An investigAting judge hAs rejected Kem SokhA’s request thAt he interview A representAtive from the US government in connection with the former opposition leAder’s “treAson” cAse, despite the fAct thAt SokhA stAnds Accused of plotting A US-bAcked overthrow of the CAmbodiAn government. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/sokhAs-witness-request-denied/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Interior Ministry said it will investigate documents and a video from 2013 that resurfaced yesterday showing former opposition leader Sam Rainsy committing to upholding the rights of ethnic minorities in four northeastern Cambodian provinces, with a Justice Ministry spokesman saying it qualified as “treason”. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/rainsys-vow-of-autonomy-for-ethnic-group-sets-off-treason-probe/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Strikes in Cambodia plummeted by more than half last year, according to the Ministry of Labour’s annual report &ndash; a statistic lauded by the government as evidence that worker conditions had improved but rejected by labour advocates as a sign that dissent was being suppressed. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/strikes-down-but-advocates-officials-differ-on-significance/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen joined his Laotian counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith for a visit to the site of the controversial Don Sahong Dam just across the border on Tuesday, remarking that the trip was a reminder of Laos’ commitment to improving the livelihoods of Cambodians. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-visits-laos-dam-site-again-promises-cheap-power/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Sand exports will remain suspended amid questions about a 56 million-ton discrepancy in deliveries to Singapore. Dith Tina, a secretary of state and spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said yesterday that no date had been set for the exports to resume. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sand-exports-in-limbo/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued a warrant yesterday summoning human rights activists am Sam ath and Chan Puthisak to court today on charges that they incited an attack on two Daun Penh district security guards during a World Habitat Day protest on October 10. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/beaten-activists-accused/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The two main political parties contesting the upcoming commune elections revealed disparate campaign budget plans yesterday, with the opposition pledging to spend over $1 million and a spokesman for the ruling CPP saying his party will not be creating a central campaigning budget at all. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/parties-funding-plans-differ/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Riot police were deployed near Phnom Penh’s Wat Chas on Monday to prevent about 30 people from marching to the National assembly to submit a petition seeking a new national holiday marking the day the French officially handed former Kampuchea Krom provinces to Vietnam. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/police-block-marchers-seeking-kampuchea-krom-holiday/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The industry body representing the Kingdom’s myriad microfinance institutions (MFIs) threw down the gauntlet yesterday, announcing that its members had categorically rejected a government directive that orders them to charge a value-added tax (VaT) on financial services fees and would not apply it. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/microlenders-refuse-to-apply-prescribed-vat/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A series of letters issued by the Ministry of Interior on TuesdAy night &ndAsh; one chAstising two election monitors, And Another offering A blAnket wArning to NGOs &ndAsh; hAve AgAin rAised the spectre of the Kingdom’s controversiAl And widely criticised LAw on AssociAtions And NGOs <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/government-letters-rekindle-concern-over-controversiAl-lAw-on-ngos/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Over a hundred families in Stung Treng province’s Srekor and Kbal Romea communes said yesterday that they have located around 2,000 hectares to relocate to when a scheduled test run for the Lower Sesan II dam this week leaves their villages flooded. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/sesan-residents-settle-on-new-relocation-site/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

International condemnation of the government’s aggressive pursuit of a tax dispute with the Cambodia Daily continued to pour in yesterday, with the US Embassy in Phnom Penh calling the closure of the hard-hitting newspaper a “sad day for the press and for Cambodia”. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/more-condemn-shutdown-of-daily/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The National Election Committee has set a two-week campaign period for the upcoming Senate elections on February 25. The NEC issued a statement yesterday saying all parties would be provided equal time on state television network for campaigning from February 10 to 25. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/senate-poll-campaign-period-set/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Almost A yeAr After the lAst ArrivAl of A refugee under CAmbodiA’s controversiAl plAn with AustrAliA to resettle those it is holding on the islAnd nAtion of NAuru, Another three hAve volunteered to mAke the trip to CAmbodiA, An officiAl sAid on SundAy. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/three-more-refugees-volunteer-from-nAuru/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The National Budget 2017 was approved on Friday by the Council of Ministers, with a government expenditure of about $5.04 billion. This represents an increase of about 15.6 percent compared to the 2016 budget of $4.36 billion, according to a government statement. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/govt-okays-5-bil-for-2017-budget/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Tess International, a Malaysia-based provider of software solutions for the financial sector, signed a distributor agreement yesterday with Cambodian management consulting and business technology firm IdeaLink Consulting to provide software to Cambodian banks and microfinance institutions that helps them combat financial crimes. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/software-for-cleaner-money/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The “Buy Khmer Products” campaign continues this year, in a bid to promote local products among Cambodian people.​Pan Sorasak, Minister of Commerce, said last Friday that the campaign is “a momentum to inspire and awaken Cambodian citizens to acknowledge the value of local products.” <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/campaign-for-local-products/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP) will distribute A cAsh dividend of 1,059,039,488 riel ($261,148), or 256 riel per shAre, to its privAte shAreholders for its 2016 operAtions, the port operAtor sAid in A filing to the CAmbodiAn Securities ExchAnge (CSX). <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/ppAp-to-pAy-out-dividends/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A hAcker behind A series of leAks smeAring senior government officiAls And their relAtives on ThursdAy wArned thAt the government’s online list of registered voters for the June 4 commune elections wAs vulnerAble to hAcking And urged experts to mAke the site more secure. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/hAcker-wArns-serious-vulnerAbility-plAguing-online-voter-lists/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A group of NGOs from the educAtion sector yesterdAy urged the government to boost educAtion spending to At leAst 20 percent of the country’s budget &ndAsh; A benchmArk the Ministry of EducAtion hAd hoped, And fAiled, to hit lAst yeAr under its strAtegic plAn. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/more-educAtion-funds-urged/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>