Social development
Thailand: many protests on Sunday - demonstration to escalate with no date for election
On Sunday 13 January 2019, another protest in Bangkok happen in the Ratchaprasong area of Bangkok and different provinces in Thailand, including Ubonratchathani and Chiang Rai. This was the third protest in Bangkok after the NCPO revoked its ban on people’s freedom of expression. Keep reading ...
Myanmar to launch Mekong-Lancang Cultural Exchange Youth Camp
Myanmar will launch Mekong-Lancang Cultural Exchange Youth Camp with the use of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Fund, aiming at enhancing cooperation between cultural groups and youth artists from six Mekong-Lancang countries, Myanmar News Agency reported on Thursday. The six Mekong-Lancang countries include China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam ...
What Does China’s Belt and Road Have to Do with Myanmar’s Meth Problem?
If Myanmar is to break an addiction to methamphetamine production that has seen it become one of the world’s largest suppliers there is one country above all others that must act: China. That’s according to a report released on Tuesday that highlighted how complexities in ...
Law Enforcement from Mekong Nations Unite as Drug Trafficking Worsens in the Golden Triangle
Law enforcement agencies from Thailand, China, Myanmar and Laos will once again join together to boost measures against drug trafficking, following the worsening situation in northern Thailand. The drugs being carried through the Golden Triangle bore the same characteristics with pills imprinted with a symbol ...
How preserving folktales and legends help raise environment awareness in the Mekong
In 2014, several indigenous communities in the Mekong started recording their stories and legends with the help of a group of researchers who are exploring how these narratives can help exposing the destructive impact of large-scale projects in the region. In partnership with Mekong Watch, a Japan-based group ...
Small Voices, Real Actions of People in Forests
Similar to other ethnic groups, people of Hmong at Ban Pang Kob living in the buffer zone of Doi Phu Kha National Park and Khun Nan National Park are entirely dependent on the forests. Their livelihoods and food security from surrounding forests are now facing ...
What awaits any Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar?
Since late 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh, following a military crackdown on the Muslim minority people. Under a deal between the two countries, thousands of them were due to be moved back to Myanmar. But this was halted when ...
'Myanmar wants to drive out all Muslims': Q&A with Kyaw Hla Aung
The Rohingya have faced persecution in Myanmar for decades. The military government, which took power following a coup in 1962, stripped the Rohingya of citizenship in 1982. U Kyaw Hla Aung is a well-known lawyer and activist who has been fighting for the rights of the Rohingya ethnic ...
Farmers in Thailand Welcoming New Law Allowing Cultivation of Marijuana for Medical Use
Farmers in Thailand are welcoming a new law allowing cultivation and use of marijuana for medical purposes Wednesday, in an Asian first that promises an economic bonanza but also fears that foreign companies could reap the rewards. Thailand’s National Assembly passed a bill Tuesday legalizing the use ...
Agence France-Presse
Methamphetamines from Myanmar are causing problems across Asia
The Chinese cemetery in Kutkai, a town in the north of Myanmar’s Shan state, is a popular spot to get high. Twitchy men with gaunt faces and wild eyes lurk near its entrance. The ornate tombs provide a good place to stash drugs and weapons ...
