Land
UK Sugar Firm Investigating Child Labor Claims
U.K. sugar firm Tate & Lyle on Wednesday said it was looking into recent allegations of child labor on two plantations in Koh Kong province it has been buying sugar from since 2010, but rebuked NGOs for not bringing the claims to its attention sooner. The ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/uk-sugar-firm-investigating-child-labor-claims-36637/
Voters split in Boeung Kak
The battle for Phnom Penh at Sunday’s national election will be fought out with the years-long Boeung Kak land dispute still unresolved, after the city’s governor announced yesterday a solution would be found only after the ballot, villagers said. Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong, who in ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/voters-split-boeung-kak
Bamboo crafts furnish an income
Prior to 2009, Kong Channa, a rice farmer from Svay Rieng province, would leave his wife and young child for months at a time in neighbouring provinces to supplement his income in the off season. This all changed, though, when he began working with the Cambodian ...
U.S. Ambassadors Fund to give grants for Cambodia preservation
The U.S. Embassy has just announced it will be awarding grants to two recipients for the 2013 U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation in Cambodia. The Archaeology and Development Foundation is the first recipient and will receive $47,000 to implements it’s proposal called the “Documentation of ...
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=ZjYxOGFmM2ExNDk
Astra Says Gold Exploration Project Still On
An Australia-based firm that announced a plan to explore for gold in Ratanakkiri province insisted Monday that its Cambodian venture is still on track, despite allegations made in an Australian newspaper that it has garnered investment based on false information. Astra Resources, which has companies incorporated ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/astra-says-gold-exploration-project-still-on-36194/
Cambodia very lucrative for investors
Economic diversification is attracting substantial sums of FDI from China and beyond. Rich in history and culture and blessed with wonderful natural and human resources that are driving its impressive economic growth and attracting record sums of foreign direct investment (FDI), the Kingdom of Cambodia offers ...
http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=13&token=ZTk3NDYwNTAyZjc
Villagers blame rubber company
Villagers in Preah Vihear’s Kulen district are seeking the assistance of rights group Adhoc, claiming a Malaysian rubber company has stopped them from receiving land titles. Sok Yam, 48, one of the four representatives of the Sro Yong commune residents, said members of 72 families thumbprinted ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/villagers-blame-rubber-company
Villagers claim CPP arm-twisting
About 40 families of ex-Khmer Rouge and government soldiers in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district complained to rights group Adhoc yesterday, accusing officials of forcing them to thumbprint a contract saying they would vote CPP so the party could resolve an ongoing land dispute, an ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/villagers-claim-cpp-arm-twisting
Ethical Sugar Group Suspends Tate & Lyle Over Plantations
An international group that promotes the ethical sourcing of sugar for the food and energy industries has suspended the membership of U.K. sugar giant Tate & Lyle for failing to answer complaints that it was buying from Cambodian plantations accused of stealing land from local ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/ethical-sugar-group-suspends-tate-lyle-over-plantations-35438/
All quiet in Siem Reap for houses and land
Although Siem Reap is known as the land of smiles, the growth of the culture, civilization and power, the real estate sector in the province for the first six months of 2013 has not increased a great deal. The buying or selling of properties in Siem ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/real-estate/all-quiet-siem-reap-houses-and-land
Timber Plantation Awarded Sustainability Certificate
Grandis Timber Ltd.’s teak plantation in Kompong Speu province is the fist company in Cambodia to receive a certification from U.S-based Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for its best practices in forest management, Grandis announced yesterday. “FSC certification recognizes FSC standard’s commitment to sustainable development of ...
RISDA To Open Two Plantations In Cambodia
The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) is opening two plantations in Cambodia, its director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Zuki Mohamad said Wednesday. He said discussions had been held with the companies that would be tasked with managing the plantations last week. “We are now awaiting approval ...
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/ge/newsgeneral.php?id=964158
Political bias alleged
Four families in Oddar Meanchey province’s Samrong town have filed a complaint with their commune hall, alleging that a military official and a village chief are trying to block them from receiving land titles because the families support the Cambodian National Rescue Party. The families and ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/political-bias-alleged
UK Lawsuit Against Sugar Firm Heading to Trial
A lawsuit filed by families in Koh Kong province accusing U.K. sugar giant Tate & Lyle of wrongfully profiting off land stolen from them is heading to trial after efforts to mediate a settlement fell through earlier this month, according to those involved. Law firm Jones ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/uk-lawsuit-against-sugar-firm-heading-to-trial-35233/
Mystery Surrounds Ratanakkiri’s First Special Economic Zone
Construction of a special economic zone (SEZ) near the Vietnamese border in Ratanakkiri province’s eastern O’Yadaw district is on track, but who exactly will avail of the facility and its services remains a mystery—even for senior provincial officials. The latest announced venture of agro-industry land concession ...
Officials own land, claim villagers
Local cadastral land officials, a district governor and RCAF personnel all own plots of a social land concession in Preah Vihear originally intended to be distributed to poor villagers, local rights group Adhoc alleged. In 2007, the government granted 556 hectares of land in Choam Ksan ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-own-land-claim-villagers
Oxley to acquire Cambodian asset for US$11.2m
In a release, Oxley Holdings Limited announced that the Group’s 49%-owned associated company, Oxley-Worldbridge (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., had entered into an amendment agreement dated 1 July 2013 in respect of a share sale and purchase agreement dated 22 May 2013 to acquire all the shares ...
REDD+ forest clearing unabated: community
Since last year, up to a half of nearly 8,000 hectares of community forest has been encroached upon and cleared in Oddar Meanchey province’s Banteay Ampil district by soldiers, community representatives said yesterday. Din Heng, chief of Ang Dong Bor community, said the army has cleared ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/redd-forest-clearing-unabated-community
Despite Land Loss, Minorities Back Status Quo
Romam Gvin could be described as a counterintuitive voter. Intuition might lead you to believe that Mr. Gvin blames the government for the loss of his land to the Vietnamese rubber company that now owns everything for as far as the eye can see here in ...
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/despite-land-loss-minorities-back-status-quo-34786/
Land complaint filed
Four Preah Vihear villagers filed a complaint with rights group Adhoc yesterday, requesting help in gaining permission to farm 93 hectares of land the Provincial Forestry Administration barred them from last year. The four complainants represent 65 families who have farmed the area in Kolen district ...
Cambodia marks Forest Day
Cambodia observed the Forest Day on Tuesday, urging people to plant trees in order to ensure the sustainability of forest and environment. The celebration was presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni and attended by Prime Minister Hun Sen and senior officials of the government, the parliament, ...
http://www.asean-china-center.org/english/2013-07/09/c_132525872.htm
Families complain governor’s crooked
More than 30 families evicted from a former airport site in Preah Vihear province’s Chea Ksan district have filed four complaints with the provincial court since April against district governor Sok Hay. Lor Chan, provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said a total of 31 families ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013070966736/National/families-complain-governor-s-crooked.html
Hundreds demonstrate on activist’s behalf
Two days before a land activist’s scheduled sentencing, about 400 people affected by land grabs demonstrated at Pursat Provincial Court in support of the man who frequently protests against the Pheap Imex Company. About 12,000 families are now involved in land disputes around a Pheap ...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013070966735/National/hundreds-demonstrate-on-activist-s-behalf.html
Critics Say Hun Sen’s Land Title Program Is Biased
A controversial land titling program set up by Prime Minister Hun Sen has been suspended ahead of the July 28 elections, but critics say the program should not be restarted. The titling program itself began in December 2012 and is expected to end after elections scheduled ...