News
City officials guarantee no water shortage in Yangon this summer
Yangon residents in Myanmar need not worry about a water shortage in the commercial capital this summer, said the Yangon City Development Committee. “Although it is expected to be hot this year, we will store more water in our reservoirs than in previous years,” said Myo ...
Activists slam 'fast-track' order
Thailand’s grassroots network has lashed out at the use of special powers to “fast track” mandatory environmental impact assessments for mega projects. A network of 46 civic groups, including Sueb Nakhasathien Foundation and the Stop Global Warming Association, issued a statement on 9 March, calling on ...
Minister dismisses lawmaker’s HIV concerns
Cambodia’s Health Minister Mam Bunheng said on 9 March that he was unconcerned by a letter sent to him by the head of the National Assembly’s health commission last month concerning a spate of recently discovered HIV cases in Kandal province. Keep reading ...
Timber busts made in Stung Treng, Mondulkiri
The ongoing nationwide crackdown on illegal logging in Cambodia has produced another pair of high-profile busts touted by the national military police. On 9 March, alleged smugglers in Stung Treng were busted attempting to sneak three tractor-loads of luxury wood into Laos. The day before, some 10,000 cubic ...
Rice body steps up to the plate
Responding to criticism, Cambodia’s apex rice industry body announced on 9 March that it would submit a plan to Prime Minister Hun Sen that addresses two of the major challenges facing the Kingdom’s rice sector – competition from rice imports and access to finance for millers. Keep ...
Controversial union law set for final review
The head of the National Assembly’s legislation commission of Cambodia said he hoped to have a controversial draft union law passed “very soon” after the latest round of feedback from unions and employers during a public workshop at Parliament on 9 March. Cambodian People’s Party parliamentarian ...
Suu Kyi calls for public support of presidential nominees
Aung San Suu Kyi called for the ongoing support of the Myanmar people on the morning of vice presidential nominations within the Parliament. In a statement signed by the National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman and released on 10 March, the Myanmar democracy leader said the selection of the ...
Koh Tao petition reaches Thai embassy
Nearly 100,000 people have signed a petition organised by nationalist groups against the death penalty verdict given to two Rakhine State natives. Ko Zaw Linn and Ko Wai Phyo were convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of two British backpackers in Thailand in 2014. The ...
Religious leaders take stand on violence against women
Religious leaders from four major faiths in Myanmar called for an end to violence and discrimination against women during an International Women’s Day debate in Yangon over the weekend. The three-hour discussion was organised by UN Women and Religions for Peace, a Yangon-based interfaith group bringing together ...
B70bn loan offer for affordable housing
Thailand’s Finance Ministry plans to offer 70 billion baht in pre- and post-financing loans for its affordable housing scheme under the Pracha Rat (People’s State) initiative, finance permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse said. Of the total, 40 billion baht will be for post-financing and the remaining 30 billion ...
