Government
Shelling sends civilians fleeing in Shan State
More than 100 people from Kaung Kha village in Muse Township have fled their homes after artillery shells were fired into the settlement on 13 July, reportedly leaving one person dead and two others injured. The displaced villagers told The Irrawaddy that the artillery bombardment began ...
Cambodia: National Assembly passes controversial NGO law
On 13 July the National Assembly passed the controversial NGO law, amid a boycott by the opposition and street demonstrations against the widely criticised legislation. After almost four hours of speeches commending the legislation and criticising their absent opposition counterparts, 68 Cambodian People’s Party lawmakers voted ...
China’s ‘Myanmar corridor’
Much has been said and written about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent visit to China, and some commentators have even suggested that it may signal a shift in Beijing’s policy toward Myanmar—away from the government and toward a more favorable view of the pro-democracy ...
Laos: Officials discuss national food and nutrition security
Stakeholders from the government, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector gathered on 10 July to discuss and exchange information on food and nutrition security in Laos. Meeting at the Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the Asean Integrated Food Security Framework in ...
Cambodia, Vietnam to visit border
Cambodian and Vietnamese officials will visit Svay Rieng province next week as part of efforts to resolve ongoing border disputes, but the exclusion of journalists has sparked criticism over the negotiations’ lack of transparency. Border Post 203 in Kampong Ro district has been a flashpoint in ...
Thailand returns 16 smuggled artefacts to Cambodia
Thailand on Saturday returned 16 ancient artefacts recovered from smugglers to Cambodia. The handover ceremony was held at the Foreign Ministry during a two-day visit to Thailand by Cambodian Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong. “It is my great pleasure to hand over these 16 antiquities through you ...
Cambodia: One dinner, big message
The two first families of Cambodian politics dined together Saturday night, talking selfies and putting human faces on the “Culture of Dialogue.” The dinner at the Cambodiana drew together for one meal the families of Prime Minister Hun Sen and opposition leader Sam Rainsy. The convivial, ...
Transparency watchdog deals discounts to fight corruption
Transparency International Cambodia has launched a new campaign to encourage citizens to fight corruption, issuing a card that provides discounts with more than 100 companies to people who vow to work against the practice. The card includes a hotline to report corruption that its holders may ...
EU warns NGO law could cost $700m
The European Parliament yesterday passed a resolution urging Cambodia’s government to scrap the proposed NGO law, saying the Kingdom could lose $600-700 million annually in development projects if the legislation is passed. It stated the Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations could see the country lose ...
NLD commits to contesting November election
The Burmese opposition party led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi announced 11 July it will contest the general election on Nov. 8, an effort that is expected to strongly challenge the ruling military-backed party. “We will contest the election to continue implementing the democratic transition ...