The assistant of a lumber tycoon accused of major deforestation and forced evictions rejected Thursday the findings of a recent report by local rights groups. The Cambodian Human Rights Task Force said in its report that some 1,400 families had been pushed from their land by <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/lumber-tycoon-denies-allegations-of-illegal-deforestation/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday blasted election watchdog Comfrel for “provoking chaos” with its pre-election announcement that the indelible voter ink could be easily removed. Speaking to reporters at the National assembly, Hun Sen said the NGO deserved a share of moral responsibility for some <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/election-ink-video-provoked-chaos-pm/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday outlined the role of the newly christened Ministry of Public Function, explaining that the body would oversee the reform of the Kingdom’s civil service, including the salaries of its employees &ndash; a major plank in the opposition’s campaign platform. as a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/civil-servant-wages-under-new-ministry/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A CAmbodiAn court on MondAy upheld the conviction of A former politiciAn who shot And wounded three gArment workers in 2012 but hAs yet to serve Any time behind bArs in A cAse thAt hAs prompted outrAge from rights groups. Judge TAing Sun LAy Also <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiAn-ex-governors-shooting-conviction-upheld/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

NGO Wildlife AlliAnce hAs publicly Accused members of the RoyAl CAmbodiAn NAvy of opening fire on pAtrolling rAngers on the TAtAi river in Koh Kong’s SmAch MeAnchey district After they tried to seize An Allegedly illegAl shipment of rosewood. At About 11pm on October 10, A <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/nAvy-loggers-opened-fire-ngo/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A lAw student who filed A complAint with the Phnom Penh MunicipAl Court AgAinst the city’s police And militAry police chiefs over the fAtAl shooting of A bystAnder by Authorities during A protest lAst month took his complAint to the U.N.’s humAn rights office on <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/complAint-filed-with-un-over-police-shooting-of-civiliAns/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Cambodian Democratic Student Intellectual Federation, a self-described “non-governmental and politically impartial organisation”, has declared the elections an unqualified success. “Having directly observed the electoral process in all 24 municipality [sic] and provinces, CDSIF affirms that this general election was smoothly, properly, transparently, freely and <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/an-ngo-with-suspect-ties-offers-wide-praise/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai has asked the government of Cambodia to lift a ban on public gathering that has been in force for a month. a statement also said Kiai met and raised the issue of the blanket protest ban with Secretary of State for <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/maina-kiai-calls-on-cambodia-government-to-lift-ban-on-public-assemblies/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Officials from the opposition CNRP announced Tuesday that they will file lawsuits against deputy Daun Penh district governor Sok Penhvuth, who on Monday ordered district security guards to attack a small and peaceful group of CNRP supporters near Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park. Speaking at a press <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cnrp-to-file-lawsuit-against-deputy-governor/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In a first for Phnom Penh, South Korean condominium developer Nury D&amp;C has teamed up with SBI Royal Securities to offer condominium buyers a leaseback arrangement on the remaining condo-miniums and condo-minium blocks for sale at De Castle Royal. The 32-storey De Castle Royal has a <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/de-castle-royal-launches-leaseback-program/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The U.N.’s deputy high commissioner for human rights, Flavia Pansieri&mdash;who is on a week­long mission in Cambodia &mdash;has been asked to address an arbitrarily enforced ban on public assemblies, which has been in place since January. In a letter dated Monday, Muth Chantha, secretary-general of the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-rep-asked-to-focus-on-public-assembly-ban/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

District security guards were deployed to Chroy Changva peninsula Tuesday to intercept villagers who were ready to smash a pipe that has been pumping sand onto their land for the past year. The roughly 40 families occupy the northeastern corner of a 387-hectare swathe of wetlands <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/chroy-changva-locals-threaten-ocic-pipeline/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A senior ruling pArty lAwmAker hAs rejected AllegAtions thAt the group of 21 Activists, unionists And workers Arrested during protests lAst month And denied bAil for A second time yesterdAy Are being used As A politicAl tool by the government to force the opposition pArty <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/detAinees-not-being-used-for-leverAge-yeAp/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Burger King will launch another three restaurants in Cambodia by the end of the year, according to a company official, in a move that will bolster the fast food chain’s share of a market dominated by KFC. Somach Sovary, support manager for Burger King Cambodia, said <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/burger-king-chain-to-expand/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A new blueprint for the long-delAyed SnAke IslAnd (Koh Pos) resort development off the coAst of SihAnoukville will soon be completed, And investment of up to $1 billion is hoped to kick-stArt the project, which hAs A plAnned completion dAte of 2018, According to the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/luxury-resort-looks-for-new-leAse-of-life-with-redesigned-blueprint/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In an effort to bring stability back to the country’s embattled but crucial garment industry, the Ministry of Labor has joined forces with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Swedish clothing giant H&amp;M in a campaign for unions and factories to sign direct agreements to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hm-ilo-form-new-industrial-relations-initiative/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Candidates to lead key parliamentary commissions in an indication that voting in the legislature may not be tied to a deal to end a year-long political deadlock. Wednesday’s session of the National assembly, or parliament, saw 31 lawmakers from the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodias-ruling-party-reject-opposition-pair-to-sit-on-parliament-panels/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Officials at the World Bank, which in 2011 froze new loans to Cambodia amid a furore surrounding the Boeung Kak lake evictions, have approved preliminary proposals to issue funding for a project that could see families forcibly removed in Kampong Thom province. Under the World Bank’s <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/after-hiatus-world-bank-oks-proposal-for-new-funding/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

New and existing companies listed on the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) will have their taxes halved by the Cambodian government, a move that is being labelled as a generous attempt to boost activity on the bourse. The sub-decree, which was signed off by Prime Minister Hun <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/firms-that-list-to-see-tax-cut/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police arrested nine people, including Chinese and Vietnamese nationals, on Saturday in connection with a kidney trafficking ring involving the state-run Preah Ket Mealea military hospital, officials said Sunday. among the nine are the hospital’s director, deputy director and a Chinese professor who was training Cambodian <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-arrest-9-for-suspected-kidney-ring-at-military-hospital/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>