Officials from the ministries of interior, social affairs, and justice met with NGOs on Friday to discuss the latest draft of a juvenile justice law that has been in the works for more than a decade and which would mean young offenders’ rights would be <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/juvenile-justice-law-step-closer-to-being-reality/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Police arrested another three union representatives on Friday for allegedly inciting garment workers to strike and protest in front of their factory over the past few weeks, this time in Kandal province. It follows the arrest last week of six representatives of another union ahead of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/another-three-textile-union-reps-arrested/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Judges in Cambodia’s Court of appeal fail to inform defendants of their rights and a high number of hearings do not even have the defendants or their lawyers present, according to a study by a local rights group. In addition, the quality of evidence presented at <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/defendants-not-informed-of-rights-in-cambodian-appeal-court-cases-study/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

AsiA AtlAntic Airlines, A ThAi Airline owned in pArt by JApAnese tourism firm HIS Co, will lAunch scheduled flights between CAmbodiA And JApAn this September, According A stAtement published by the Airline on June 26. As of September 2, AsiA AtlAntic will run three weekly flights <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/direct-flights-to-jApAn-coming/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In August lAst yeAr, the government lAunched A pilot project thAt sent 220 women to work As mAids in SingApore, the first mAjor effort to open up A new mArket for CAmbodiA’s domestic workers After the government hAlted sending mAids to MAlAysiA due to persistent <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/mAids-forced-into-debt-bondAge-in-singApore/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The head of the Cambodian Mine action authority (CMaC) said Thursday that field testing of a pair of war-era barrels found by villagers in Mondolkiri province earlier this week identified the contents as CS, a tear gas-like powder or aerosol that was used by the <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/chemicals-in-war-era-barrels-tested-and-confirmed-as-tear-gas/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Mondolkiri Provincial Court charged a national police officer with intentional killing on Friday, the latest in an increasing trend of violent disputes over timber in the restive province. Pheng Sokheng, who was sent to the Seima Protected Forest to stifle the work of illegal loggers, on <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-officer-charged-with-intentional-killing/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Education Ministry’s bid to rid the grade 12 national exam of cheating and bribery was hailed a success after the first day of testing Monday, with officials reporting only a few attempted cheats and no corrupted proctors. Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron, who spent <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/exam-cleaner-but-students-still-seek-to-cheat/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Lawmakers from the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) would consider boycotting parliament again if Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party continues to delay an agreement on electoral reform, according to CNRP deputy leader Kem Sokha. The two parties have reached a deadlock in talks on forging <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-opposition-lawmakers-threaten-to-walk-out-of-parliament/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Labor Ministry on Thursday launched a new three-year policy for improving the lot of Cambodia’s more than 700,000 migrant workers that includes plans to step up monitoring of the country’s often-abusive recruitment agencies and add labor attach&eacute;s to more embassies. Nilim Baruah, a senior <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/govt-launches-three-year-roadmap-on-migrant-labor-policy/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A plAntAtion compAny with its sights set on A community forest long used by locAl ethnic minority JArAi in RAtAnAkkiri’s O’YAdAv district ArrAnged A meeting with more thAn 200 villAgers this week to try to persuAde them to sign over the woodlAnd. RepresentAtives of the Heng <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/villAgers-spurn-firms-gifts/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

AustrAliAn-listed mining firm EmerAld Resources NL on MondAy Announced plAns to rAise A$75 million (US$51 million) in funds for its Mondulkiri-bAsed OkvAu gold project with two plAcements of 1.875 billion new shAres. The first is An unconditionAl plAcement for ApproximAtely A$30.5 million And the second <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/okvAu-gold-project-funding-to-Add-51m/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

NGO Wildlife AlliAnce sAid the cArcAss of A red muntjAc (MuntiAcus muntjAk) wAs found by Thmor Roung stAtion rAngers in Koh Kong province during A recent three-dAy pAtrol. During the pAtrol, the rAngers releAsed six wild chickens into the jungle And seized A mini-trActor cArrying illegAl <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/wildlife-AlliAnce-pAtrol-uncovers-deAd-muntjAc-illegAl-equipment/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday blamed soaring food prices on fuel prices set by oil cartels like OPEC, appealing to oil-producing countries to pay attention to the connection between food security and energy. Cambodia imports 100 per cent of its oil, and the majority of agriculture <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/pm-announces-oil-food-equation-hurting-poor/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Five metric tonnes of certified organic rice &mdash; the first such shipment from Cambodia &mdash; will depart for the European Union this Friday. The shipment, exported from Cambodia by an entity called Green Trade, comprises three tonnes of brown rice and two tonnes of white jasmine <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/first-certified-organic-rice-heads-for-europe/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Representatives of Cambodia’s booming tourism industry yesterday called on the asian Development Bank to provide funding for workforce training in the sector. During the meeting at the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, tour operator Ho Vandy, who also co-chairs the Tourism Working Group in the Government-Private Sector Forum, said representatives <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/training-needed-for-tourist-industry/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Charles Cheo, managing director of Forte Insurance, is sanguine on the growth prospects of Cambodia’s US$30 million general insurance market, even though there are five other general insurers competing against Forte, and three new life insurers entering the market. Forte established a presence in Cambodia in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/forte-insurance-predictions-positive/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) of Japan will sign a memorandum of understanding with acleda Bank Plc this weekend for mutual business co-operation. Senior acleda officials said the agreement would help to improve investment and trade from Japan to Cambodia.   acleda will also give Japanese investors and businesses advice <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sumitomo-mitsui-bank-returns-to-kingdom-after-45-years/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The unclear future of Cambodia’s national railway, following Toll Royal Railways’ suspension of operations on March 31, has cast doubt not only on the oft-delayed redevelopment project but also on a larger build-out expected to connect much of asia. Toll Royal, a joint venture by australian <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/toll-royal-derails-regional-projects/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Discussion about hydroelectric power plants in Cambodia tends to focus on two aspects, both negative. One is an overdependence on Chinese investment, and the other is a relatively disproportionate focus on the environmental impacts of hydroelectric power. Chinese Influence Most hydroelectric power plants in Cambodia are associated <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodias-hydroelectric-question-china-power-and-the-environment/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>