Villagers in Cambodia’s capital are being coerced into signing a petition supporting preliminary results issued by the country’s electoral body declaring a victory for Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party in recent elections, despite opposition claims of widespread poll irregularities, a rights group said Monday. The <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-authorities-coerce-ruling-party-support-in-capital-village/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Election monitor Comfrel released its final assessment of the 2013 national elections yesterday, detailing a raft of irregularities, while at the same time acknowledging that the opposition’s claims of having won the election were undermined by its reluctance to provide concrete evidence. The 147-page report makes <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/new-election-cannot-be-done-watchdog/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

In the globalised world, being able to communicate in more than one language is becoming essential for many people seeking rewarding careers. Young Cambodians have taken this message to heart and are learning Cambodia is slowly moving up the development ladder but low-wage factory labour still <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/speaking-in-tongues-young-cambodians-learning-foreign-languages-to-improve-economic-opportunities/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

After spending 2,073 dAys in prison, Born SAmnAng And Sok SAm Oeun were exonerAted on WednesdAy by the Supreme Court of hAving killed populAr union leAder CheA VicheA in 2004. LegAl expert Sok SAm Oeun of the CAmbodiAn Defenders Project sAid thAt Although the two <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/compensAtion-for-fAlsely-jAiled-men-unlikely-in-cAmbodiA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Japanese ambassador is set to meet with senior police officials to discuss the shooting of a Japanese tourist in Phnom Penh on Saturday, according to an embassy official, while the U.S. Embassy on Monday said it was “very troubled” by a similar attack on <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-ambassador-police-to-meet-following-shootings/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Environmental groups and a local community leader in Stung Treng province have called for a nationwide boycott of the popular angkor Beer brand to protest the beverage company’s links to a controversial hydro­power dam to be built in Laos. Laos announced earlier this month that it <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/calls-for-angkor-beer-boycott-over-laos-dam-investment/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A student who filed A complAint to the Phnom Penh MunicipAl Court AgAinst the city’s municipAl And militAry police chiefs over the fAtAl police shooting At the SL GArment FActory protest on November 12 sAid TuesdAy thAt the court hAs refused to investigAte his complAint. NeAng <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/court-refuses-to-investigAte-complAint-over-police-shooting/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) on Wednesday released a statement seeking to clarify an open letter it issued on December 12, which accused CNRP President Sam Rainsy of making comments that are “both derogatory and discriminatory, againstpeople of Vietnamese origin.” The original letter, signed <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rights-group-reaffirms-stance-on-use-of-yuon/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Phnom Penh police released union leader Sok Chhun Oeung from custody Monday, a day after dragging him off the street at a peaceful protest he had organized along Phnom Penh’s riverside against the detention of 23 men still in jail for participating in demonstrations over <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/union-leader-released-free-the-23-protests-to-continue/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A group of About 200 fArmers from KrAtie province refused on ThursdAy to leAve A pAgodA in Phnom Penh&mdAsh;their home bAse for protests AgAinst their eviction At the hAnds of A VietnAmese rubber compAny&mdAsh;As the city’s deputy governor wArned them thAt the municipAl government would <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/city-hAll-offers-finAl-wArning-to-displAced-fArmers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Representatives of some of the 3,000 families evicted from Phnom Penh’s Boeng Kak neighborhood in recent years said Thursday that municipal government officials, who were ultimately responsible for the mass evictions, told them they would be inviting the World Bank and NGOs to help compensate <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/city-hall-wants-world-bank-ngos-to-compensate-evicted-families/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The company responsible for collecting Phnom Penh’s trash has defended its erratic pricing structure in response to an inquiry from the anti-Corruption Unit (aCU), which says that numerous complaints have been filed by small business owners. The aCU sent a letter to Cintri (Cambodia) Ltd. on <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cintri-defends-fee-irregularities-to-anti-corruption-unit-2/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Anyone pAssing through Prey Doeum Thnoeng could be forgiven for pinning the tidy little villAge for A stronghold of the ruling CPP. Just About every second house Along the red dirt roAd through town sports A bright blue bAnner with A checkmArk next to the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/tAlk-of-betrAyAl-As-cnrp-loses-council-rAce-in-prey-veng/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The World Bank said on Tuesday it had stopped providing loans to Cambodia and would not resume lending until the government did something to help hundreds of families facing eviction from land around a lake in the country’s capital, Phnom Penh. “The World Bank’s last <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/world-bank-stops-funds-for-cambodia-over-evictions/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The AsiAn Development BAnk sAid yesterdAy problems with A rAilwAy rehAbilitAtion project &ndAsh; funded by the bAnk And AusAID &ndAsh; identified by A locAl NGO thAt wAs suspended by the government lAst month “mAy require further investigAtion or AnAlysis”. In July, STT releAsed A report <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rAil-project-in-Adb-sights/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The total number of land concessions offered by the government to private agro-industrial firms hit 1.19 million hectares, or 13.5 percent of Cambodia’s total land mass, a senior official at the Ministry of agriculture said yesterday. The government figure undermines figures released late last year <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/land-concessions-now-at-1-2-million-hectares-official-says/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Woes continued for 26 relocated former Borei Keila residents, who fainted after vomiting and suffering diarrhoea at Tuol Sambo Village in Dangkor district’s Prey Veng commune on Saturday. Khum Khern, village chief of Tuol Sambo, told the Post that most of the villagers who had fainted <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/illness-strikes-borei-keila-evictees/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A TAXPAYER-FUNDED development project is mired in controversy After the CAmbodiAn government lAunched A crAckdown AgAinst lAnd rights orgAnisAtions criticAl of the compulsory resettlement of fAmilies. The CAmbodiAn government hAs cAutioned A smAll group of foreign orgAnisAtions AgAinst stirring up unrest Among those being forced off <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/lAnd-rights-Acrimony-in-AusAid-AsiAn-project/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Governor of Bavet city Chhouk Bundit, who is suspected of being involved in shooting three garment workers last month, was removed from his position to make way for the court to look into the case. “Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a letter on Monday to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-pm-removes-city-governor-for-shooting-allegation/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Having already spent millions of dollars, the asian Development Bank (aDB) will not foot the additional $70 to $90 million in funds still needed to complete more than half of Cambodia’s railway rehabilitation project, an official from the aDB said yesterday. Toll Royal Railways, a joint venture <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/adb-wont-pay-to-finish-rail-project/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>