People and government
Mekong countries get Covid-19 help
The Defence Ministry will donate 20 mobile negative pressure cabinets to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar to support their efforts to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. Negative pressure cabinets allow medical staff to safely collect respiratory secretions from patients infected with Covid-19. Ministry spokesman, Lt ...
MONGKOL BANGPRAPA & WASSANA NANUAM
Activists: Cambodia’s Draft Cybercrime Law Imperils Free Expression, Privacy
A recent draft of the cybercrime law obtained by VOA Khmer has drawn concerns from NGOs and rights groups over clauses that could help the government intensify its crackdown on freedom of expression, while also raising privacy and data collection concerns. The draft law, the formulation ...
Sun Narin
Denmark committed DKK35 million to support Myanmar’s 5 year Climate Adaption Programme
Coastal communities in Myanmar are extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change and highly exposed to severe natural weather events such as heavy rain, storm surge, floods and cyclones. To help Myanmar respond to those natural challenges, the Forest Department, with the support from Denmark, ...
Zazithorn Ruengchinda
More use of technology essential in education: minister
Governments around the world including Laos have been promoting and developing digital education systems, which is now an important global issue and a key priority for the education sector. Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Sengdeuane Lachanthaboune, recently shared her views and experiences on the topic ...
Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
Vietnam Has 3rd-Highest Sex Ratio Imbalance in the World, Report Says
Families are choosing to have more boys than girls, and experts worry this will cause problems in the future. SGGP reports that new data from the United National Population Fund (UNFPA) shows that in 2019, Vietnam’s sex ratio was 111.5 boys per 100 girls, an imbalance behind only ...
Saigoneer
The age of government (dis)information in Thailand
Social media giant Twitter last week blocked nearly one thousand accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army, which were in violation of its policies on manipulation of information. According to a statement released by Twitter, the accounts were “engaging in amplifying pro-RTA and pro-government content, as well ...
MARK S. COGAN
Vietnam’s vision and goals for a digital nation
Vietnam has been eager to reinvent itself and key among its strategies is their digital transformation. The nation is are keenly aware of the decisive role perception plays in this. Digital platform development is a breakthrough solution to promote faster digital transformation, reduce costs and increase efficiency. ...
Samaya Dharmaraj
Thailand blocks Change.org as petition against king gains traction
Thailand has blocked access to online petition site Change.org, after it hosted a petition calling for King Maha Vajiralongkorn to be declared persona non grata in Germany. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society said the petition’s contents violated Thailand’s Computer Crime Act. King Vajiralongkorn has been ...
US Urges Cambodia to Respect ‘Shared Principles’ of Human Rights and Democracy
The United States continues to urge the Cambodian government to open democratic space for citizens to help the country toward a development path of durable democracy and respect for human rights, US officials say. Recent communications between the US and Cambodia come amid the government’s current ...
Say Mony/VOA Khmer
Australia Mulling Hefty Aid Injection for Lower Mekong Nations
The Australian government is reportedly preparing to bolster its aid programs in Southeast Asia, as concern in Canberra mounts about China’s growing influence in the region. According to an October 12 report in The Age, Australia is finalizing a Southeast Asian aid package that would inject of ...
Sebastian Strangio