News
Rice industry body president gets wary vote of confidence
Cambodia’s apex rice industry body held its annual general meeting on 2 July, with its members unanimously re-electing its well-connected incumbent president, Sok Puthyvuth, for a second term in what some are calling a dress rehearsal for his political ascendancy. Puthyvuth, the son of Deputy Prime Minister ...
US spending bill ties aid to end of government ‘violence’
According to a Senate report accompanying the bill, the vast majority of the recommended budget for Cambodia, $69.9 million of it, would go toward health programs and development assistance. Most of the rest would go to military education and training, demining, anti-terrorism and related programs. ...
Farmers squeezed by ‘reclaim forestland’ campaign
Many people’s hearts sink every time they see news photos about treeless mountains in once-verdant Nan province or mask-wearing people in frequently hazy Chiang Mai. “We used to have our own land plots and earned a living as farmers – but not anymore,” lamented a middle-aged ...
Isolated and lacking labor rights, housemaids toil in silence
Khin Htar Kyu was in her late teens when she left her village in Irrawaddy Division’s Wakema Township with her younger sister to find work in Yangon to help her indebted family. Across Myanmar, there are tens of thousands of girls like Khin Htar Kyu who leave ...
Revenue gain not equal to forestry losses: Govt
Even though more than US$100 million has been generated in national revenue from the timber industry over the past 10 years, this is insufficient to compensate for the loss of the country’s forestry resources. Forestry officials said losses in revenue from the timber industry were ...
Egat reaffirms coal-fired power plants
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand has confirmed it will complete six new coal-fired power plants by 2025 and boost its share of the power supply market to 50% from 37%. The six new coal-fired plants are expected to have a combined capacity of 4,390 ...
Armed forces chief thanks NCA signatories for ‘constructive cooperation’
Myanmar Army Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing thanked ethnic armed groups that signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement last year for their “constructive cooperation,” while indirectly criticizing other groups. The armed forces chief alluded to NCA non-signatory groups “expanding their forces.” He urged them to eschew “dogmatism” and ...
Vietnamese scoff at bike-ban plan as motorcycles engulf capital
World famous for its endless swarms of motorcycles, Vietnam is considering banning bikes in the capital over fears its leafy streets will become overrun as the population swells and its middle class buys up cars in record numbers. Hanoi is forecast to have seven million motorcycles ...
Myanmar: Hydropower and the cost of life
Suicide rates and poverty are on the rise among rice farmers displaced by Myanmar’s Paunglaung Dam. The change of government is expected to spur foreign investment into the country, contributing to its rapid development. But among the myriad issues facing the country, including decades-long civil wars, the ...
Thailand gets upgraded in US TIP report
According to a statement released by the US embassy in Bangkok, the Tier 2 Watch List ranking indicates that the Thai government made significant efforts to eliminate trafficking during the rating period, but still does not fully meet the minimum standards for doing so. The State ...
