Social development
New law bans beggars, permits buskers
Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly has approved law that bans street beggars but will allow buskers provided they have a licence. The military-appointed assembly approved the Begging Control Act by 178 votes to two with seven abstentions. The law forbids all begging and sets out punishments for anyone who ...
Re-elected TJA president warns of less media freedom
The challenge to press freedom is still of concern this year, said the re-elected president of the Thai Journalists Association on 4 March. Keep reading ...
Environmental campaigner convicted of forestry crime
A prominent anti-dam activist in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province who has been jailed since October was convicted on 3 March of illegal logging and given a suspended prison sentence, allowing him to walk free but leaving the shadow of a criminal conviction hanging over him. The decision ...
IDPs must not be forgotten in wake of elections: UN
United Nations representatives are continuing to pressure Myanmar on the international stage over its treatment of Muslim minorities and internally displaced people. A high-ranking UN official who recently toured IDP camps in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states on 2 March spoke of his “heartbreaking” experiences. John Ging, director ...
Experts share int'l experiences on youth development policy
Investing in young people and safeguarding their rights is essential for their development and for their families, communities and countries. Experts agreed to share international experiences on youth development policy at a workshop held on 2 March in Hanoi by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), with ...
Thai celebrities join UNHCR campaign to support Myanmar refugees
Well-known Thai actor Saharat “Kong” Sangkapricha and actress and model Priya “Pu” Suandokmai have joined a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) fundraising project that highlights the plight of Myanmar’s displaced in Thailand. The campaign, called “Namjai for Refugees,” aims to assist over 120,000 Myanmar refugees currently living ...
Lao Govt, UN review development progress
The Lao government is keen to cooperate with its development partners to fulfil the priorities of the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2016-20 in view of its implications for graduation from Least Developed Country status. To ensure that the government achieves its development goals, the ...
NIN recommends milk, milk product rations
Vietnam’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) on 2 March released a recommendation on the use of milk and milk products in Vietnam. “This recommendation aims to improve the community’s awareness of the nutrient value of milk, the current reality of calcium deficiency and ways to better use milk ...
High prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy: research
One in three, or 35 per cent of Vietnam’s pregnant women, are victims of domestic violence, mostly at the hands of husbands, according to doctors at Hanoi Medical University (HMU). Dr Nguyen Hoang Thanh from the HMU revealed the shocking data as part of a research ...
Index stresses risk of violence
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party’s (CPP) popularity will continue to wane, and change is on the horizon for Cambodia, although that change could be violent, according to the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) 2016 report. The BTI has been published every two years since 2006, monitoring countries’ progress ...
