VOA Khmer

The US’s incoming ambassador, William Heidt, made his first Cambodian appearance in public Friday, at a swearing in ceremony for Peace Corps volunteers. ...

In Cambodia, as credit becomes increasingly available, more people are taking loans from microfinance institutions to help with migration.As of June 2015, microfinance institutions lent more than $2 billion, compared to $1.6 billion dollars in 2014, according to the Cambodia Microfinance Association. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen left Cambodia Wednesday for UN summits in New York, where hundreds of Cambodian-Americans are preparing to protest, demanding the release of political and environmental activists currently in detention in the country. ...

Members of the ruling party and opposition met Wednesday to discuss amendments to the election law for local commune councils. The five points are election campaign procession, campaign period, raising party signs in public places, punishment, and reprimands on civil servants. ...

As world leaders prepare for a major summit on climate change in Paris this December, Cambodian officials say industrialized nations should provide support to lesser developed countries, to offset their contributions to global warming. ...

Leading economists have warned that income inequality is the defining global challenge of the 21st century. In Cambodia, a country where many live in poverty while ever-increasing numbers of luxury cars ply the streets, that challenge is particularly acute. Some 41 percent of the population ...

The US has steadily been increasing its engagement with Southeast Asia, launching in recent years a wide range of programs. Among them is the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, which launched under President Barack Obama in 2013 and aims to develop leaders in the region ...

Cambodia has a poor electrical grid, but plenty of sun—making it a perfect candidate for more solar power. But the sector remains small, particularly for rural use and farms, where it would be very useful. ...

Phnom Penh is studying the prospect of a toll highway to run from the capital to Phnom Penh International Airport, a dangerous stretch of road that kills many people each year. ...

With wage negotiations slated for later this month, the head of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia has warned that the country could lose hundreds of thousands of jobs if workers win their demand for a minimum wage of $207 per month. ...

Officials in Kampot province are working to quell rumors that flooding there was intentionally caused by the opening of a hydropower dam upstream. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen says he will continue to “dismantle” groups that are a threat to the government.In a letter to coincide with the International Day of Peace on Monday, Hun Sen said Cambodian democracy and human rights are making progress, but he also said ...

Cambodian health officials say they remain on alert for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS. Cambodia has trained hundreds of health workers to respond to the disease, though no infections have yet been reported in Cambodia, Ly Sovann, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, ...

International legal experts say a group of laws recently passed in Cambodia to reform the judiciary does little to ensure a balance of powers. ...

Suon Sambo, 32, was hospitalized in Senegal earlier this month, but he succumbed to the disease on Monday, officials said. Last year, one member of a force of 300 Cambodian peacekeepers in Mali died of food poisoning. ...

Thai authorities have released 58 Cambodians accused of illegal logging, after fining them about $120 each, officials said. ...

Families who have been displaced by railway projects funded by the Asian Development Bank have filed a new complaint to an ADB review panel.Twenty-two people this week requested a new investigation by the ADB’s Compliance Review Panel. ...

William Heidt will soon become a new US Ambassador in Cambodia, following the departure of William Todd. Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said the new US ambassador would strengthen the “good relations and cooperation” between the two countries. ...

Key members of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party met Monday to prepare a strategy for ongoing political strife with the ruling party, over border demarcation and alleged Vietnamese encroachment into Cambodian territory. ...

Experts say migrant laborers lack basic information about threats to them abroad, making them vulnerable to exploitation. However, Chou Bun Eng, secretary of state for the Ministry Interior and vice chairman of the National Committee To Combat Human Trafficking, says the government does disseminate information ...

The government has announced a new review of economic land concessions, shortening the period of some from 99 years to 50, but watchdog groups say strict law enforcement of other legislation is also needed. ...

The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia says at least 15 factories have suspended workers, due to a lack of job orders, even as union leaders say they will demand a higher minimum wage. ...

Human rights groups say the Foreign Affairs Minister was wrong to demand the incoming representative of Unicef not comment on controversial legislation to govern NGOs. In a statement Tuesday, the civil society groups said Minister Hor Namhong’s demands constitute a narrowing of democratic ideals. ...

Cambodian pro-democracy and rights groups have written a statement of principles to guide Internet freedom in the country, following the arrests of activists for Facebook posts. ...