Civil and political rights
Freedom of expression
King signs new Constitution
His Majesty the King on April 6 signed the country’s new constitution – the 20th – giving it royal endorsement and setting in motion a process for the next general election, which is expected late next year. Through a court secretary, HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn proclaimed ...
Diplomats and businesses mix hope with caution on return of democracy
The International community on April 6 expressed hope that the promulgation of a new Constitution would pave the way for Thailand’s return to full democracy although some concerns remained because of restrictions on political rights and activities imposed by the junta. The private sector had mixed ...
Data science poised to boom
Big data and analytics spending in Thailand is expected to continue double-digit growth in 2017, driven by the availability of data, a new generation of technology and a cultural shift toward data-driven decision making. Teradata Thailand, the local enterprise solfware unit of US-based Teradata Corporation, expect ...
King Thibaw mausoleum planned in Mandalay
A mausoleum for Myanmar’s last monarch of the Konbaung dynasty King Thibaw is being planned at the Mandalay Palace, a descendant of the late king said. U Soe Win – King Thibaw’s great-grandson – said permission was being sought to build the mausoleum near the ...
NBTC must review decision to suspend Voice TV, say media bodies
Media associations on Tuesday called for the broadcast regulator to review its order to suspend Voice TV for seven days. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission on Monday suspended the digital channel’s licence over what was labelled repeated misconduct. In a joint statement signed by ...
UNDP presents human development report findings
Exclusion of women, people living in remote areas and ethnic groups creates chronic barriers for human development progress and leads to significant disparities within the Asia-Pacific region, leaving many behind, according to UNDP. This is one of the key findings of the Human Development Report ...
Will the environment be the Vietnam government’s downfall?
For years, Tran Thi Nga was subjected to harassment and brutalization by the Vietnamese authorities, the details of which emerged in a fresh Human Rights Watch report published earlier this year. She was finally arrested in January for using the using “the Internet to post ...
King calls for vote free from threats or intimidation
A leaked statement from King Norodom Sihamoni circulated on social media since Sunday, nearly a month after he signed it, calls on citizens to vote for their preferred party in the upcoming elections without “worry of suppression, threats or intimidation”. The statement, signed by the ...
University staff warned of behaviour’ on social media
Lecturers of a northern university will have to think twice before posting a message on online media. Offending posts may affect staff performance reviews and salary adjustments, according to university rules that came into effect on February 20. The rules describe the use of online media ...
Critics skeptical of new privacy legislation
Myanmar’s newly enacted privacy and security protection law received skepticism from several civil society groups that said the legislation was “incomplete” and failed to fully ensure the protection of individuals’ privacy and freedom of expression as it was adopted hastily and without public consultation. The ...
