Vann Nath, Witness to Atrocities, Succumbs in Hospital

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Vann Nath, a Khmer Rouge prisoner who survived by painting portraits of Pol Pot, died in Phnom Penh on Monday, following an 11-day coma brought on by a heart attack, family members and health officials said. Vann Nath, who was born in 1946 into a poor family in Battambang province, survived the Khmer Rouge’s notorious Tuol Sleng prison and had been an ardent supporter of victims’ justice at the UN-backed tribunal.

Parents Say Poor Education Aiding Illiteracy

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Van La is a rice farmer in Kampong Speu province’s Udong district. Like many Cambodians, she is illiterate

City Begins Construction on Memorial Stupa

Friday, August 12th, 2011

Phnom Penh authorities broke ground on a memorial stupa on Thursday to honor victims of a deadly bridge stampede at last year’s Water Festival. The Diamond Bridge stampede was the worst disaster in Cambodia’s modern history, leaving 354 dead and 393 seriously injured after a crowd panicked during festival revelries in November 2010

World Bank Freezes Loans to Cambodia

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

The World Bank said Tuesday it will stop loaning money to Cambodia until the government reaches a deal with thousands of residents who are under threat of eviction in a huge development project.

Mekong Countries Move Toward More Integration

Friday, August 5th, 2011

The countries of the lower Mekong River are moving toward greater integration, but Cambodia’s commerce minister said Thursday the country is ill prepared. Ministers from Burma, Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam met in Phnom Penh to discuss a second phase of economic cooperation under and Asian Development Bank program.

Prison Officials Questioned After Inspection

Friday, July 29th, 2011

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.

Authorities Seek Resolution After Land Demonstration

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Authorities in Kampong Thom province say they are working to solve an ongoing land dispute with villagers there after a demonstration blocked a major roadway earlier this month. Kampong Thom Deputy Governor Out Sam Arn said the local government was measuring the land of about 200 families, following a massive demonstration that blocked National Road 6, a main tourist artery between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, for several hours. About 250 families are laying claim to some 800 hectares of land they say was taken by a private company in 2005

ADB Announces Half a Billion Dollars in New Strategy

Friday, July 8th, 2011

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.

Boeung Kak Lake Protesters Look to US for Help

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

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.