Social development

Ethnic minorities and indigenous people

The Kampong Cham retreat blending bamboo and Buddhism

An eco-tourism project in a remote area near the provincial capital is incorporating unusual style, sustainable design and an opportunity for tourists to connect with the country’s Buddhist traditions. With the midday sun beating down, Vandong Thorn walks towards the edge of a plateau. To ...

Focal points meeting aims to improve SDGs coordination

Some 50 officials from 22 relevant sectors met in Vientiane to discuss coordinating mechanisms for improvement and to review the previous implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in each sector. The first meeting to examine SDGs focal points took place on March 14 and was co-chaired ...

New Bagan guide map in the works

Visitors will find their way around the Bagan ancient cultural zone with greater ease soon with the local tourism authority working on a guide map. The map would be given to visitors to make their trip more convenient, said Bagan Tourism Development assistant project manager ...

Over 5 visses of gold panned at Mahamuni Pagoda

More than five visses (one viss equals 3.6 pounds) of gold have so far been recovered in the annual gold leaves debris panning process at Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay, said U Aung Moe, convener of charity at the pagoda. “Gold leaves debris panning started on February ...

Fund shortage halts Shwe Kyaung repair

Restoration work on a national heritage building, Shwenandaw Monastery (Shwe Kyaung) in Mandalay, has been temporarily stopped due to a shortage of funds, an official from the Department of Archaeology and National Museum for Mandalay Region said on March 13. “The Ambassadors’ Fund has run ...

Nippon Foundation supports IDPs

Pledging to maintain peace, the Karen National Union has called on the Myanmar government and international organisations to work together to help internal displaced persons in the Kayin State. KNU chairman General Mutu Say Poe said IDPs, who fled to Thailand during the conflict with the ...

The magic in Myanmar's numbers

Societies often treat numbers with care, even reverence. They may be mystical, magical, symbolic or simply a mnemonic tool. During World War II, the combination of the safe in the German Embassy in Turkey was Hitler’s birthday. Many years ago, the combination code of the ...

MoE not responsible for religious content in textbooks

The Ministry of Education has responded to criticisms on social media that new civic education textbooks have included the four great religions – Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism – by denying it is responsible for the curriculum. “The texts books are not from our departments. ...

Phuan festival bolsters Lao-Thai friendship

The annual Phuan ethnic community festival in Thailand has significantly contributed to maintaining and strengthening the friendship between Laos and Thailand along with conserving the traditions of the ethnic group. Lao Ambassador to Thailand Mr Li Bounkham made the remarks as he joined Nan province ...

Laos to fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property

Laos highly respects its obligations to protect cultural heritage, in particular its movable cultural heritage, after the country accepted the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the illicit trafficking of cultural property at the end of 2015. This message was stressed by Director General of the Heritage ...

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