Government
International relations
Thailand plans regional infrastructure fund to reduce China dependence
Thailand is taking the lead in creating a regional fund with its neighbors, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, to back infrastructure and other development projects and to lessen reliance on Chinese investment. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is expected to propose the idea to the leaders of ...
GMS Countries to Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Food Safety, Agriculture
Senior agriculture officials from the six member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) agreed to increase regional cooperation in food safety, boost the trading of climate-friendly agriculture products, and accelerate the implementation of the five-year GMS Strategy and Siem Reap Action Plan endorsed by ...
MRC vows to be among first paperless organizations in Laos
The Mekong River Commission Secretariat has vowed to become one of the first paperless organizations in Laos as part of its efforts to protect environment and promote regional sustainable growth. Keep reading ...
Chinese Whispers in Yangon as Myanmar Weighs Rohingya Deal With UN
The Myanmar government is in a bind. In order to stave off Western sanctions for its alleged mistreatment of the Rohingya, it is considering signing a memorandum with UN agencies that would set terms for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh. But China does ...
Myanmar and UN announce deal for return of Rohingya
Myanmar’s government has announced an agreement with two UN agencies for the return of refugees who fled violence in Rakhine state, but Rohingya have expressed concerns that it does not do enough to guarantee their safety. Keep reading ...
Myanmar Military Targets Other Ethnic Groups After Driving Rohingya Out
Myanmar’s military, fresh off a bloody campaign that drove most of the country’s Muslim Rohingya minority into neighboring Bangladesh, has launched a new offensive against the armed forces of an ethnic group along the northern border with China using helicopter gunships, jet fighters and heavy ...
A Fragile New ‘Normal’ Descends on South China Sea Claimants
The United States and China have apparently reached a tacit agreement to disagree and maintain a leaky status quo in the South China Sea. Not coincidentally, relations on this issue between Asean claimants and between Asean and China are more or less at the same place. Keep ...
Three new border gates on the way
Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to open three new border checkpoints to facilitate trade and the movement of people across the border, according to Thailand’s ambassador to Cambodia. Keep reading ...
70th joint patrol on Mekong River completed
The 70th joint patrol on the Mekong River with law enforcers from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand was completed on Friday. Ten vessels and more than 160 law enforcers participated in the mission which started on Tuesday.During the joint patrol, the personnel held a seminar on ...
China’s Mekong charm offensive
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping took over power in 2012, Southeast Asia has become a focal point of China’s geopolitical ambitions. Instead of the clandestine and illegal tactics seen under Mao Zedong, the current strategy combines two major approaches: building Chinese-led institutional mechanisms and buying ...
