Economy and industry
In Arakan State, resource control fuels conflict

In a new report, Arakan Oil Watch has urged Myanmar’s incoming government to amend the Constitution in an effort to quell tensions between the military and the country’s ethnic armed groups. “Breaking the Curse,” released on 22 March by the environmental non-government organization, describes the “decentralization of ...
HAGL launches second phase of Myanmar centre
Vietnamese developer Hoang Anh Gia Lai has started building the second phase of its landmark Myanmar Centre, which will include two office towers and five residential towers including serviced apartments and units for sale. Keep reading ...
China agrees to share data on its dams

China has agreed to share information on the management of dams in the Mekong River, known as Lancang in China, with other countries connected to the river, says Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment spokesman Suphot Tovichakchaikul. The move aims to reduce the impact of ...
Kampong Thom communities facing water shortages

About 5,000 families in Kampong Thom’s Stoung district are facing water shortages as the hot El Niño climate pattern bakes Cambodia for the second consecutive year. While there is enough drinking water for the time being, some residents have to drive a considerable distance to ...
Garment worker pageant troubles critics

Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour is bringing back a beauty pageant for garment workers, which unions and commentators have deemed a “regressive” distraction from deep-seeded inequalities in the sector. Keep reading ...
Vietnam's textile exporter raises nearly $6.9 million in IPO
State-controlled Gia Dinh Textile and Garment Company has sold more than 15 million shares, equivalent to a stake 24.28 percent, for over VND155.8 billion (US$6.89 million) in an initial public offering. Keep reading ...
Hadxaifong water treatment plant set for expansion
The Chinaimo treatment plant in Vientiane will be enlarged to improve water distribution through a loan of about 10.271 billion yen (749 billion kip) from the Japanese government. Keep reading ...
Da Nang calls for private investment in $177m port project

Authority in the central city of Da Nang is calling on private investors to join it in expanding a local port terminal for a cost estimate of VND4 trillion (US$177 million), local media have reported. Keep reading ...
Laos, Vietnam eye bilateral trade of US$3 billion by 2020
The Lao and Vietnamese governments agreed on 16 March to increase the two countries’ bilateral import-export turnover to US$3 billion by 2020, the Vietnam News reported on 17 March. The agreement was reached during talks between Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung ...
Laos moves forward as logistics hub

Laos is moving forward to position itself as a logistics hub in the region as the landlocked country continues on its path to become a land-link in the region and build further trade connections internationally. Logistical improvements are part of the government’s strategic development plan to ...