Social development

Lao authorities have failed to properly account for the disappearance almost three years ago of civil society activist Sombath Somphone, who was last seen in police custody at a checkpoint in the capital Vientiane, and must commit themselves to a “real and renewed” effort to ...

Over 100 election hopefuls – mostly minority candidates – were knocked out of the running in the Union Election Commission’s final list, with citizenship status by far the most common stumbling block. The final list was short 124 rejected candidates, according to the commission’s announcement on ...

The Lao government’s changes to regulations on domestic nonprofit associations will hinder the work of the groups and slow down development projects in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation, an NGO official said 11 September. Keep reading ...

Local authorities in two villages in a central Lao province have violated the rights of Christians by threatening to jail those who continue to practice their religion after banning their activities last month, a source inside the country said.   Authorities from the villages of Nhang ...

Provincial officials have 30 days to complete the inspection of rice stored at 1,800 warehouses nationwide under a deadline set by the National Rice Policy Committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Keep reading ...

Renewed fighting in Shan State is reported to have claimed at least 10 lives even as the government and leaders of armed ethnic groups met in Nay Pyi Taw in their latest attempt to hammer out a nationwide ceasefire accord. Representatives of armed ethnic groups warned ...

      Talks held between Myanmar’s President Thein Sein and leaders of the country’s armed ethnic groups on 9 September ended with a tentative agreement to sign a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) next month, according to sources and state media. Hla Maung Shwe, senior advisor of the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace ...

Furious: That’s how Mi Than Shin said she felt when the Union Election Commission (UEC) told her and her colleagues they could not register a political organisation under the name Women’s Party. On April 27, the commission sent a letter to the founding members, who are ...

One of the first four refugees resettled in Cambodia under a deal with Australia has requested to return to his native Rakhine State – the latest controversy to smack the much-ridiculed refugee arrangement. “He has requested to give up his [refugee] status and return to his ...

With the finalised candidate list expected to be released on 7 September, barred Muslim election hopefuls fear not a single one of them will be left to contend the looming polls, leaving no one to represent what many estimate is Myanmar’s largest religious minority. The Union ...