Social development
Human rights
Protesters hinder land titling in Kompong Speu over fishing rights
Officials in Cambodia’s Kompong Speu province have had to suspend their efforts to grant private land titles over part of a 40-hectare reservoir dating back to the Khmer Rouge in the face of a protest mounted by more than 100 locals afraid of losing their ...
Wanbao requests talks with Letpadaung protesters
In response to protests outside the site of a controversial, re-launched copper mine, the company behind the project released a statement ridiculing the demonstration as representing a reckless minority. Residents are calling on the government to intervene, and have said the mine should not be allowed ...
UN rights council comes down heavily on junta
Thailand came under severe criticism over the human rights situation in the country with international delegates of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) raising serious concerns in Geneva yesterday.At the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session, the Thai delegation led by Justice Ministry permanent secretary ...
VFF leader discusses religious issues with US guest
Freedom of religion and the building of a law on belief and religion in Vietnam were discussed during a meeting between Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Le Ba Trinh and visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Tom ...
Public figures ‘must tolerate criticism’
Academics and activists on 8 May called for the government and its leaders to tolerate criticism as its reaction to being mocked could violate people’s freedom of expression. Public figures must be able to take criticism otherwise they should stay at home and raise grandchildren, said ...
Myanmar’s media landscape through the years
Recent years have seen dramatic changes to Myanmar’s media landscape, with the previous quasi-civilian government taking steps to unshackle a press corps long muzzled by successive military regimes dating back to 1962. In the wake of World Press Freedom Day, which was celebrated on 3 May, ...
Media workers lament decline in freedom of expression in Thailand
“We are the worst, even when compared to Laos or Vietnam,” said Kulachada Chaipipat, campaign manager at the Southeast Asia Press Alliance. “Those two countries have seen stagnant, bad situations, but Thailand is going down.” Speaking on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on ...
ICT forum eyed as FDI springboard
The government is hopeful an upcoming global forum for the information and communication technology industry will provide an avenue for foreign direct investment from global tech companies. The ITU Telecom World Forum 2016, to be held in Bangkok from Nov 14-17, will also allow the Thai ...
State of press freedom remains dire across much of region
An annual assessment of press freedom in 180 countries released by campaign group Reporters Without Borders reveals a mixed bag of progress and decline in the region. According to the Reporters Without Borders report, bloggers and citizen journalists in Vietnam are “the permanent targets of extremely ...
Phuket removes encroaching shops on Surin beach
Authorities on 20 April demolished 36 shops illegally occupying parts of popular Surin beach as part of a campaign to regulate businesses on 50 beaches in this island province. Most proprietors had cooperated before officers moved in, but not all. Keep reading ...
