Government
National government
Laos, Indonesia seek closer ties
Laos and Indonesia are taking steps to deepen their bilateral relations with the foreign ministers of the two Asian countries holding talks in Vientiane on 27 January. Visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Ms Retno Marsudi is in Laos for a two-day official trip on 27 and 28 ...
Reduced Rakhine State budget under fire
The incoming Rakhine State parliament will have only half the funds it needs to develop the state, a local MP has complained. The state parliament adopted the 2016-17 budget on 25 January, days before it rose to give way to the new parliament elected last ...
Close to bottom of corruption index but improving slightly
Myanmar still languishes among the world’s most corrupt countries although its performance has improved slightly over the past year, according to a global review released on 27 January. Berlin-based graft monitor Transparency International said that with a better score on perceived levels of public sector corruption, ...
Meeting on Cambodia-Thai border has crime focus
Senior officials from Cambodia’s Defence Ministry will leave for Thailand on 28 January for the 11th General Border Committee, which aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, particularly on cross-border crime. Keep reading ...
Lao army marks 67th anniversary
Maintaining loyalty to the nation, Party and people while pursuing national development and defence remains the goal of the Lao People’s Army. Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Sengnouan Xayalath gave this message at a meeting held in Vientiane yesterday to commemorate the army’s 67th anniversary this ...
John Kerry touches down in Cambodia
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned opposition leaders they will face ruling party rallies at home if he is met with anti-government demonstrations during his high-profile trip to the US next month, a threat that raised the spectre of pro-government protests in October that ...
China vows to advance strategic partnership with Laos
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping has expressed his willingness to advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Laos, a Chinese envoy said on 26 January. Keep reading ...
Bomb-clearing in Laos may get more U.S. help
Secretary of State John Kerry said on 25 January that the United States is considering increasing financial aid to help Laos clear the countryside of unexploded ordnance left over from the Vietnam War more than four decades ago. Speaking at the end of a one-day stop in ...
Laos undergoes Communist Party leadership change
The Lao Communist Party has undergone a change in leadership during its 10th Party Congress, signaling the country’s future direction as it prepares to chair the Association of South East Asian Nations. The move came ahead of a visit to Laos by U.S. Secretary of ...
Vietnam congress ‘not likely to affect Cambodia ties’
As Vietnam’s Communist Party continues its weeklong congress to choose its general secretary, experts and analysts said the outcome would likely do little to change the historically close relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam’s ruling parties. Early media reports indicate that Nguyen Phu Trong will run for ...