Tag Archives: Phnom Penh

Mekong Countries Move Toward More Integration

The countries of the lower Mekong River are moving toward greater integration, but Cambodia’s commerce minister said Thursday the country is ill prepared. Continue reading

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Prison Officials Questioned After Inspection

The Ministry of Interior on Thursday called in five officials at Prey Sar prison for questioning over the management of the Phnom Penh facility. A ministry spokesman said only that the five had been called in for questioning about “irregularities,” but human rights groups say bribery is a common practice, allowing rich prisoners better treatment Continue reading

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Ground Broken Where a Lake Once Stood

The controversial development of Boeung Kak lake saw a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, despite months or even years of protest from villagers who said they didn’t agree with a company buyout or resettlement plans. The development company, Shukaku, Inc., which is owned by a ruling party senator, held its groundbreaking ceremony even as Phnom Penh authorities announced they would not consider a proposal by villagers to have a portion of the development set aside for them. The ceremony marked a defeat for residents who have helplessly watched Shukaku pump fill from the bottom of the Tonle Sap into the lake, sending a rising tide of water into neighborhoods and replacing a massive body of fresh water in the north of the capital with sand. Continue reading

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ADB Announces Half a Billion Dollars in New Strategy

The Asian Development Bank announced $500 million in aid on Thursday to support the government’s continued efforts to expand economic growth and reduce poverty over the next three years. The money comes alongside a revised ADB strategy to provide aid to the government, whose annual budget remains heavily dependent on donor support. Continue reading

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Boeung Kak Lake Protesters Look to US for Help

Lake residents protesting over a Phnom Penh development delivered a letter to the US Embassy on Monday, asking for support in their ongoing dispute with the city and a development company. The Boeung Kak villagers are asking the city to grant them a portion of land on the development site, rather than take buyouts and be removed to a resettlement site outside the city. Fifteen representatives of 100 lake area residents thumb-printed the letter, addressed to US Ambassador Carol Rodley, requesting urgent intervention in their imminent eviction Continue reading

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Khmer Rouge Turned Cambodian Family Members Against One Another

Three decades since the Khmer Rouge decimated Cambodia, killing up to a quarter of the population in pursuit of a communist utopia, the devastation to families is still being felt. As the four most senior surviving Khmer Rouge leaders go on trial in Phnom Penh, thousands of lower-level Khmer Rouge responsible for atrocities will never see justice Continue reading

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