Government
Vietnam receives AIPA chairmanship for 2019-2020
Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan received the AIPA chairmanship for 2019-2020 from Speaker of the Thai House of Representatives Chuan Leekpai at the 40th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) which came to an end in Bangkok on August 29. Chuan ...
ASEAN members agree to promote circular economy
International representatives from the government and private sectors across Southeast Asia vowed to co-operate to address the resource constraints through the circular economy with a focus on “resource maximisation, waste separation and proper disposal” in the manufacturing and consumption cycle at a symposium in Bangkok ...
Human Smugglers Work with Corrupt Thai Officials: UN Report
As much as 80 percent of irregular migrant workers were ferried into Thailand by smuggling services, sometimes with the help of corrupt Thai officials, a recent report by the United Nations said. In a report released at a news conference last week, the UN Office on ...
Pravit Rojanaphruk
Forest activists call for seizure of assets from corrupt officials
Civil society and forest protection activists on Monday called for officials in the government and armed forces guilty of corruption and exploiting state property to be removed from their positions and have their assets frozen. The request came after a government spokesman said Prime Minister Hun ...
Soth Koemsoeun
Thailand penalizes peasants, not real climate offenders
A recent decision by a Thai appellate court against 14 residents of Ban Sapwai, a village in the northeastern province of Chaiyaphum, proves again that peasant women are bearing the brunt of false climate-change solutions. Instead of committing to the goal of mitigating climate change by phasing ...
Suluck Lamubol
Laos takes steps to tackle six urgent issues
The government has called for the sectors responsible to shoulder more responsibility in finding solutions to six pressing issues that are affecting socio-economic development. The issues were tabled at the government’s monthly meeting held in Vientiane on July 23-24 when cabinet members discussed possible measures to ...
Somsack Pongkhao
The Lao National Assembly refocuses attention on the issue of corruption
On June 14, members of the Lao National Assembly stood up, one after another, and recounted cases of bribery, embezzlement and corruption within the country’s courts and political system. Members described how courts routinely reversed decisions, revisiting judgements after receiving letters in favour of the accused, even after ...
Poisonous e-waste dump cleared, leaving stench of corruption
Piles of industrial and electronic waste dumped in protected forest in the eastern province of Sa Kaew were cleared on Wednesday, making way for the Pollution Control Department to soon move in to check whether toxic residues would endanger the health of local residents. Grateful the ...
Senators approve 2019-2023 development plan, power projects
Senators yesterday unanimously agreed to pass the National Strategic Development Plan of 2019-2023 worth $57.7 billion in capital. In order for the budget plan to be finalised, it will need to be reviewed by the Constitutional Council and approved by the King. The vote was held ...
Ben Sokhean
Mekong Delta takes action to prevent drowning incidents
The Mekong Delta has the highest rate of drowning in the country, particularly in Dong Thap province, where the number of deaths due to drowning is 10 times higher compared to that of dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease combined. Over the years, though ...