Danielle Keeton-Olsen
Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap on June 6, 2020 (Matt Surrusco/VOD)

‘Angkor Lake of Wonder’ Not Suitable Next to Temples, Ministry Says

The Culture Ministry has announced that NagaCorp’s proposed $350-million theme park and resort near Siem Reap’s Angkor temples cannot be built as proposed, with an official adding that the “huge scale” development would disturb religious activity.

Cambodian journalists cover in an event in Phnom Penh. (Chorn Chanren/VOD)

Opinion: Women’s Challenges in Newsrooms Are Going Unreported

In recognition of International Women’s Day, we gathered our own experiences, and the perspectives of several other women and men in newsrooms, to open a discussion about equity in journalism — whether the issues are about newsroom culture or punishable by law.

Environment Ministry spokesperson Neth Pheaktra shows confiscated chainsaws at the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary during a government-organized trip, on February 14, 2021. (Tran Techseng/VOD)

Report Connects Prey Lang Deforestation to Community Patrol Crackdown

A new report from the Prey Lang Community Network links increasing deforestation in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary to a yearlong ban on independent patrols, as forest activists were this year again stopped from activities in the forest and conducting their annual tree-blessing ceremony.

Masked guards stand at the front of Naga 2 in Phnom Penh on March 1, 2021, amid a boycott by thousands of staff after some said they tested positive for Covid-19. (Danielle Keeton-Olsen/VOD)

Naga Workers Boycott Amid ‘Irregular’ Covid-19 Response, Worker Infections

Thousands of NagaWorld union and nonunion workers stayed home from work at Phnom Penh’s sole casino and hotel complex over the weekend and on Monday as some workers said they had tested positive for Covid-19, but little information was made available by the company, workers said.

Buildings in Phnom Penh, on February 17, 2021. (Michael Dickison/VOD)

Real Estate Firm Warns of Market Risks From Pandemic, Oversupply

Though the country has so far weathered the pandemic without massive viral outbreaks, the risks are piling up on Cambodia’s real estate market after years of rapid growth and high profit, according to an international property research and sales firm.

A map showing more than 800 hectares of sea off the coast of Preah Sihanouk province's Prey Nob district privatized in 2019 and 2020 for Canopy Sands Development and unspecified purposes. (Danielle Keeton-Olsen/VOD)

Prince-Linked Firm Pours Sand Into 400 Hectares of Bay Without Study

A company with powerful shareholders is creating a new coastline in Ream by pouring an estimated 100 million tons of sand into the Gulf of Thailand. After a year of filling, company and government officials say they’re still in the process of assessing potential environmental and social impacts.

An illustration of industrial waste, posted to the Facebook page of the Preah Sihanouk provincial administration.

Authorities Close Coal Ash Plant That Coated Community in Dust

Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities ordered a coal ash plant in Stung Hav district to close in two weeks after nearby residents frequently complained of struggling to breathe amid the potentially poisonous dust, officials said.

L’bokator master Ke Som On, 80, at his house in Kampong Chhnang province’s Rolea Ba’ier district. (Danielle Keeton-Olsen/VOD)

An Ancient Martial Art, Transformed by Time, War, Seeks Return to Prominence

A small number of remaining old masters are fighting to preserve Cambodian martial arts l’bokator after surviving the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. Through their passion, the martial art is slowly regaining its popularity — with some of its ritualistic and violent traditions transformed as they are passed onto younger generations.

A lbokator trainee, in Kampong Chhnang province’s Rolea Ba’ier district. (Hy Chhay/VOD)

Video: L’Bokator Seeks a Return to Prominence

A small number of remaining old masters are fighting to preserve Cambodian martial arts l’bokator after surviving the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. Through their passion, the martial art is slowly regaining its popularity — with some of its ritualistic and violent traditions transformed as they are passed onto younger generations.