Government
Spurred by Myanmar radicals, Thai Buddhists push for state religion status
A campaign to enshrine Buddhism as Thailand’s state religion has been galvanized by a radical Buddhist movement in neighboring Myanmar that is accused of stoking religious tension, the leader of the Thai bid said. Experts say the campaign could appeal to Thailand’s military junta, which is ...
EU and Myanmar strengthen cooperation on climate change
The European Union and Myanmar has committed to strengthening cooperation on climate change ahead of the adoption of a new global climate deal in Paris this December according to an EU press release on 2 November. Keep reading ...
No vote, no candidates: Myanmar's Muslims barred from their own election
The upcoming poll on 8 November has been been touted as the freest and fairest in decades but, with religion an increasingly sensitive issue in Myanmar, many Muslims – from ordinary voters to experienced politicians – are coming up against barriers to participation. Dozens of Muslims ...
Election brings hope, fear for Myanmar refugees stuck in limbo
For refugees from Myanmar living in camps just across the border in Thailand, a landmark election in their homeland triggers mixed emotions – hope that a hated government will be defeated, and fear of the uncertain future such an upheaval might bring. Ko Chit, 45, who ...
UN chief hits out at Myanmar election ‘hate speech’
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hit out on Monday at “extreme elements” in Myanmar who are sowing hate speech and bigotry towards religious minorities, days before the country votes in landmark elections. Myanmar heads to the polls on 8 November in what observers are hoping will ...
Thailand looks to start building own military weaponry
Thailand’s defence industry has advanced to such an extent it could begin developing its own equipment through partnerships with the private sector, Deputy Prime Minister for security affairs said on October 2, 2015. Keep reading ...
Two-week NEC voter registration tests begin countrywide
The National Election Committee (NEC) began a two-week pilot project testing its new biometric voter registration system Sunday, with a goal of registering 32,500 people at 41 centers in the 24 provinces and Phnom Penh. As part of an overhaul of the country’s electoral system following ...
CNRP calls on UN to join investigation
The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has called on the United Nations to join an investigation into the beating of two CNRP parliamentarians last Monday, expressing serious doubts the Cambodian People’s Party-led government could conduct an independent inquiry into an incident it was almost immediately ...
‘We’re not independent enough’ – ASEAN rights body
It’s now six years old, but few know what the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) does. It has been called toothless, though its creation was seen as a step forward given the principle of non-interference in the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations ...
Burma’s Minorities Fear USDP Election Victory
During nearly seven decades the villages of the Karen have been torched, their men summarily executed and their women raped as the ethnic minority battled Burma’s military regime in the world’s longest-running insurgency. Their homeland has been called the “hidden Darfur,” where some 350,000 people ...
