News
Assembly passes construction bill
The National Assembly unanimously approved the Draft Law on Construction on Monday. It is meant to strengthen the management of building projects and consists of 22 chapters and 111 articles. The draft law has been years in the making with technical officials from the Ministry of ...
Mech Dara
Govt asks Norwegian vessel to continue marine research
Myanmar has asked the Norwegian research vessel RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen to continue its research on the country’s seabed and ecosystem, the Department of Fisheries said. The vessel, which was named after a famous Norwegian explorer, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has visited the country ...
Myat Moe Aung
Push to boost cross-border economic ties with Mekong-Lancang countries
Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Monday (October 7) that the Cabinet has approved a proposal for cross-border economic ties under the Mekong-Lancang cooperation framework. The director-general of the Department of Trade Negotiation has also been given the job of visiting Laos on October 8 to ...
Will climate change spell the end of coal and hydropower in the Mekong?
This year has been rough for the 70 million people who call the Mekong River basin home: a severe drought rocked the region for months before yielding to deadly flooding. The Mekong slowed to its lowest level in recorded history, knocking the world’s largest freshwater fishery—Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake—out of ...
Skylar Lindsay
Southeast Asia struggles to tackle haze despite long-term dangers
A toxic smog settled over Malaysia and Singapore for most of September fuelled by fires that had been raging in neighbouring Indonesia for weeks. Schools were forced to close, N95 masks to filter the polluted air’s most dangerous particulates were rationed, and doctors reported a surge in patients ...
Kate Mayberry
Drought, saltwater intrusion loom in Vietnam's Mekong Delta
The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta plans to grow this year’s winter-spring rice crop early since drought and saltwater intrusion are forecast to be severe in the dry season starting at the end of this year. The country’s rice granary is expected to sow 1.55 million hectares, ...
Cambodia: the kingdom of wetlands
Cambodia is one of the most wetland dependant countries in the world. More than 46% of its people live and work on these vital resources and 80% of the population rely on them for food. Yet over the past 15 years half of Cambodia’s wetlands have ...
Cambodian judge orders reinvestigation of spying case against reporters
A Cambodian judge on Thursday ordered a reinvestigation of the espionage case against two former Radio Free Asia journalists, saying he could not rule on their guilt or innocence without enough evidence. The case has added to concerns about a crackdown on criticism and dissent by ...
Prak Chan Thul
Thailand and Myanmar Agree to Push Ahead With Dawei Special Economic Zone

Myanmar and Thailand have published their nine-point agreement to push through the implementation of the long-delayed US$8-billion (12.23-trillion-kyat) Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in southern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region, which is set to be Southeast Asia’s largest industrial complex. After a bilateral ministerial meeting in Naypyitaw, a ...
Nan Lwin
Provincial Official in Laos Wants to Cancel Concession for Chinese Coal Company

Officials for the local government in Laos’ Houaphanh province say they want to cancel the survey contract of a Chinese coal company after learning that its operations in the province have caused hardship for villagers who have yet to see any compensation. The company reportedly damaged ...