News
Gov’t signs off on Koh Rong protected habitat

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries signed an agreement late last week designating more than 400 square kilometres as a protected marine management area around the islands, located 20 kilometres off the coast of Sihanoukville in a bid to save the Koh Rong Archipelago’s coral ...
Exporters ask for exchange solution

Yangon business leaders have joined a call for the new government to address exchange rate regulations, which they say are causing difficulties for exporters trying to convert their earnings back into Myanmar kyat. The problem is that the Central Bank only allows lenders to conduct foreign ...
New plans revealed for Sihanoukville beaches

Work is due to begin soon on the development of four Preah Sihanouk province beaches, according to a Facebook post by Land Management Minister Chea Sophara. The post showed digital mock-ups of the planned improvements for Ochheuteal, Otres, Independence and Royal beaches, including an entrance archway ...
Change for growth

As the biggest economic center of Vietnam, HCMC is feeling tied by a slew of prevailing regulations. It is desperate for a special governance mechanism so that the metropolis will be able to grow faster and thus fuel development in the rest of the nation. Meanwhile, ...
Early pregnancies still an issue in Laos
Difficulties accessing information about methods to prevent early pregnancies among young people means that there are still many unwanted pregnancies and high death rates among young mothers and their children. Access to information and health services is limited among young people in the country, particularly for ...
Laos prepares two sites for world heritage listing
Laos expects to make a submission to Unesco for world heritage listing of the Plain of Jars in northern Xieng Khuang province as well as Phou Hin Nam Nor in central Khammuan province next year. Officials from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Ministry of ...
Thaicom’s 7 and 8 satellites will be forced to become an ICT Ministry concession
Thaicom’s commercial satellites operating under the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s licensing regime will be under an Information and Communication Technology Ministry concession as well, an ICT source said. The satellites under NBTC licensing regime include Thaicom satellites 7 and 8. Any future commercial satellites to ...
Censorship harms Myanmar’s chance for reconciliation

The Human Rights Human Dignity film festival could not screen its opening film Twilight over Myanmar: My Life as a Shan Princess in Yangon this week. Myanmar’s film censorship board banned the film because it could allegedly tarnish the image of the Myanmar Army and harm ethnic ...
Cambodia spoiled ASEAN statement on sea: reports

Cambodia helped to scupper an ASEAN joint statement on the South China Sea last week, according to news reports, an echo of the success it had killing a similar statement when it was chair of the regional bloc four years ago. The Foreign Affairs Ministry issued its ...
Laos banks on road link with China

With its fast-growing economy, landlocked Laos is turning a once disadvantageous position into an important land transport link for ASEAN regional connectivity with southern China’s Yunnan province. The 114-kilometre Hongsa-Chiang Man Road, which will be a shortcut to Laos’ northern Luang Prabang province, will link Thailand, ...