People and government

Misbehaviour and “inappropropriate dress standards” by Thai officials during a visit to Laos have prompted a stern order from Education Minister Narong Pipatanasai. Adm Narong has ordered all ministry staff and students to dress and behave properly when making official visits to the country. Keep ...

Government officials have agreed to reconsider elements of a proposed NGO law, but ruled out further public consultation on the widely criticised legislation, signalling a final vote would be held soon. The promise to review some provisions came during the government’s first public workshop on the ...

Cambodian and Vietnamese officials are meeting in Phnom Penh over border issues, but on the second of three days, no final decisions were made. Officials are meeting at the Council of Ministers building in Phnom Penh, to discuss June’s violent clashes along the border, as well ...

Cambodia and Vietnam on 9 July wrapped up a three-day meeting to discuss tensions over their disputed border, with the two sides agreeing to complete demarcation of territory “very soon,” but a Cambodian opposition lawmaker dismissed the agreement and accused his government of ceding land ...

Myanmar has ratified the chemical weapons convention and will become the 191st member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the body said on Thursday, another step in a rapid period of reform for the Asian country. Myanmar’s membership takes effect within 30 day, ...

Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled Rakhine since the start of the year, joining perilous journeys on the boats of human traffickers through the Bay of Bengal. But local officials say no one has been arrested for trafficking in the Myanmar state that supplies the ...

Thai police continue to investigate trafficking in south Thailand, following the discovery of scores of jungle graves on the Thai-Malaysia border in May. Yet there are questions about the long-term effectiveness of Thailand’s crackdown on resilient and lucrative trafficking syndicates.Witnesses have been intimidated, police say. Key suspects are ...

Rights groups and the United Nations have condemned Thailand’s decision to fly nearly 100 Uighur Muslims back to China, warning that the Turkic language-speaking, largely Muslim minority would face persecution and abuse. The UN high commission for refugees said it had previously been given assurances by ...

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the current visit by Lao Vice President Bounnhang Vorachith will give new momentum to the friendship and co-operation between the two nations. Receiving the Lao State official in Hanoi yesterday, Dung hailed comprehensive outcomes in many areas of bilateral co-operation, such as ...

The 14 students who rallied against last year’s coup were released temporarily from prison in Bangkok Wednesday morning and vowed to continue their protest. The temporary release followed the military request to extend their detention pending investigation of their defiance of the government’s ban on political gatherings. ...