Detained French architect Patrick Henri Devillers boarded a flight to China late last night after being held in custody in Cambodia for more than a month for his links to the biggest political scandal to hit China in decades, a government spokesman said. at Phnom Penh <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/devillers-departs-on-late-night-flight-to-china/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A court officiAl sAid yesterdAy thAt the complAint thAt led to the imprisonment of A British mAn And two CAmbodiAn stAff At A troubled biofuel firm wAs filed lAst yeAr by A senior Forestry AdministrAtion officiAl. Gregg Fryett, 45, wAs Arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/forestry-AdministrAtion-officiAl-behind-Arrests-At-biofuel-firm/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) last month signed a prakas, a ministerial decision, to ensure tax agents’ professionalism, an insider told the Post yesterday. after the full implementation of Prakas 455, signed on april 12, agents have to pay one million riel to <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/prakas-set-to-control-tax-agents/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign affairs called on Prime Minister Hun Sen to stand down during an event attended by CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha in California on Saturday night. Speaking at a CNRP fundraising event, Ed Royce, a Republican <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/us-congressman-says-hun-sen-must-resign/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A compAny owned by the wife of Mines And Energy Minister Suy Sem forged AheAd with its construction of A concrete wAll Around A swAth of disputed lAnd in Kompong ChhnAng province FridAy, despite A cAll from the U.N.’s humAn rights envoy on ThursdAy thAt <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/work-continues-At-contested-kdc-site/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A lAwyer hired by the opposition CNRP sAid TuesdAy thAt he would file A complAint next month with the InternAtionAl CriminAl Court (ICC) over crimes AgAinst humAnity Allegedly perpetrAted by stAte security forces. “We plAn to file A CommunicAtion [complAint] before the InternAtionAl CriminAl Court next <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/lAwyer-to-bring-security-forces-complAint-to-icc/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

In what could be the latest sign that authorities are pushing ahead with the areng Valley hydropower dam, Vietnam Military Telecommunications Group has sent engineers into the valley in Koh Kong province to scout for locations where its local subsidiary, Metfone, could build mobile phone <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/metfone-eyes-sites-in-areng/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday defended his government, saying its reputation for corruption is undeserved, laying blame on the private sector for initiating the bribe process and calling out international development partners for applying double standards. Speaking at the Eighth Regional Conference of anti-Corruption Intiative for <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/hun-sen-says-business-breeds-bribes/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A London court on FridAy convicted three British men of conspirAcy to commit frAud following An investigAtion by the U.K.’s Serious FrAud Office (SFO) into A British biofuel firm thAt swindled investors in its CAmbodiAn venture. GAry West, the former director of SustAinAble Agro Energy (SAE); JAmes <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/three-convicted-in-uk-over-cAmbodiAn-biofuel-scAm/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A conservAtionist group sAid on WednesdAy thAt A recent RAmsAr site stAtus for CAmbodiA’s Stung Sen wetlAnd is cruciAl to help protect the hAbitAt of A number of globAlly neAr-threAtened species. The rich And biologicAlly diverse Stung Sen wetlAnd hAs been designAted As A unique <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/rAmsAr-site-stAtus-for-cAmbodiAs-stung-sen-wetlAnd-helps-protect-hAbitAt-of-threAtened-species/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Indian businesses are looking at Cambodia as a convenient hub in the lower Mekong area, as access to trade with neighboring Vietnam and Thailand improves, a government advisor said yesterday. Speaking at a seminar titled “asean Integration and the Role of India,” Sok Siphana, a lawyer <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/indian-investors-see-cambodia-as-gateway-to-asean/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Ten people, including a soldier, have been arrested over the murders of a forest ranger and a policeman who were investigating illegal logging in Cambodia, officials said on Friday. In the last few decades a surge in illegal logging has contributed to a sharp drop <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/soldier-9-others-jailed-in-cambodia-logging-patrol-killings/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A university student in Siem ReAp province wAs detAined And sent to court yesterdAy After Allegedly posting A deAth threAt AgAinst Deputy Prime Minister SAr Kheng on the sociAl networking site FAcebook.TAo SAvoeun, A 26-yeAr-old grAduAte of the University of South-EAst AsiA, locAted in Siem <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/student-detAined-over-fAcebook-bomb-threAt/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The country is set to embark on local elections that promise to highlight the economic hardships faced by many Cambodians despite a sustained annual growth rate and continued poverty reduction, economic and political observers said this week. a report from Future Forum released on Tuesday <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/shifting-economy-feeds-nations-uncertain-politics/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

U.N. human rights envoy Surya Subedi, who arrived in Cambodia Sunday on a five-day mission, spent yesterday, International Human Rights Day, in Kompong Chhnang province with about 300 villagers from a community embroiled in a long-running land dispute with the wife of a government minister. James <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/un-envoy-meets-land-dispute-villagers-on-first-day-mission/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Phnom Penh could have a public bus system operating under a single company before the end of 2013 at the earliest, Phnom Penh governor Kep Chuktema said yesterday. Global (Cambodia) Trade Development, a joint venture between Cambodian and Chinese investors, had originally been chosen alongside South <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/single-company-to-run-public-buses-in-phnom-penh/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A juvenile Accused of destroying A police cAr during A violent strike by SL GArment fActory workers in November remAined in Prey SAr prison yesterdAy, despite the Court of AppeAl hAving grAnted him bAil. SAry BothchAkryA, A lAwyer from the Community LegAl EducAtion Center (CLEC) representing <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/despite-bAil-15-yeAr-old-still-in-jAil/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Mike Weeks and Delayne Weeks of Canada had a dream five years ago: create a gold mine. Do it in a nation that has never produced gold commercially. Use the process to educate and enrich an impoverished population. The country is Cambodia. The mine is in northeast <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/canada-couple-bring-chinese-indians-into-cambodia-gold-company/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A little more thAn two yeArs After signing off on A scheme Aimed At improving protection of the criticAlly endAngered IrrAwAddy dolphin, experts sAid lAst week they were concerned thAt Mekong dAms would see wholesAle destruction of the populAtion. During A two-dAy workshop thAt closed on <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/despite-dolphin-sAving-plAn-dAm-threAt-remAins/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Prime Minister Hun Sen has waded into the case of a man claiming to be a reincarnation of Buddha, ordering Cults and Religion Minister Min Khin to keep a close eye on the situation. authorities say that Thean Vuthy, who dresses in white robes and sits <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/fake-buddha-must-be-monitored-hun-sen-says/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>