News
Cabinet gives nod to new anti-dust law
The cabinet has approved a draft ministerial law on construction as it steps up efforts to reduce harmful levels of ultra-fine particles of dust. The current law, enforced since 1983, is too old to be applied to modern building methods in line with safety and environmental ...
Vietnam To Counter China With Asean Backing On Mekong River Region
Vietnam took over the rotational chair of Asean, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in January 2020, so it’ worth noting that Hanoi’s second foremost foreign policy priority after the South China Sea is reportedly the Mekong River region. While the South China Sea, ...
Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Accurate media reporting, trust in businesses depend on corporate transparency
Disclosure of company information is required for accurate business reporting and building trust between big business and communities, according to speakers at a seminar in Yangon on February 6. Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) director Vicky Bowman and The Myanmar Times digital editor and deputy business editor ...
Kyaw Soe Htet
Hydropower dams cool rivers in the Mekong River basin, satellites show
Hydropower dams, which use flowing water to turn a series of turbines to generate electricity, provide a source of energy that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels. But they also disrupt the flow of rivers, and impact the fish and people that live there. Scientists have been ...
Sarah McQuate
Thailand's Biofuel Policies Addressed among Prime Reasons for Present Toxic Haze
Beneath the haze is the culmination of issues related to social equality, sustainability and corporate responsibility as well as the fragmented policy approaches that need effective and collaborative policy interventions At the moment, Bangkok seems to be at ease, having a short break over the weekend ...
May Thazin Aung, Benjaluck Denduang / SEI
Upgrading aging irrigation system will be a win for farmers and govt
Myanmar’s food future hinges on ensuring access to water, especially in times of worsening drought. This is especially true in the central dry zone – the country’s most water-stressed region. Rainfall is often highly erratic, and many areas have been seeing less and less in recent years. ...
Petra Schmitter
Vietnam: LGBT Youth Unprotected
Pervasive myths about sexual orientation and gender identity in Vietnam contribute to violence and discrimination which is felt strongly among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, Human Rights watch said in a report released today. The 65-page report, “‘My Teacher Said I Had a Disease’: Barriers to ...
NGO work hit in Vietnam by novel coronavirus
The new coronavirus outbreak has claimed an unexpected victim in Vietnam: NGOs and charities. Human trafficking victims are for instance unable to seek help from the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, a Hanoi-based nonprofit that rescues Vietnamese women and girls trafficked to China for the sex trade and forced ...
Sen
Laos presents details for other Mekong countries on proposed dam
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) held a forum last week in Laos to discuss with other Mekong nations before going ahead with construction of a Luang Prabang hydropower project on Mekong River. The Lao government presented detail of the Luang Prabang hydropower project in the ninth ...
Xiaoxia
EU to suspend some of Cambodia trade benefits over human rights
Cambodia’s government is preparing for the European Union to partially and temporarily remove the country’s Everything But Arms (EBA) trade privileges on Wednesday, in the wake of a 2018 political crackdown. The EU warned Cambodia last February it would withdraw the scheme unless it made more effort to improve the ...
Leonie Kijewski