News
Laos-China railway almost 90% complete
Construction of the Laos-China railway was 89.43 per cent complete as of the end of May with Lao authorities calling for the project developer to progress work according to plan. General Manager Xiao Qianwen of the Laos-China Railway Co, Ltd. (LCRC), a joint venture based in ...
Norway continues to support demining activities in Cambodia
The Government of Norway through Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) confirmed its commitment to continue supporting Cambodia’s mine clearance efforts by providing $5 million for the next four years. The assistance was made known by Mr. Zlatko Vezillic, Programme Manager for NPA’s Cambodia’s Mine Action and Disarmament ...
Phal Sophanith/AKP
Supporters of Missing Thai Activist Demand Cambodia Probe His Alleged Kidnapping in Phnom Penh
Some 100 supporters of a Thai political activist who was snatched from the streets of Cambodia’s capital in broad daylight protested Monday in front of the country’s embassy in Bangkok, demanding that Phnom Penh investigate his case, while Cambodian officials continued to disavow knowledge of ...
Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Joshua Lipes
Vietnam-EU Trade: EVFTA Ratified by Vietnam’s National Assembly
Highlights: Vietnam’s National Assembly on June 8 ratified the EVFTA and the EVIPA agreements between Vietnam and the EU. Analysts hope the trade deal will give a much-needed boost to Vietnam’s economy as it looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement is expected to take effect sometime ...
Dezan Shira & Associates
Thai Activists Raise Alarm Over New Proposed Lao Mekong Dam
Thai activists and organizations have raised alarm bells following last month’s announcement that the Mekong River Commission will begin its prior consultation process on the Sanakham hydropower plant, a new Mekong River dam project in northern Laos. The plant would be the sixth dam in Laos, costing more than $2 billion, and would follow Laos’ Xayaburi Dam, farther upstream, which began operation in November. The MRC prior consultation ...
Steve Sandford
Water Becomes a Weapon in China’s Geopolitical Chess
Many centuries ago, the great Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu observed: “The nature of water is such that it avoids heights and hastens to the lowlands. When a dam is broken, the water cascades with irresistible force. Now the shape of an army resembles water. Take ...
Mayank Singh
Transnational trust trumps trafficking
Early on the morning of January 8, a team from the Wildlife Inspection Unit in Chiang Kong, Chiang Rai province, Thailand, was conducting a search at the Bann Jam Pong morning market. They had been sent there by Wachirayut Kietthibudr, head of the Wildlife Inspection ...
MIA SIGNS
Desperate times for independent media as COVID-19 savages a fragile industry
The COVID-19 pandemic has created enormous challenges for news media organisations, ranging from lost advertising revenue as businesses close or suspend services, to trying to arrange interviews or gather information while complying with social distancing and travel restrictions. The pandemic has only exacerbated the financial pressures ...
NAW BETTY HAN
Myanmar Condemns Report on Illegal Teak Exports to EU
Myanmar’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation has disputed the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)’s latest report which claims illegal teak from Myanmar is being shipped to Europe through the black market. “All the teak we export is legal,” U Kyaw Zaw Oo, the deputy ...
THIHA LWIN
Campaign launched to end violence against children, women
A communications campaign entitled “Blue Heart” was launched on June 4 to call for joint efforts to end violence and protect children and women, especially during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign is co-organised by the Department of Child Affairs at the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and ...
VNA