Social development

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith presided over a meeting on LGBTIQ pride on Wednesday, highlighting the community’s “legal rights”, the extent of which was disputed by activists on May 18. The statement was posted by government newswire AKP, which also quoted last year’s statement from government spokesman ...

Thailand has undergone a dramatic social, cultural, economic and political transformation during the past half century. In particular, educated Thai women have reconfigured traditional conceptions of their private and public roles — to the point where Thailand now has one of the highest proportions of ...

Last month, a band of farmers forced their way into the administrative compound of Dong Tam, an ancient village on the fringes of Hanoi, to protest the expropriation of their land. To the astonishment of many observers, Vietnam’s communist regime calmed the explosive situation after ...

The German government will provide grant aid of over 61 billion kip (EUR 6.8 million) to contribute to educational development in Laos, with a focus on vocational training. The funding will support vocational training courses and upgrade teaching and learning in Laos through the Ministry of ...

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that children will receive free healthcare at government hospitals within the next three months. The initiative is aimed at encouraging more parents to take their sick children to hospital and reduce the high rate of mortality among children under ...

In-House Media ombudsmen were officially introduced for the first time on May 17 by the National Press Council of Thailand to improve effective self-regulation of the industry. The move came as the state has attempted to introduce a new media regulation bill that media groups ...

The gay community in Cambodia continues to suffer discrimination in every aspect of life, activists have warned, despite speedy progress being made around the world. Events are being held across Phnom Penh in support of Gay Pride week, which runs until Monday. But members of ...

China has granted $240 million aid to Cambodia under agreements signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on a state visit to Beijing. Mr Hun Sen and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang signed six deals on Tuesday after a one-hour meeting to discuss ties between the nations. In ...

Food is necessary for survival, an appropriate amount of food for sustenance that is, while excessive amounts are detrimental. As the Myanmar proverb goes “Tan hlin say, Lon hlin bay” (too much of anything is good for nothing), which is something we have been hearing ...

With the ruling party ominously invoking the possibility of war as elections draw near, a new index suggests the Kingdom is indeed at risk of instability – not thanks to outside challenges to the CPP, but to the government’s own opacity and lack of accountability. ...