Vietnam Confirms Stake in Sesan Dam Bought by Chinese Firm
A representAtive of VietnAmese stAte-owned electricity giAnt Electricity VietnAm InternAtionAl (EVNI) confirmed yesterdAy thAt their stAke in A dAm project in Stung Treng province hAs been bought out by their CAmbodiAn And Chinese business counterpArts. While RoyAl Group chAirmAn Kith Meng hAs mAintAined thAt EVNI still <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/vietnAm-confirms-stAke-in-sesAn-dAm-bought-by-chinese-firm/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Prosecutors tell court to drop charge in land dispute case
Prosecutors yesterday recommended that the Ratanakkiri Provincial Court drop charges against two human rights activists and a radio reporter accused in 2009 of inciting villagers involved in a land dispute against agro-business firm DM Group. Deputy prosecutor Ros Saram told the Post that because he <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/prosecutors-tell-court-to-drop-charge-in-land-dispute-case/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Logger Reported Dead as Rosewood Trade Directive Announced
Amid reports thAt A second CAmbodiAn hAs been killed this yeAr by ThAi Armed forces while illegAlly logging in ThAi border territory, officiAls hAd little detAil yesterdAy on A government directive thAt is Aimed At ending the internAtionAl demAnd for rosewood from CAmbodiA. Prime Minister Hun <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/logger-reported-deAd-As-rosewood-trAde-directive-Announced/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Charity Calls on UK Gov’t to Act for Cambodian Workers
A report by A U.K.-bAsed chArity hAs highlighted the low pAy of CAmbodiAn gArment workers And cAlled on the British government to intervene in disputes involving SoutheAst AsiAn fActories supplying British retAilers. Restricting Rights, A report published TuesdAy by Anti-poverty chArity WAr on WAnt, looks At <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/chArity-cAlls-on-uk-govt-to-Act-for-cAmbodiAn-workers/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
One man’s trash, another’s power
Phnom Penh’s mountains of garbage might be keeping the city’s lights on as early as 2015 if all goes according to plan, developers and city officials have said. Under a new proposal presented to Phnom Penh Municipal Hall last Tuesday, the Green asia Global Corporation is <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/one-mans-trash-anothers-power/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Merit in rice trade plan
The cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal allowing the Commerce Ministry to form a rice trade partnership with asean’s four other rice-producing countries, namely Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, to stabilise rice prices in the global market and to promote food security in the region. The <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/merit-in-rice-trade-plan/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/321297/rice-trade-area-plan-has-merit
Bank of China launches dual currency ATM card
The Bank of China launched the first dual currency international bank card yesterday, part of a move to expand in the local market by offering both US dollar and Renminbi accounts on a single card. People can get the card for a deposit of US$10 at <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/bank-of-china-launches-dual-currency-atm-card/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Asean Seeks To Downplay Row Over South China Sea
The president of the Philippines, a major asean claimant to portions of the South China Sea, says the country wants the right to solve its problems on the world stage. But asean leaders on Tuesday sought to downplay his remarks and said they did not <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/asean-seeks-to-downplay-row-over-south-china-sea/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/asean-seeks-to-downplay-row-over-south-china-sea/1549839.html
Bank Accounts Rare in Cambodia, Even for Rich
Despite an expanding financial sector, increasing access to credit and strong economic growth in recent years, fewer than 1 in 20 Cambodians has a bank account, according to a new policy working paper by the World Bank. according to the paper – released earlier this month <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/bank-accounts-rare-in-cambodia-even-for-rich/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/bank-accounts-rare-in-cambodia-even-for-rich-6957/
Locals in the Dark to Chinese Rail Project
With two Chinese firms due to start work on a 400-km railway, steel mill and port in July, an environmental impact assessment (EIa) has yet to be conducted, and affected provinces are still largely in the dark about the massive infrastructure project. In a ceremony in <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/impact-assessment-not-yet-conducted-on-chinese-rail-project/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/locals-in-the-dark-to-chinese-rail-project-7128/
Factory worker wages to be re-examined
Amid threAts of Another mAss strike in the thriving gArment sector, the Ministry of SociAl AffAirs hAs cAlled A meeting with the industry’s leAding plAyers to discuss union demAnds for A $150-per-month minimum wAge, A letter obtAined yesterdAy reveAls. At the behest of Prime Minister Hun <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/fActory-worker-wAges-to-be-re-exAmined/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013010260589/National/factory-worker-wages-to-be-re-examined.html
Two Men Charged With Smuggling Rosewood
The Kompong Thom Provincial Court yesterday charged two men with illegally logging 65 pieces of rosewood, the courts director Pen Sarat, said. Provincial police said the two 19 year old men were arrested Saturday morning while transporting about 1 105 kg of rosewood in Prasat <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/two-men-charged-with-smuggling-rosewood/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Vietnamese Firm’s Land Concession Could be Canceled
The Ministry of Agriculture will Ask Prime Minister Hun Sen to cAncel A 4,900-hectAre economic lAnd concession belonging to A VietnAmese rubber compAny in RAtAnAkkiri province on the grounds thAt the firm hAs been illegAlly logging on A lArge scAle, officiAls sAid yesterdAy. According to <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/km/news/vietnAmese-firms-lAnd-concession-could-be-cAnceled/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>
Sihanoukville Port plans to list on stock exchange in July
While the Phnom Penh Water Supply authority’s (PPWSa) share price continued to fall yesterday, a second state firm came a step closer to joining it on Cambodia’s nascent stock exchange by announcing plans to register by the end of July. at a ceremony marking the first <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/sihanoukville-port-plans-to-list-on-stock-exchange-in-july/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
UN seeks full inquiry into Cambodian activist's death
The United Nations human rights office called on Cambodia on Tuesday to carry out a full investigation into the killing of an anti-logging activist and to ensure the safety of witnesses to the crime in which a policeman was also shot dead. Chut Wutty, director of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/un-seeks-full-inquiry-into-cambodian-activists-death/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/01/cambodia-un-activist-idUSL5E8G131820120501
World Bank Denies It Will Fund Project in Cambodia
The World Bank has denied a report that it is preparing to fund a new education project in Cambodia, 10 months after the bank froze all new lending to Cambodia to protest evictions and Phnom Penh’s Boeng Kak lake. In The, an undersecretary of state <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/world-bank-denies-it-will-fund-project-in-cambodia/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
NGOs Call for Asean Rights Document Delay
With less than two weeks until asean leaders meet in Phnom Penh to consider approval of the region’s first human rights declaration, international NGOs yesterday urged them to postpone passing what they are calling a “deeply flawed” document. “In the current form, the [asean Human Rights] <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/ngos-call-for-asean-rights-document-delay/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Unions to Protest Court Ruling in Triple Shooting
Union leaders are planning a demonstration in January to protest the Svay Rieng Provincial Court’s decision last week to drop charges against the former Bavet City governor, Chhouk Bundith, who was the chief suspect in the shooting of three garment factory workers during a violent <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/unions-to-protest-court-ruling-in-triple-shooting/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
Cambodia attracts $2.28 bln investment projects last year: gov't report
Cambodia had granted licenses to 157 domestic and foreign investment projects with a total investment of 2.28 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, according to a report of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) on Tuesday. Domestic investors topped the chart among all investors last <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/cambodia-attracts-2-28-bln-investment-projects-last-year-govt-report/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-01/29/c_132136638.htm
Guilty verdict for timber cop
Pursat Provincial Court yesterday sentenced a military official, Poung Puthearith, to two years in jail – suspended to six months – on charges of threatening and obstructing the works of a forestry official, a court official said. Puthearith was arrested by the anti-Corruption Unit <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/km/news/guilty-verdict-for-timber-cop/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013020761235/National/guilty-verdict-for-timber-cop.html