Economy and industry
Japan set to construct $27M treatment plant
The construction of a $27 million Japanese government-funded wastewater treatment plant in Phnom Penh to improve water quality and protect the environment will begin late next year, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) announced on Friday. Jica said the Japanese government had granted 2,777 million yen ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya
RCEP abandons year-end goal for deal
Leaders from 16 Asia-Pacific nations including Japan, China and India have effectively given up on achieving the goal of finalising their free trade deal by the end of this year, according to a joint statement issued on Monday. In the statement released after their summit, the ...
Kyodo News
Vietnam: From child labour to trafficking
The ASEAN Post recently published an article regarding the state of human trafficking in the ASEAN region. In that article, there was a focus on Vietnam due to the recent tragedy involving 39 people who were found dead in a refrigerated trailer in Britain. While the ...
Sheith Khidhir
RCEP ministers fail to reach agreement
Ministers from 16 Asia-Pacific nations failed to reach an agreement on creating the world’s largest free trade area at their meeting on Friday, a Thai negotiator suggested, but some are optimistic about the chances of a deal by year-end. A senior Japanese government official told reporters ...
Kyodo News
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar tackle migrant worker safety
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng met his Lao and Myanmar counterparts on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen the protection of migrant workers from each country. Speaking during a two-day technical-level meeting in Siem Reap province, Sar Kheng said after this second round of discussions to ...
Long Kimmarita
Human trafficking thriving in ASEAN
Recently, 39 people were found dead in a refrigerated trailer in Britain. While the victims were initially identified as Chinese, it has since been found that at least 20 were, in fact, Vietnamese, and almost all from the same – considered poor – province of ...
Sheith Khidhir
Thailand Seeks US Talks After Trade Privileges Loss
Thailand plans to seek talks with the United States on a decision to end preferential trade privileges on a range of Thai exports including seafood, officials said Monday. Keerati Rushchano, acting director-general of the Commerce Ministry’s Foreign Trade Department, said his office has been warning exporters ...
Associated Press
Academics urge govt to boost labour rights protection in response to GSP suspension
Academics say Thailand has not been adequately protecting workers’ rights – both Thai and foreign – and though there is some improvement, existing laws and regulations still limit their rights. Their comments came after the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced last week that President Donald Trump ...
Wichit Chaitrong
New Mekong dam in Laos opens to protests, dried-out downstream
The first hydropower dam on the lower Mekong River began commercial operations in Laos on Tuesday amid protests from Thai villagers who say the Xayaburi Dam and several others in the works will destroy their livelihoods. The 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi Dam’s debut coincides with parts of the ...
Reuters
GE eyes expansion in Myanmar energy, healthcare sectors
GE, the high-tech energy, health and aviation equipment provider, has plans to expand its reach in the Myanmar energy and healthcare sectors. “Myanmar has huge potential in terms of revenue and orders for GE. Myanmar needs healthcare and a lot of electricity. There are good prospects ...
Chan Mya Htwe