People and government
US joins calls for Myanmar to end internet shutdown
Myanmar is facing increasing pressure to immediately end a mobile internet blackout in parts of two of its states, with the United States becoming the latest to call for the lifting of the data restrictions. Myanmar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications on June 21 ordered mobile phone operators to shut down ...
Conference promotes cooperation to protect Mekong River
A conference on how to enhance cooperation in protecting the Mekong River via smarter water energy planning approaches and wide application of renewable energy throughout the Mekong region was held in Hanoi on June 28. The event was jointly organised by the Stimson Centre, the International Union for ...
Mekong SEZs commit to promoting ‘decent work’ for women migrant workers
During the Mekong Migration Network (MMN) and Asian Institute of Technology’s (AIT) workshop, Jobs in SEZs: Promoting Gender-Sensitive Policies in the Mekong Region, representatives of governments, special economic zone (SEZ) management bodies, and civil society from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand, committed to promoting decent work ...
Norway funded Cambodia’s project on biodiversity
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) funded the project launched by Cambodia’s National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD) with the technical assistance from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Biodiversity Finance Initiative is the name of the project launced on June 20. This project is expected ...
Nilobon Bantoey
The EU and Laos conclude the third formal negotiation towards an agreement on combating illegal logging and promoting trade in legal timber products
The European Union (EU) and Laos held their third round of face-to-face negotiations on a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). The talks took place in Brussels, Belgium from 17-21 June 2019. The Agreement aims to establish a system ...
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam pledge to promote people’s livelihood in Development Triangle Area
Prime Minister Hun Sen, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc pledged to improve livelihood of people living in the Development Triangle Area. Mr Hun Sen on Sunday had a cordial breakfast with Mr Nguyen Xuan and Mr Thongloun in Bangkok on the sideline ...
Ben Sokhean
Facial recognition push in South raises rights concern
Telecom firms under focus for ultimatum to phone users on submission of photos; isoc denies sending registration message Rights defenders raised concerns yesterday over the move to force all |cellphone users in the restive South to submit their pictures for facial-recognition identification. Those who fail to do ...
Rohingyas bring a statement to ASEAN Summit, police block them

On Sunday 23 June, the Rohingya Community in Thailand planned to hand a statement to Myanmar, Thailand as ASEAN’s chair, and the leaders of the ASEAN countries, but the police blocked them. They therefore decided not to go to the ASEAN Summit and Thai Ministry ...
MRC urged to prioritise steps to protect river basin
Development partners on Thursday asked the Mekong River Commission to prioritise policies to protect the basin in future development strategies, noting that the Mekong river basin is among the most vulnerable regions due to climate change. Representatives from European Union, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, ...
Pech Sotheary
World Bank Puts Myanmar’s Power Investment Needs at $2B a Year

To sustain economic growth, Myanmar needs to invest up to US$2 billion (3.06 trillion kyats) annually in its electricity sector, according to a World Bank report released on Tuesday. In the report, “Myanmar Economic Monitor: Building Reform Momentum”, the World Bank said Myanmar’s economic growth is ...