Access to finAnce could reduce violence, empower the most vulnerAble in society And improve the livelihoods of CAmbodiA’s poorest people, A conference on community-led funding heArd on WednesdAy. SArAh Sitts, country mAnAger of the internAtionAl NGO PAct, introduced the funding model of sAvings-led micro-finAnce (SLMF). In <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/striving-to-mAke-finAnce-Accessible/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A MAlAysiAn-bAse[d] energy service group hAs plAns to spend roughly $10 million to build A biomAss power plAnt in CAmbodiA. WAh Seong CorporAtion BerhAd’s plAnt would hAve A production cApAcity of up to 10 megAwAtts, sAid the group’s chief executive, ChAn Cheu Leong, in An Article <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mAlAysiAn-firm-plAns-10-mw-biomAss-plAnt/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The parent company behind a firm constructing the Lower Sesan 2 dam in Stung Treng has repeatedly violated Chinese law by building “massive” power projects without prior approval, China’s national auditor has found. State-owned China Huaneng Group, of which Lower Sesan 2 partner Hydrolancang International Energy <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/dam-firm-violated-law/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

As much As $16 billion of investment is needed in CAmbodiA over the next decAde if the country’s infrAstructure is to keep up with the pAce of economic growth, Ac­cording to A regionAl think tAnk. At A seminAr in Phnom Penh on ThuesdAy, JAkArtA-bAsed Economic ReseArch <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAll-for-more-investment-in-infrAstructure/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A yeAr to the dAy since Armed soldiers stormed into the remote villAge of Pro MAr in KrAtie province, killing A 14-yeAr-old girl, Arresting her husbAnd And evicting hundreds of fAmilies, Sreng Pho still hAs nightmAres. “I’m reAlly scAred when I think bAck to thAt dAy <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/feAr-still-lingers-in-pro-mA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Blinded, bloodied and barely conscious, two unionists who were nearly beaten to death after passing out pro-union literature in front of a Phnom Penh garment factory remained in their hospital beds yesterday, awaiting a possible transferral to Vietnam. The vicious attack in front of Dayup <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/unionists-remain-in-hospital/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The intervention of the United Nations in two violent clashes between police and protesters on Sunday was as much of a surprise to the opposition party as to bewildered onlookers, a party spokesman said. Officers from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-intervention-twice-quells-violence/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

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>