Social development

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 ...

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 ...

The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) remains upbeat that the country’s economy will still manage growth of 2.7-3.2% this year as projected. Keep reading ...

The Cambodian Higher Education Association released a statement on 11 October defending its members against claims made last week by CNRP President Sam Rainsy, who criticized the quality of Cambodia’s postsecondary education system. Keep reading ...

For the thousand or so ethnic Vietnamese families who have lived and fished for years in the floating villages along the Tonle Sap river in Cambodia’s Kompong Chhnang province, the insecurity of their lives here was made clear last week. Evicted from moorings in the center ...

With the Thai government exploring the pros and cons of initiating a single international gateway (single gateway), uncertainty is being felt in the country’s growing tech industry and e-commerce sector. The cabinet ordered relevant state agencies to report legal complications concerning the deployment of a single ...

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 ...

The planned upcoming deportation of Montagnard asylum seekers back to Vietnam will include 13 already recognised as refugees in March unless the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) can find a third country to resettle them, the UNHCR and a refugee advocate ...