Cambodia's opposition leader Kem Sokha was released from jail early Monday a year after he was detained on treason charges, as the country's strongman ruler loosens his grip on opponents after sweeping one-sided elections.Over a 33-year rule, the wily Hun Sen has tightened and relaxed his chokehold on opponents at will, most recently launching a broad crackdown in the run-up to July elections that gifted his ruling party an uncontested victory.As part of that action, Kem Sokha, the

A pilot project in Cambodia may help small-scale organic rice farmers get better deals for their produce. Using blockchain technology, the project connects a large network of people in the supply chain and hopes to ensure everyone gets a fair share of the deal made.The Blockchain for Livelihoods from Organic Cambodian Rice or Blocrice involves developing a “smart contract”, a three-way digital contract farming agreement between organic farmers, rice exporters and retailers.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been trying to tackle the scourge of human trafficking for a while now. Unfortunately, as 2018 dawned, none of the ASEAN member states made it onto the United States (US) Department of State’s Tier 1 list for human trafficking.

It’s a given that while Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution opens windows of opportunity for some countries, it provides challenges to others, forcing them to play catch-up. In Cambodia, people still rely heavily on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Two journalists were freed from jail in Cambodia on Tuesday, a day after a prominent land rights activist was pardoned, as the government loosens its grip on dissenters in the wake of a flawed election victory last month.Cambodia's king pardoned land campaigner Tep Vanny late Monday at the request of strongman prime minister Hun Sen, days after he officially extended his 33-year grip on power.And on Tuesday, two journalists who had worked for the US-backed broadcaster Radio Free Asia (RF

After making a wave of appearances on television shows featuring celebrity chefs getting their taste of tarantulas boiled, deep fried or tempura fried, the popular arachnid has been making its rounds on the Instagram accounts of tourists visiting Cambodia. Sought after for its novelty and peculiar taste, the local delicacy has become a coveted treat and familiar offering on the menus of restaurants and pubs, as well as street vendors in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Cambodia’s plans to boost its cassava industry has hit a snag with an outbreak of the mosaic virus. Thailand, a main importer of Cambodia’s cassava issued a warning in June that it may ban the produce if necessary.The virus has not appeared in Thailand before and officials there fear an outbreak will lead to substantial losses to the nation’s agriculture sector and cassava industry. It is the world’s largest exporter of tapioca products, making up over 50 percent of the global market share.

The next designer handbag you buy is less likely to bear a “Made in China” label.Fashion companies, eager to diversify their supply chains, were already expanding into production sites in Southeast Asia as alternatives to China. Then the trade war happened.Now, with tariffs on products such as Chinese handbags set to rise, nations like Cambodia and Vietnam are looking more attractive than ever for consumer-goods makers such as Steven Madden Ltd. and Tapestry Inc.’s Coach.

Along with most Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia’s electricity consumption over the past decade has skyrocketed. In a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), electricity consumption in Cambodia has been growing rapidly, averaging 20 percent growth per annum since 2010. This rate continues to accelerate as average incomes in the nation rise on the whole.

You can boil it, bake it, deep fry it, stir fry it, cook it in a curry, and now the Cambodians are going to make an industry out of it. Traditionally a net importer of potato, amounting to around 5,000 tonnes every year from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, Australia and the United States (US), Cambodia is eyeing not only the future local potato market, but also the regional one.