Social development
Ceasefire to be signed by some armed groups in October, others abstain
A long-awaited ceasefire agreement between the government and ethnic armed groups will be signed on 15 October, negotiators said, though the pact will not be the “inclusive” agreement many ethnic groups had hoped for. Seven ethnic armed groups have committed to signing the pact while other ...
Myanmar youth leaders gather at the Social Good Summit
When 40 Myanmar youth leaders gathered at the Social Good Summit on September 26, it was clear there was one topic on their minds. The main focus of the Yangon summit, organised by the Union Nations Development Programme in partnership with the UN Volunteers and UN ...
US report lauds Thai efforts to combat child labour
The US Department of Labour has upgraded Thailand to the “significant advancement” category for child labour after efforts in recent years have made progress in thwarting the harmful practice. The department on 30 September released a report entitled Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labour 2014, which ...
Dengue patients overwhelm hospital for tropical diseases
The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases is struggling to cope with a flood of dengue fever patients who insist on getting treated there, instead of local hospitals and clinics. Dr Nguyen Trung Cap, head of the Ha Noi-based hospital’s emergency department, said since the monsoon began ...
Laos in the spotlight again over human rights
Human rights violations are again an issue in Laos – and a thorn in the side of a government more concerned with centrally-planned economic policies – following the death 61-year-old Tiang Kwentianthong. Tiang was originally arrested for praying for a sick woman without government approval. Reports ...
Thai Government warns netizen protesters
The government is threatening legal action against web activists who launched cyber attacks on state agency websites on Wednesday in a bid to derail the government’s proposal to restrict the flow of online information, causing sporadic disruptions of several government home pages. Keep reading ...
Cambodia's road deaths up almost 15%
A national road safety action plan established in 2011 is severely off target and road deaths could surpass 3,200 by 2020 unless drastic action is taken, the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) warned on 30 September. In total, 2,226 people were killed in 4,645 recorded traffic ...
Positive early results for Cambodia ‘back to school’ push
Some 14,000 school drop-outs have returned to class under a $19 million scheme launched last year by a coalition of education groups, the organisations said on 30 September. Out-of-school kids include children from poor and remote communities, ethnic minorities, kids over-age for their grade level, street ...
Lao court jails Polish activist following online criticism of Government
A court in Laos has sentenced a Polish activist to nearly five years in prison after he posted criticism of the Lao government online, according to state media, drawing criticism from a diplomatic official who said the defendant was never given access to an attorney. Keep reading ...
Thai govt websites crash in symbolic act by critics: officials
Several Thai government websites temporarily crashed due to a “symbolic act” by people against plans to introduce a single Internet gateway, officials said on 1 October, a measure critics say will make it easier for the ruling junta to censor the web. Keep reading ...
