News

Myanmar’s legal profession is aiming to come clean. Lawyers have launched the industry’s first independent, national bar association in Myanmar with the help of a London-based human rights training group and the rule of law committee. The Independent Lawyers’ Association of Myanmar was launched in Nay Pyi ...

Ensuring that Laos graduates from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in five years’ time has been the focus of discussion at the 10th Party Congress, a Party leader has said. Party Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Mr Somsavat Lengsavad highlighted this fact when speaking to ...

Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has agreed to fund an extension of the Right Based Empowerment Project (RBEP) in Luang Namtha province, with funding of US$3 million (about 24 billion kip). The project will be implemented in Viengphoukha and Nalae districts of Luang Namtha province, running from ...

Concerted efforts are needed to improve the operational efficiency of the No 5 seaport system, particularly the Cai Mep–Thi Vai Port in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, to make it a regional entrepot in the future, a ministry official has said. Speaking at a ...

Hanoi will finish building an underground power cable network to service 200 streets in four inner districts this year. It is one of nine key tasks that will be implemented this year by the Steering Committee of the Public Order and Urban Civility. The campaign, which ...

Lao irrigation systems that use electrical pumps to feed water into channels to farmers’ fields owe a lot of money to Electricite du Laos, the national electricity authority, with many utilities bills remaining outstanding. Deputy Director General of the Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of ...

Thailand’s Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) has begun rationing water in three provinces as the severity of the drought, expected to be far worse than last year, has started to affect tap water production. Ratana Kitchawan, the PWA’s director, on 20 January said three branches of the PWA are ...

The Department of Fisheries does not expect Thailand to be hit with a red card by the European Union, citing positive signals from EU representatives over progress in dealing with illegal fishing during their visit to the country this week. Esak Pakdeekong, the department’s deputy chief, said ...

Thailand’s Customs Department has launched a mobile app for anti-IUU activity to help track fishing routes from the catch to the processing plant. With the application, government officials will know where the catch was made, how it got to the factory and its final production process, director-general Kulit ...

In a seeming about-face, the Cambodian government has backed away from its looming deadline to deport more than 100 Montagnards currently seeking asylum in Cambodia, instead pledging to “expedite” the process of assessing their refugee status. Following a meeting on 20 January in Phnom Penh between Interior ...