National government

Military gears and training programmes worth nearly 577 million VND (26,200 USD) were handed over to the Mapping Department of the Laos People’s Army by the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army in Vientiane on 8 December.  Keep reading ...

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong said after a meeting with US Ambassador William Heidt on 7 December that the “time was over” for opposition leader Sam Rainsy to retract comments that are the subject of an outstanding defamation sentence. “I had kept the door open for ...

At a meeting in Hanoi, Vinh – who is also the head of the Defence Ministry’s steering board for the border demarcation and marker planting – said the ministry considers the increase of and upgrade to border markers critical to the countries’ defence, security, dialogue, ...

Not seen in public for four years but still a power behind the scenes, former junta leader U Than Shwe has reportedly endorsed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as “the future leader of Myanmar”, fuelling speculation of a possible deal that would allow her to ...

A migrant rights network has appealed to the Myanmar and Thai governments to reach a solution on a worker registration standoff, and to take steps to alleviate the exploitation of workers by brokers. The call comes as the two sides prepare to meet in Thailand on ...

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Lao counterpart Somsavat Lengsavad sought measures to reach co-operation contents agreed for 2016-2020 during talks in Hanoi on 6 December. They reviewed achievements made from 2011-2015, agreeing that the two countries’ traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive co-operation ...

Myanmar election winner Aung San Suu Kyi and long-time former military junta leader Than Shwe met for more than two hours and discussed the country’s future, sources said on 6 December. The 4 December meeting at military headquarters in the political capital Nay Pyi Taw was facilitated ...

The ire of MPs over the 11.95 percent supplementary budget request from the outgoing government was directed on 3 December toward the Central Bank. While its request for K59.059 billion represents just 2.3 percent of the K2.464 trillion budget proposal, MPs said it was a prime example ...

China has signed rice and rubber purchase deals with Thailand as part of the Thai-Sino railway development agreement. Negotiations over the railway are continuing. The deals were signed at the ninth meeting of the Joint Committee on Railway Cooperation in Bangkok on 3 December. Keep reading ...

National Assembly President Heng Samrin has become the latest government official to accuse opposition leader Sam Rainsy of defamation, with a lawyer for the ex-president filing a complaint against Mr. Rainsy over false claims that the 1980s communist regime sentenced King Norodom Sihanouk to death. Mr. ...