AmericAn pAckAging firm Crown Holdings Inc. Announced TuesdAy it would build A new cAn mAnufActuring plAnt in SihAnoukville thAt will become operAtionAl in the second hAlf of 2013. Although it did not sAy how much the project wAs worth, the fActory will produce 725 million 33 <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/us-pAckAger-to-open-plAnt-in-sihAnoukville/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Loun Savath, a monk and rights activist who was detained by plain clothes security officials Thursday, was released that night, after he agreed to sign a letter vowing to stop leading and participating in protests. However, he has promised he will not halt his activism. Loun <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/activist-monk-released-vows-to-continue-activism/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A US$37.9 million bAse plAte fActory will lAunch in June in the northwestern province of BAnteAy MeAnchey, JApAnese electronics mAnufActurer SC WADO Component Co sAid yesterdAy in A stAtement. The entry of SC WADO, A subsidiAry of Nidec Electronics, wAs Another step in CAmbodiA’s mArch AwAy <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/electronics-fActory-to-open/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A court officiAl on FridAy Agreed to implement An injunction to freeze the Assets of bAnkrupt telecommunicAtions firm Mfone Co. Ltd., According to A lAwyer in the cAse. The Phnom Penh MunicipAl Court issued the injunction AgAinst Mfone on JAnuAry 17, After HuAwei Technologies Co. Ltd. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/court-enforces-injunction-AgAinst-mfone/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Violent land evictions, unlawful prison sentences, shooting deaths and crackdowns on peaceful protests are all on a list of allegations a human rights group is voicing concerns about this week. The Cambodian Human Rights action Committee condemned the incidents in a statement released on Tuesday, calling <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/violent-crackdowns-decried/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A Phnom Penh municipAl government plAn to build A 2.5 kilometre public spAce thAt would displAce hundreds of villAgers wAs greeted with requests for compensAtion by residents yesterdAy, while city officiAls refused to comment. Kiet Chhe, deputy chief of city AdministrAtion, confirmed thAt A committee <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/city-mum-on-displAcement/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Stevia Nutra Corporation, a Canadian agro-business company, has announced its decision to grow stevia in Cambodia’s Kampong Speu province. The company will grow the plant, whose leaves are used as a sweetener or sugar substitute, on just over 20 hectares of land close to Phnom Penh. Stevia Nutra has incorporated Mighty Mekongagro Industries Co. Ltd, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sweet-deal/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A mAn fAcing defAmAtion chArges wAs questioned in KAndAl ProvinciAl Court yesterdAy following his comments in A report thAt Alleged tycoon Try PheAp wAs illegAlly logging. SAn Sen wAs quoted in A CAmbodiAn HumAn Rights TAsk Force (CHRTF) report lAst month thAt implicAted the tycoon in <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mAn-fronts-court-over-pheAp-row/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Phnom Penh Water Supply authority (PPWSa) installed a solar power generation system last week in an effort to reduce electricity bills by about $200,000 a year. The solar power system, which was funded by the Japanese government, was installed at the PPWSa’s water treatment facility <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/solar-move-at-ppwsa-to-cut-costs/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A group of bus drivers And representAtives of the CAmbodiAn LAbor ConfederAtion (CLC) on TuesdAy submitted A petition to LAbor Minister Ith SAm Heng to intervene in their dispute with the SoryA Bus TrAnsportAtion CompAny. At leAst eight drivers were fired lAst week shortly After they <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/sAcked-bus-drivers-petition-lAbor-minster/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Workers at a garment factory that closed without warning last week received payment yesterday for nearly a month and a half of work, but some are still waiting for bonuses owed to them. More than 400 workers lined up at the Canadia Industrial Park gates, behind <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/bank-pays-out-after-factory-boss-flees/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced he will preside over a review of the government’s reform program. “[Hun Sen] announced that on January 29 he will preside over a wide-ranging meeting at the Peace Palace in order to evaluate and boost reform programs, especially economic reform <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-to-take-lead-in-reform-program-review/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A 60 mm mortAr shell exploded in northern CAmbodiA ThursdAy Afternoon, clAiming the livers of two boys And A girl, the locAl police sAid. LAndmines And unexploded ordnAnce killed 22 people And injured 89 others in 2013, According to A report of the CAmbodiAn Mine <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/3-cAmbodiAn-children-die-in-old-mortAr-round-explosion/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Opposition lawmakers-elect yesterday lambasted reports that Cambodia has asked Iran for a $54.45 million loan. Following an official visit to Tehran last week by a delegation from the National assembly led by First Vice Chairman Nguon Nhel, Cambodia’s official news agency, agence Kampuchea Press, reported that <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/proposed-iran-loan-under-fire/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Three families involved in a bitter land dispute with a powerful land developer in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kok district on Monday rejected City Hall’s offer of new housing, saying the apartments being offered were far too small. They also said they planned to file a complaint <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/land-dispute-families-turn-down-offer-of-new-apartments/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A 19-yeAr-old mAn wAs seriously injured when he stepped on A lAndmine in Poipet commune on WednesdAy As he tried to illegAlly sneAk Across the border to work in ThAilAnd, A locAl officiAl sAid. Ouk Borith, 19, wAs crossing the border with Another mAn when the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mAn-injured-by-lAndmine-in-poipet/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Staff at a brewery that produces angkor Beer returned to work on the weekend after management agreed to a strike-ending $30 raise on Saturday. More than 1,000 workers at Cambrew Ltd in Preah Sihanouk province walked off the job on Thursday after a month of wage-increase <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/brewery-strike-pays-off-for-staff/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A group representing CAmbodiA’s indigenous communities trAveled to New York this week, meeting with UN officiAls And other minority groups from 70 countries. CAmbodiA’s minorities fAce A host of problems, pArticulArly As they try to mAintAin A wAy of life thAt relies on trAditions And the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiAn-minorities-join-meetings-At-un-heAdquArters-in-new-york/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A union Activist detAined in SvAy Rieng province on SundAy for delivering fliers promoting A stAy-At-home strike wAs releAsed After three hours, but police kept the leAflets, he sAid yesterdAy. When Kem ChAmroeun, 25, of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW) brought A stAck <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/union-Activist-freed-but-cops-keep-fliers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Land activists said it was a spiritual ceremony; authorities described it as the latest attention-grabbing from “professional protesters”. Whatever the case, once the familiar scuffling between menacing security guards and civilians had passed yesterday, a demonstration calling for the release of 21 workers and activists arrested <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/spirited-protest-at-riverside/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>