People and government
How China Pushes Its Agenda In Myanmar Media
The plight of thousands of women from Kachin and Shan states trafficked into forced marriages in China has attracted global attention, with numerous major news outlets and human rights groups covering the crisis. But one Myanmar language publication recently gave a different take on the ...
Tin Htet Paing
Cambodian judge orders reinvestigation of spying case against reporters
A Cambodian judge on Thursday ordered a reinvestigation of the espionage case against two former Radio Free Asia journalists, saying he could not rule on their guilt or innocence without enough evidence. The case has added to concerns about a crackdown on criticism and dissent by ...
Prak Chan Thul
Thailand to open anti-fake news centre by Nov 1 to address rumours on social media platforms
Thailand will open its first fake news centre by Nov 1 to combat unverified news circulating on social media platforms, said Minister of Digital Economy and Society Buddhipongse Punnakanta on Wednesday (Sept 25). “These days anyone can be a reporter. Anything can be posted and shared. ...
Hathai Techakitteranun
ADB seeks co-financing of Thai projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is looking to co-financing deals of mass transit, double-track rail and renewal energy projects with the Thai companies, said Hideaki Iwasaki, the bank’s country director in the Kingdom. He said Thai government is in a strong fiscal position and has not borrowed much ...
CLMTV highlights protection of workers’ rights
Laos will continue to cooperate with regional and development partners to protect migrant workers’ rights, a conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia was told last week. Conducted under the theme ‘Toward the Protection of Migrant Workers in CLMTV Countries: Cooperation in Social Security’, the opening of the ...
Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
The Dramatic Growth of Methamphetamine Production in the Mekong Region
In recent years, countries in the Mekong region have faced over-supply of methamphetamine from the Golden Triangle. Especially Crystal meth and “Yaba” a methamphetamine pill. Methamphetamine has become more accessible and available, despite efforts to disrupt supply and precursor chemicals. New strategies are needed to stop ...
The tangled matrix that is Mekong Delta’s first heritage tree
A 150-year-old banyan tree in Can Tho City with scores of entangled aerial roots has a matrix-like appearance. The 10-meter tree at the Gian Gua relic site in Nhon Nghia Ward, Phong Dien District, survived the wars. Its canopy spreads around 3,000 square meters. The banyan is ...
Di Vy
ILO launches global media competition on labour migration
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched its fifth annual Global Media Competition, themed “fair recruitment and the future of labour migration”, aiming to recognise exemplary media coverage of the issue. For the first time, the competition has a student prize category with a fellowship, according to the ILO ...
The Mekong Part II: How Dams May Damage Children’s Health
Ian G. Baird, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert on dams in Southeast Asia, tells of meeting a farmer and his five-year-old son from a village in rural Laos in 2009. The two were sitting in a canoe as the sun rose ...
Dan Southerland
Laos State Media: Woman Arrested for Criticizing Government on Facebook Confesses
Lao state media reported Tuesday that a woman who was arrested in Laos last week for criticizing the government on Facebook has confessed to her crime. In a Facebook Live video last week, Houayheuang Xayabouly, known by her nickname Mouay, had slammed the Lao government’s slow ...
