Social development

When farmer May Cho Win learned that a conservation project proposed by the U.N. Development Program in Myanmar would include the land she’s worked for over a decade, the 28-year-old wondered how she and her husband would be able to support their three children. “Without our ...

On Aug 14, a youth-led celebration, coordinated by the Lao Youth Union, for this year’s International Youth Day (IYD) in the midst of a global pandemic highlighted education and empowerment for young people and by youth themselves, emphasising how young people are taking action to ...

After six months in lockdown, Thailand is encouraging citizens to return to its islands and beaches. The nation has had no local transmissions in the last two months. Businesses have opened back up and the government is now contemplating allowing 100,000 foreign workers to return to ...

The Union Election Commission (UEC) reversed its decision and decided to allow the People’s Alliance for Credible Elections (PACE), a local poll monitor, to observe the conduct of the upcoming November 8 polls. Sai Ye Kyaw Swar Myint, executive director of the PACE, said the UEC ...

Garment worker Ny Thea never expected she would be in such big trouble. Just recently she still earned about $300 (€253) per month in a clothing factory, and on top of that, she took in extra cash renting out a luxury car.  But the coronavirus pandemic ...

Thailand has launched a comprehensive project to help healthcare facilities and personnel strengthen their response to COVID-19, and to improve the health care system – “build back better” – after the pandemic subsides. All healthcare facilities in Bangkok and 12 Regional Health Offices across the country ...

The Global Partnership for Education is allocating a grant of US$7 million via UNICEF to help respond to and mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s education in Laos. According to the UNICEF Laos Office, the grant agreement was signed on Thursday between Deputy ...

Thai police have detained a prominent student leader amid a growing movement calling for political reforms. Parit Chiwarak, 22, was arrested on the outskirts of Bangkok for taking part in a demonstration last month. Students have held regular protests since then. They are calling for a new ...

Mekong countries are being urged to share data in regard to their dam operations as they are being suspected to contribute to these exceptionally low flows of the river, besides weather anomaly. The Mekong River has experienced the situation called by the regional water regulating body ...

The inter-governmental Mekong River Commission on Friday urged China and Southeast Asian countries to share more data on hydropower dam operations, as water flow in the Mekong hit record low levels for a second consecutive year. A report by the commission attributes the low water level ...