People and government
Mining destroys local way of life

The mining of minerals has caused serious harm to the public’s environment, experts warned. A recent report presented at a workshop held by the People and Nature Centre (PanNature) and the Vietnam Mining Coalition showed that mining activities is a direct cause of hunger and poverty ...
Vietnam, Laos discuss future co-operation
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Lao counterpart Somsavat Lengsavad sought measures to reach co-operation contents agreed for 2016-2020 during talks in Hanoi on 6 December. They reviewed achievements made from 2011-2015, agreeing that the two countries’ traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive co-operation ...
Dams may worsen arsenic problem: study

A Stanford University study conducted in Cambodia has shed new light on the natural introduction of the poison arsenic into groundwater – an established problem in Cambodia that could be exacerbated by hydrological development, particularly dams, researchers say. According to a report on their findings, published ...
Villagers face court over ELC protest

The Preah Vihear Provincial Court has ordered nine villagers to appear on 9 December to respond to allegations that they dismantled the office of a Malaysian rubber plantation company five months ago. The nine villagers and 300 protesters allegedly pried the wooden walls off of a building ...
Prison outreach day ‘stymied’

A prominent local rights group has been forced to abandon its annual International Human Rights Day (IHRD) events in Cambodia’s prisons for the first time in 20 years because of “prohibitive” conditions imposed by the government, it said on 6 December. In a statement, Licadho said ...
Suu Kyi, Than Shwe discuss Myanmar's future
Myanmar election winner Aung San Suu Kyi and long-time former military junta leader Than Shwe met for more than two hours and discussed the country’s future, sources said on 6 December. The 4 December meeting at military headquarters in the political capital Nay Pyi Taw was facilitated ...
Vietnam's biggest airport to stop receiving new flights during rush hours

As overcrowding is getting more serious at Vietnam’s largest airport Tan Son Nhat, local aviation authority is now looking to stop receiving new flights during rush hours, a local official said on 5 December. Dang Tuan Tu, director of the Ho Chi Minh City-based airport, was ...
Yuan's effect on Vietnam economy uncertain

With the International Monetary Fund (IMF) including China’s yuan in its elite reserve currency basket, impacts from the step on Vietnam’s economy will depend on its preparation, according to experts. The IMF’s decision will impact global finance and Vietnam is not an exception, especially when the ...
Education ministry says Vietnam has too many teachers, institutes

Vietnamese education is facing the pressure of teacher redundancies while more and more pedagogical students have been unemployed after graduation. The situation, according to experts, is due to an improper calculation between supply and demand. Besides, the massive number of teachers training institutes is also contributing ...
EU supports Lao farmers at first Vientiane Expo
The European Union is promoting agricultural products and handicrafts produced by Lao farmers as part of the first Vientiane Expo. The local products consist of consumption products, other agricultural goods as well as handicrafts, especially those produced as part of development projects supported by the EU ...