Crimes

One Chinese national was killed and three wounded in a “militant” attack in Laos, state media said on 2 March, in what was at least the second confirmed attack in the country involving Chinese workers this year. China’s consulate in Luang Prabang province confirmed the attack, “which ...

Thai Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said on 2 March that Thailand was amending the law to allow drug abusers serving less than four years in prison for other crimes to volunteer for a rehabilitation programme. Keep reading ...

Wildlife trafficking in Vietnam and the high demand for exotic meat, jewelry, medicine and even pets is a threat not only to bio-diversity, but also to public health, according to environment experts. Experts said the illegal trade of products, which has both domestic and international origins, ...

Thailand ranked fifth out of 25 countries in Asia for cyber security risks last year, says Romanian internet security software company Bitdefender. Globally, the country’s exposure to cyberattacks was ranked 11th. The rankings were based on the quantity of malware detected, said Michal Dominik, managing director ...

A Group of Christian hard-line anti-drug vigilantes on 28 February abandoned plans to destroy poppy fields in an area of Kachin State after clashes broke out between their members and armed attackers in the past week. Pat Ja San, which is known for flogging drug users, said ...

Drug use in Cambodia’s prison system is not limited to inmates alone. Prison guards too have been found to be using illicit substances, senior prison officials have acknowledged, with the government set to launch an investigation into the prevalence of drug use among prison staff ...

Dozens of Kachin anti-narcotics campaigners were injured after a poppy eradication campaign was met with gunfire and grenades on 25 February. After a week-long stand-off, Pat Ja San reached an agreement with Kachin State authorities to re-launch the eradication mission, despite protests of angry poppy farmers ...

In Myanmar, Tatmadaw air strikes have put a quick end to an ethnic armed group’s foray into poppy field eradication. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army began clearing fields in Nam-hsan and Kutkai townships in northern Shan State on 16 February, according to Tar Gyoke Ja, vice ...

Southeast Asia is witnessing an explosion of organised crime thanks to increasing economic integration, according to a new United Nations report. The illegal trafficking of people, drugs, counterfeit goods and wildlife is already estimated to exceed US$100 billion a year – more than the GDP of ...

Myanmar hackers say they have attacked Thai government websites since early January and stolen data, part of a long-running, broader campaign against those critical of Myanmar’s government. The Blink Hacker Group said in Facebook posts and in an email interview that its attacks were in retaliation for ...