Law and judiciary

Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly has approved law that bans street beggars but will allow buskers provided they have a licence. The military-appointed assembly approved the Begging Control Act by 178 votes to two with seven abstentions. The law forbids all begging and sets out punishments for anyone who ...

One Chinese national was killed and three wounded in a “militant” attack in Laos, state media said on 2 March, in what was at least the second confirmed attack in the country involving Chinese workers this year. China’s consulate in Luang Prabang province confirmed the attack, “which ...

Thai Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said on 2 March that Thailand was amending the law to allow drug abusers serving less than four years in prison for other crimes to volunteer for a rehabilitation programme. Keep reading ...

Wildlife trafficking in Vietnam and the high demand for exotic meat, jewelry, medicine and even pets is a threat not only to bio-diversity, but also to public health, according to environment experts. Experts said the illegal trade of products, which has both domestic and international origins, ...

Thailand ranked fifth out of 25 countries in Asia for cyber security risks last year, says Romanian internet security software company Bitdefender. Globally, the country’s exposure to cyberattacks was ranked 11th. The rankings were based on the quantity of malware detected, said Michal Dominik, managing director ...

A Group of Christian hard-line anti-drug vigilantes on 28 February abandoned plans to destroy poppy fields in an area of Kachin State after clashes broke out between their members and armed attackers in the past week. Pat Ja San, which is known for flogging drug users, said ...

Drug use in Cambodia’s prison system is not limited to inmates alone. Prison guards too have been found to be using illicit substances, senior prison officials have acknowledged, with the government set to launch an investigation into the prevalence of drug use among prison staff ...

Dozens of Kachin anti-narcotics campaigners were injured after a poppy eradication campaign was met with gunfire and grenades on 25 February. After a week-long stand-off, Pat Ja San reached an agreement with Kachin State authorities to re-launch the eradication mission, despite protests of angry poppy farmers ...

In Myanmar, Tatmadaw air strikes have put a quick end to an ethnic armed group’s foray into poppy field eradication. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army began clearing fields in Nam-hsan and Kutkai townships in northern Shan State on 16 February, according to Tar Gyoke Ja, vice ...

The Lao Association of Travel Agencies (LATA) is asking its members to conduct safety checks on all tour vehicles following the tragic bus and minivan collision on 21 February which claimed the lives of four Korean tourists. The road accident in Kasy district, Vientiane province also ...