Government
International relations
South-east Asian countries need to step up cooperation to fight extremist terrorism
Countries in South-east Asia need to step up cooperation to fight the threat of extremist terrorism, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said at the International Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Bali. “We need to establish a common understanding of the security threats facing us, the challenge ...
Cambodia standing up for migrant fishermen too late: experts
The government’s Cambodian Human Rights Committee on August 9 sent a request to its counterpart in Thailand to help push the Thai government to implement safety measures to protect Cambodian fishermen working in Thailand in often slave-like conditions, a request advocates said yesterday should have been ...
Singaporean firms find room to grow in Cambodia
Singaporean firms are taking an increasingly close look at the Cambodian market, both as a low-cost offshore production base and as a destination for their goods and services. Ho Meng Kit, CEO of the Singapore Business Federation, which represents 22,500 Singaporean companies, said as Cambodia ...
Malaysian trade agreement inked at Phnom Penh business forum
Cambodia and Malaysia took strides on August 9 to enhance bilateral trade and investment, holding a business forum in Phnom Penh and inking a cooperation agreement aimed cementing existing ties – and forging new ones. Malaysia is one of the top investors in Cambodia, and a cornerstone ...
U.S. urges Thai junta to cede power to civilian government soon
Speaking at a press briefing, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau also raised concern about the drafting process of the proposed constitution, saying it was “not inclusive” and lacked “open debate” before it was adopted. The United States urged Thailand’s ruling junta on August 8 to return the ...
China-Laos relations improve as Gezhouba Group constructs hydro power plant
The project is called Xelanong 2 and is foreseen to generate 35 megawatts of power, or 140,700 megawatts of electricity annually. The Chinese company is the one which built the giant Gezhouba Dam in the Yangtze River which produces 2,715 megawatts of power. Lin Boqiang, director of the ...
Vietnam cancels water pipe deal with China supplier over quality concern
State-owned construction firm Vinaconex has backed out of a deal to use pipes from a Chinese company to fix an unreliable water supply system in Hanoi amid concerns over the quality of the replacement. Viwasupco, the water utility subsidiary of Vinaconex, said in a new statement ...
Lao government muted representatives to ASEAN people's forum
Laos’ representatives attending a meeting of civil society organizations that is held each year during the ASEAN summit said little about human rights issues inside their own authoritarian country because they were selected by the government in Vientiane, sources tell RFA. “Most Lao representatives are selected ...
ASEAN and the EEU: close to free trade zone?
ASEAN and EEU member countries are estimated to have a combined GDP of $3.5 trillion and a combined population of over 700 million. On August 5, Russian media outlets quoted Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukayev as saying that an agreement had been reached ...
World Bank loan will not be used for govt salary increases, says president’s office spokesperson
Government employees’ salaries will not increase despite plans to take out a loan worth US$100 million from the World Bank, aimed at covering a state deficit by separating salaries from the budget, according to government officials. Myanmar’s President Htin Kyaw sent a message on August 5 ...