Government

International commentators are fond of saying that Myanmar’s 8 November election could bring sweeping changes to the country. But many of the displaced people living in camps in Kachin State do not see it that way. Any hope that an end of conflict might improve matters ...

Real estate agents in Yangon say the property market has fallen totally silent over the past week, with almost no deals signed. While sales have continued to slow since the start of the year, there has been no buying and selling whatsoever over the past week, ...

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered authorities to look into the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) to ensure its funds are being spent to improve people’s health and promote the well-being of the general public. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on 12 October the premier’s order for comprehensive ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen on 12 October arrived in Macau, the first stop on a five-day trip during which he is scheduled to attend a series of conferences on cultural tourism, regional defense and trade, and poverty reduction. Keep reading ...

Reforms and monetary policy changes in the post-election period would boost slowing growth in Myanmar, said an International Monetary Fund official. Hoe Ee Khor, deputy director for Asia and Pacific at the IMF, said the involvement of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in setting regulations ...

The dominant insurgent faction in Thailand’s southern separatist conflict emerged last week to reject the Malaysian-led peace talks being held with the Thai government. However, the hard-line National Revolutionary Front or Barisan Revolusi Nasional also signalled its willingness to open substantive negotiations, provided international mediation can ...

Chinese-language posters with instructions on how to vote are causing controversy in Myanmar’s Shan State.  Lashio town, in northern Shan State where Myanmar borders China, is home to a large number of ethnic Chinese people. Some have lived there for generations. Like elsewhere in Myanmar, a combination of historic ...

Laos will not host a meeting of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Southeast Asia on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit next year, a local official said, citing potential criticism by participants against governments in the region and inadequate resources as among reasons for the ...

With its recent name-and-shame policy proving to be successful, Hanoi’s tax office has released the names of another 89 businesses whose back taxes have amounted to nearly VND311.7 billion (US$13.78 million). Keep reading ...

The government is ready to help Indonesia tackle the haze pollution problem which has spread over large parts of the region after its envoy admitted the country’s efforts are not enough to stop the fires, Foreign Ministry deputy permanent secretary Vitavas Srivihok said. Keep reading ...