People and government
Kingdom's economy to remain stable: ADB
Cambodia’s economy is expected to remain stable this year as uncertainty surrounding China’s economic slowdown appears to ease, and backed primarily by strong performance in garment and footwear manufacturing, as well as construction, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on 30 March. Keep reading ...
‘Super Minister’ Suu Kyi to Remain NLD’s Leader
Chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi will continue to lead the National League for Democracy (NLD), despite holding ministerial positions that constitutionally ban her from party activities, according to the NLD spokesperson. Burma’s 2008 Constitution states that if a government minister is a member of any political ...
Experts wary as Kingdom mulls private prison plan
As Cambodia moves towards opening its first privately run prison, international experts have warned the government may have misunderstood the concept and cautioned that privatisation likely isn’t the best way to tackle chronic overcrowding in prisons. Keep reading ...
Yangon monitoring meningitis outbreak after 8-year-old’s death
Health officials have placed Yangon Region on high alert as a deadly meningitis outbreak appears to have spread from Mandalay. The Department of Public Health is monitoring all 44 townships following the death on March 18 of an 8-year-old girl in South Dagon township. Meningococcal meningitis ...
UN envoy meets with Sesan villagers to discuss dam site
The U.N.’s human rights envoy to Cambodia on 27 March promised villagers in Stung Treng province who are set to be displaced by the construction of the Lower Sesan 2 hydropower dam for the massive energy project that she would raise their plight with the ...
ASEAN defence personnel call for closer cooperation
A vision for politics and security in the region, tackling non-military threats and challenges, and maintaining cooperation in national defence were tabled for discussion at the Track II 9th Network of Asean Defence and Security Institutions meeting, which opened in Vientiane on 24 March. Keep reading ...
Reththy, Agriculture Ministry continue to squabble
The Ministry of Agriculture has rejected a request from private-sector rubber firms – led by agricultural tycoon Mong Reththy – for a meeting to discuss the floundering fortunes of the nation’s rubber sector, claiming the ministry was busy and was already addressing the issue. The rejection ...
Mekong Basin nations advised to step up disease surveillance
The six Mekong Basin countries convened in Vientiane on 23 March to discuss ways to increase their cooperation in disease surveillance, especially in border areas, to curb the spread of infectious diseases. Representatives from Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam attended the Mekong Basin Disease ...
Suu Kyi listed among NLD cabinet nominees
Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy chairwoman, was named on 22 March on a list of 18 Union-level ministers announced by Myanmar’s Parliament, all but ensuring she will be a member of the incoming government’s cabinet. Keep reading ...
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 ...
