New Year sees tourism boom
The number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting historical sites and the Kingdom’s coastal areas increased sharply during this year’s three-day Khmer New Year, according to provincial tourism departments. Data from Siem Reap’s tourism department show 258,000 tourists visited the city of ancient temples, an increase ...
Chan Muy Hong
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/new-year-sees-tourism-boom
Cambodia's garment industry seen approaching crossroads
Cambodia’s $5.5 billion garment industry is nearing a crossroads amid uncertain prospects for outsourcing, an industry source says, citing participants at a recent trade show in Phnom Penh. “Many industry suppliers believe that while Cambodia remains a growing market for their textile and garment products, there ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=NjY3NTFlNmIzMTU
Another wage body to form
Following a meeting with parliamentarians at the National Assembly yesterday, Minister of Labour Ith Sam Heng announced the ministry would form a 27-member committee to study technical aspects of raising the minimum wage in Cambodia’s garment sector. The new committee will comprise nine representatives each from ...
Pech Sotheary and Sean Teehan
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/another-wage-body-form
Cambodia-China trade increases to $912 Million for first half of 2011
“Bilateral trade between Cambodia and China grew about 82 percent in the first half of 2011 if comparing with the same period for last year while the two countries are trying to boost the trade ties to achieve US $2.5 billion in 2012,” Ministry of ...
Sand for Singapore's Growth Comes at Environmental Cost to Poorer Neighbors
KOH KONG, Cambodia (AP) — Round a bend in Cambodia’s Tatai River and the virtual silence of a tropical idyll turns suddenly into an industrial nightmare. Lush jungle hills give way to a flotilla of dredgers operating 24 hours a day, scooping up sand and piling ...
With Election on the Horizon, Politicians Defend Land Policies
Cambodian politicians have begun a public campaign to defend their records on land policies, as they prepare for the run-up to July elections. Politicians from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, as well as the opposition Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties, have said they will give ...
Officials investigating Koh Kong villagers' allegations of UDG compensation fraud
Koh Kong officials are looking into claims that residents of Bak Roneas village affected by a massive project by the company Union Development Group were not properly compensated. The villagers filed a complaint with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet early this year, claiming they did ...
Phak Seangly
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-investigating-koh-kong-villagers-allegations-udg-compensation-fraud
Koh Kong court detains a forestry activist over forestry crime
The Koh Kong provincial court today decided to detain a forestry activist for illegally collecting product and sub-product of forest. ...
The Cambodia Herald News Staff
http://thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/koh-kong-court-detains-a-forestry-activist-over-forestry-crime-9019
Maids depart for Hong Kong as part of new program
Labour officials sent off 14 maids to Hong Kong yesterday in celebration of a pilot program that hopes to funnel up to 1,000 maids to the Asian financial hub despite concerns from rights groups. ...
Yon Sineat and Daphne Chen
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/maids-depart-hong-kong-part-new-program
Two briefly held in Koh Kong after pot patch discovered
Two men were arrested and temporarily detained on Monday in Koh Kong province after authorities discovered 34 marijuana plants being grown illegally in the gardens in front of their homes, police said yesterday. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/two-briefly-held-koh-kong-after-pot-patch-discovered
New Hong Kong maid deal raises old concerns over abuse
Employment agencies in Hong Kong are already raising doubts about the likely success of a pilot program that could see hundreds of Cambodians start arriving later this year to work as maids, only a day after a deal creating the program was signed, according to ...
Zsombor Peter
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/new-hong-kong-maid-deal-raises-old-concerns-over-abuse-128623/
Environment minister to visit UDG project in Koh Kong province
Environment Minister Say Sam Al is scheduled to visit Koh Kong province today, while a representative of Chinese-owned company Union Development Group said the minister is expected to pay a visit to their 45,000hectare land concession, which has been the cause of a long-running land ...
Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/environment-minister-to-visit-udg-project-in-koh-kong-province-53249/
Koh Kong gov to bring petition to Say Sam Al
Koh Kong Governor Bun Leart has promised villagers evicted from their land by Chinese-owned Union Development Group that he will give their petition to Minister of Environment Say Sam Al today. ...
Sen David
http://phnompenhpost.com/national/koh-kong-gov-bring-petition-say-sam-al
Cambodian activists, villagers petition lawmakers over Koh Kong sand dredging
A group of activists and villagers from southwestern Cambodia’s Koh Kong province petitioned outside the country’s parliament Thursday, calling on lawmakers to intervene against a sand dredging company they say is operating in the area without a license. ...
RFA Khmer News Staff
http://bit.ly/1KbKEOD
Thai Rights body censures firm over Koh Kong sugar plantations
The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand has accused the country’s Khon Kaen Sugar of “serious human rights violations” at its two Cambodian plantations in a new report that urges the firm to return the land to the hundreds of families forced off their farms—some ...
Zsombor Peter and Kuch Naren
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/thai-rights-body-censures-firm-over-koh-kong-sugar-plantations-84968/
Dozens of protesters demand release of activists in Koh Kong
Dozens of people protested outside of the provincial prison in Koh Kong on Wednesday demanding the release of three activists from environmental NGO Mother Nature who were charged on Monday with threatening destruction, a rights worker and police said. ...
Sandwiched between cultures
It was not her degree in finance and banking that encouraged Keo Sopheap to start her own business. It was her sister’s marriage to an American that introduced her to foreign fast food. Now Sopheap owns a sandwich shop in Phnom Penh. Sopheap, a Norton ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012090358438/Business/sandwiched-between-cultures.html
Planned Multimillion-Dollar Sugar Plantation Suspended
Mong Reththy Group has suspended a $115 million sugar plantation project that has been three years in the works, CPP Senator Mong Reththy said yesterday. According to Mr Reththy, the suspension is due to “internal” issues facing the French partner in the project, Groupe Sucres ...
HLH to Expand With Corn, Rice Plantations
Singapore-listed firm HLH Group is planning to expand its presence in Cambodia with 90,000 hectares of corn, rice and soybean plantations planned over the next decade in Kompong Speu and Koh Kong provinces, an official at the company said yesterday. HLH Group came under scrutiny ...
(Simon Marks and Kuch Naren, p 29)
http://www.camnet.com.kh/cambodia.daily/