After abandoning auctions, government sells off seized timber
The government sold off more than 10,000 cubic meters of illegally logged wood in direct negotiations with private businessmen over the past two days, according to a Finance Ministry official, after abandoning efforts to auction it off due to a lack of interest. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/after-abandoning-auctions-government-sells-off-seized-timber/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/abandoning-auctions-government-sells-off-seized-timber-116575/
Poverty causes trafficking to China, says report
A report published lAst week by the UN Action for CooperAtion AgAinst TrAfficking in Persons (UN-ACT) sAys the mAin cAuse of humAn trAfficking from CAmbodiA to ChinA wAs A lAck of jobs And low wAges, forcing mAny young women to look At opportunities AbroAd. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/poverty-cAuses-trAfficking-to-chinA-sAys-report/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Tin Sokhavuth
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29214/poverty-causes-trafficking-to-china--says-report/
Sihanoukville power plant draws Royal Group's interest
The Royal Group, Cambodia’s biggest conglomerate, will be involved in funding future phases of a massive coal-fired power plant under construction in Preah Sihanouk province, a government official said yesterday, although details of the size of the investment or its timeline remain hazy. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sihanoukville-power-plant-draws-royal-groups-interest/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Kali Kotoski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/sihanoukville-power-plant-draws-royal-groups-interest
Familiar wage figure floated by minister
In the midst of annual minimum wage negotiations, Minister of Labour Ith Samheng used a visit from members of the Southeast asian Youth Programme to reiterate that the minimum wage for garment workers would reach at least $160 a month by 2018, state media reported. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/familiar-wage-figure-floated-by-minister/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Cristina Maza
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/familiar-wage-figure-floated-minister
Ministry forecasts surge in jobs at Sihanoukville SEZ
The number of workers at the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) is expected to increase from 30,000 now to 200,000 in the next few years as the port city becomes a manufacturing hub for the Kingdom, a senior official with the Commerce Ministry said yesterday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ministry-forecasts-surge-in-jobs-at-sihanoukville-sez/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/17282/ministry-forecasts-surge-in-jobs-at-sihanoukville-sez/
Cambodia’s opposition calls on government to expedite ‘dragging’ assault probe
Cambodia’s opposition party has called on the government to expedite a “dragging” investigation into a violent attack on two of its lawmakers and urged the United Nations to join the probe after the international body expressed concern over the assault. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodias-opposition-calls-on-government-to-expedite-dragging-assault-probe/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Leng Maly
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/probe-11022015171340.html
ASEAN creates 'community' encompassing 600+ million people
Leaders of the 10-member association of Southeast asian Nations (aSEaN) Sunday signed a declaration establishing a formal economic, political, security and socio-cultural community. The aEC is set to become fully functional December 31. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/asean-creates-community-encompassing-600-million-people/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Steve Herman
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/asean-economic-community/3069046.html
Education key to art conservation
Art cAn represent A nAtion’s identity, And younger generAtions hAve A responsibility to conserve it. But thAt meAns educAtion, to help youth AppreciAte Art And culture, sAys DonnA StrAhAn, heAd of conservAtion And reseArch At the Freer-SAckler GAllery. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/educAtion-key-to-Art-conservAtion/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Hong Chenda
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/education-key-to-art-conservation/3097455.html
Plan to reintroduce tigers moves forward
The return of tigers to the Cambodian wild edged a little closer this week, as the wildlife charity spearheading the project sent a representative to India to see how numbers were boosted there and to discuss bringing big cats from the subcontinent to the Kingdom. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/plan-to-reintroduce-tigers-moves-forward/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Jamie Elliott
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/plan-reintroduce-tigers-moves-forward
Cambodian-American naval officer pleads guilty
Nearly four decades after fleeing Cambodia as a child, a tearful Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz returned to his home country in December 2010 on the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer he commanded; his fall from grace has been equally dramatic. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/cambodian-american-naval-officer-pleads-guilty/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
George Wright
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cambodian-american-naval-officer-pleads-guilty-106934/
Nagacorp casino profits swell to $173M
Cambodian casino operator NagaCorp Ltd. posted a net profit of $172.6 million last year, a 27 per cent increase over the previous year, attributing the surge to increased business volume across all gaming segments at its NagaWorld casino complex in Phnom Penh. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/nagacorp-casino-profits-swell-to-173m/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Cam McGrath
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/nagacorp-casino-profits-swell-173m
Major route linking Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia to be broadened
The Vietnamese government has given the go-ahead to a project to enlarge a major route playing an important part in the transport of goods from provinces and cities in southern Vietnam to Cambodia and other Southeast asian countries, local newswire VnExpress reported Monday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/major-route-linking-ho-chi-minh-city-to-cambodia-to-be-broadened/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Tuoi Tre Team
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/33224/major-route-linking-ho-chi-minh-city-to-cambodia-to-be-broadened
Hun Manet inaugurates Areng valley schools
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son Hun Manet inaugurated four primary schools in Koh Kong province’s areng Valley on Monday, along with the head of a group known as the Cambodia Youth Movement 157, which donated the schools, a local official said on Tuesday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-manet-inaugurates-areng-valley-schools/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Khoun Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-manet-inaugurates-areng-valley-schools-109283/
Under fire, rice federation vows action
A week After An AlliAnce of millers And exporters criticized the CAmbodiA Rice FederAtion (CRF) for its inAction in the fAce of the sector’s possible collApse, the federAtion WednesdAy Announced the formAtion of A new tAsk force to mAnAge chAllenges fAcing its members. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/under-fire-rice-federAtion-vows-Action/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Kang Sothear
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/under-fire-rice-federation-vows-action-109691/
CNRP ‘insurrection’ appeal hearings begin
AppeAl heArings begAn on ThursdAy in the cAse of 11 opposition figures who were convicted in July for insurrection over A 2014 politicAl protest, with A CNRP officiAl blAsting the municipAl court over double stAndArds for rejecting his request to get medicAl treAtment outside prison. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cnrp-insurrection-AppeAl-heArings-begin/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Khy Sovuthy
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cnrp-insurrection-appeal-hearings-begin-110060/
Government unaware of at least 128 orphanages, report says
The government was unaware of about half of the residential child care centers operating in four provinces and Phnom Penh prior to a study conducted last year, according to a report released on Thursday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-unaware-of-at-least-128-orphanages-report-says/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Buth Kimsay and Sonia Kohlbacher
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/110401-110401/
Government waives 10 percent VAT for rice
The government decided to drop a 10 percent value added-tax (VaT) for rice products during a meeting on Wednesday between representatives of the rice sector and government officials at the Council for the Development of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, officials said. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/government-waives-10-percent-vat-for-rice/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Kang Sothear
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-waives-10-percent-vat-for-rice-110676/
Manet returns from US, dismisses lawsuit
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son, Hun Manet, arrived back in Phnom Penh on Monday after two weeks in the U.S. and Canada, deriding a lawsuit filed against him in Los angeles for wrongful imprisonment that includes a count of “international terrorism.” <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/manet-returns-from-us-dismisses-lawsuit/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Khuon Narim
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/manet-returns-from-us-dismisses-lawsuit-111744/
Thai SEZ eyes Cambodia
The Thai government plans to build a special economic zone (SEZ) worth about $141.6 million in Sa Kaeo, which borders the Kingdom’s Banteay Meanchey and Battambang provinces, to serve SMEs that aim to expand their business into Cambodia, according a Thai media report. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/thai-sez-eyes-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Sum Manet
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/25858/thai-sez-eyes-cambodia/
More money needed to probe thumbprints
A senior Interior Ministry officiAl tAsked with investigAting the 170,000 thumbprints submitted in support of A CNRP petition to the king sAid on ThursdAy he hAd received sAmples of the prints but would be unAble to proceed with his work without more money. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/more-money-needed-to-probe-thumbprints/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/more-money-needed-to-probe-thumbprints-113912/