People and government
Migrant workers languish in Malaysian detention centres
Thousands of Myanmar migrant workers are spending months or even years in detention camps in Malaysia waiting for the government to confirm their citizenship status, migrant rights groups say. The delay has caused a backlog in the 11 detention camps throughout Malaysia, recently returned workers say. ...
Made in ASEAN initiative on the cards
Thailand is set to team up with the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) and ASEAN members to push forward the Made in ASEAN initiative, making certain products to the same quality standards. Keep reading ...
Conservatives still call the shots in Vietnam and Laos
Vietnam and Laos, the only Communist regimes in South-east Asia, inducted new leadership this past week through party congresses. Changes in both cases saw conservatives prevail. The relatively secretive Lao People’s Revolutionary Party which runs Laos – which is chairman of the 10-nation Asean this year – chose Mr ...
Next step in malaria strategy: paying for it
Following the announcement on 27 January of an ambitious new five-year plan to eliminate malaria in Cambodia, National Centre for Malaria officials and donors met again on 28 January, this time to discuss patching up a $22.8 million budget gap to fund the strategy’s first two years. Financial ...
Vientiane records over 6.9 trillion kip in public debt
Vientiane recorded public debt of more than 6.946 trillion kip, including 6.931 trillion kip of state investment debt remaining on contracts and 15 billion kip owed to utilities and other expenses. The figure was revealed at Vientiane’s monthly meeting for January attended by Vientiane Mayor Dr ...
Laos, Indonesia seek closer ties
Laos and Indonesia are taking steps to deepen their bilateral relations with the foreign ministers of the two Asian countries holding talks in Vientiane on 27 January. Visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Ms Retno Marsudi is in Laos for a two-day official trip on 27 and 28 ...
Vietnamese from Laos welcomed
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a plan to support free migration for Vietnamese returning from Laos to settle in Vietnam. The plan will be carried out in 10 provinces that border Laos including Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, ...
Vietnam watches out for alarming Zika virus spread
Health officials are monitoring the spread of Zika virus in other countries, saying Vietnam is also at risk. The Preventive Health Department said the virus, which has been linked to brain damage in thousands of infants in Brazil, has not been detected in Vietnam. Keep reading ...
Reduced Rakhine State budget under fire
The incoming Rakhine State parliament will have only half the funds it needs to develop the state, a local MP has complained. The state parliament adopted the 2016-17 budget on 25 January, days before it rose to give way to the new parliament elected last ...
Close to bottom of corruption index but improving slightly
Myanmar still languishes among the world’s most corrupt countries although its performance has improved slightly over the past year, according to a global review released on 27 January. Berlin-based graft monitor Transparency International said that with a better score on perceived levels of public sector corruption, ...
