prey Lang forest held a ceremony yesterday in which they tied Buddhist monk’s robes around the trunks of trees &ndash; a gesture of protection &ndash; to stop them from being cut down. Six monks and villagers from <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/activists-tie-saffron-robes-to-trees-to-protect5-forest/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In a land dispute with overtones of last week’s deadly eviction in Kratie province, villagers in Mondolkiri province yesterday said dozens of police were surrounding their houses and threatening to force them out of a private land concession. Sen Sophon, one of about 200 families in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/mondolkiri-villagers-fear-imminent-eviction/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s inflation rate had increased by 1.6 percent in November 2012 if compared with November 2011 due to moderate increases in food and petroleum prices, according to the latest statistics of the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) on Tuesday. The statistics said the total consumer price <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodias-inflation-increases-by-1-6-pct-in-november/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Government officials have suggested the widow of the man crushed to death last month at the Wing Star Shoes factory, a supplier to asics, will still be denied compensation from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), a labour rights worker said yesterday. american Center for International <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/wing-star-widow-in-limbo/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A 3-yeAr-old boy from Prey Veng province’s Kompong TrAbek district hAs contrActed AviAn influenzA, A deAdly diseAse thAt hAs killed seven children And two men so fAr this yeAr in the lArgest outbreAk the country hAs seen, the Ministry of HeAlth sAid in A stAtement <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/prey-veng-boy-confirmed-As-14th-bird-flu-cAse-this-yeAr/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A MAlAysiA-JApAn joint-venture compAny, HitAchi SunwAy InformAtion Systems Sdn Bhd, is mAking A forAy into CAmbodiA After securing A deAl with Aeon Co to supply point-of-sAles (POS) systems to the JApAnese retAiler. The POS systems will be used to fAcilitAte trAnsActions for the tenAnts of the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/hitAchi-sunwAy-mAking-inroAds-into-cAmbodiA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>