People and government
Southeast Asia’s transparency problem
Most countries in Southeast Asia do not have a transparent budget process, according to a global survey conducted by International Budget Partnership. The 2015 Open Budget Index used 140 observable facts and indicators to measure if a country’s budget system allows opportunities for adequate oversight and public ...
Pollution from coal-fired power plants kills 4,300 Vietnamese every year: study
Diseases linked to pollution caused by a fast growing network of coal-fired power plants kill around 4,300 people in Vietnam each year, according to a new estimate by scientists. A study released at a conference in Hanoi on 29 September claims that once all planned power projects become ...
25 bridges to be built in Vietnam with JICA loans
The Vietnamese Prime Minister has approved the construction of 25 bridges with the second transport sector loan for the national road network improvement project. The bridges’ total investment is about VND1.686 trillion ($75 million), funded by the Japan International Co-operation Agency ODA loans. Keep reading ...
Lao debt accumulates to 29,107b, repayment measures outlined
At least 29,107 billion kip of debt has been registered so far and many provinces have not yet reported their figures, an official report has showed. The debt was accumulated by 20 central state departments, four provinces and the capital of Vientiane, Minister of Finance Dr ...
166 Thailand firms caught using pirated software
Economic Crime Suppression Division police on 29 September said 166 businesses used pirated computer software worth 358 million baht between January and September this year, a 20% year-on-year increase. Keep reading ...
Thai officials join ASEAN crime conference
Thai Interior Ministry and Royal Thai Police officials on 28 September joined the tenth ASEAN conference on transnational crime in Malaysia. Among issues discussed was illegal wildlife trading and drug trafficking, to reduce such problems in ASEAN. Keep reading ...
Declaration on transnational crime to boost ASEAN ties
The Kuala Lumpur Declaration in Combating Transnational Crime will see an expansion of cooperation among ASEAN members on sea piracy. Keep reading ...
Government hands down ruling in market dispute
A bitter dispute over the development of the main market in Ratanakkiri province’s Banlung City, which has pitted the city’s governor against a well-connected CPP lawmaker, was resolved by the Council of Ministers earlier this month in favor of the complainant, a wealthy businessman who ...
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam talk safety
Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam agreed to maintain close co-ordination to ensure security, order and safety at their shared border during the second joint conference of their Defence and Security Committees in Laos’ Champasak Province on 28 September. Keep reading ...
Government internet gateway plan sparks fury
Activists campaigning for internet freedom have slammed the government’s recent move to develop a single internet gateway to expand state control over online media. Last week, citizens learned of the government’s intention to build a single gateway, after it ordered the Ministry of Information and Communication ...
