Law and judiciary
Legal framework
New rules aim to stop crocodile escapes
Crocodile farms will need walls at least 1.5 metres high around their pits under planned government guidelines, an official said on 16 October, after 28 crocodiles escaped in early October. Keep reading ...
Vietnam's forest protection law falls short
Vietnam’s Law on Forest Protection and Development has become backwards and exposed numerous disadvantages, after more than 10 years of implementation, a senior official from the Vietnam Forestry Administration (VNFOREST) has said. Deputy director of the VNFOREST, Nguyen Ba Ngai, made his comment at a workshop ...
National Reform Council 'split' on draft charter as vote nears
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has called on National Reform Council members to exercise their discretion when voting on the draft charter on 6 September. Keep reading ...
Media bill 'should exclude newspapers'
Newspapers should be exempt from possible media curbs under the media reform bill drafted by the National Reform Council and submitted to the cabinet on 1 September, a forum was told on 2 September. Keep reading ...
Thailand leading Asia in cracking down on drinking
By banning alcohol sales near universities and technical colleges, Thailand is putting the nation at the forefront of efforts in Asia to curb booze consumption. Under amendments to the Alcohol Control Act endorsed by the government and to be implemented nationwide, bars, clubs and retailers will ...
Lao National Assembly passes draft law on the prevention of cybercrime
The Lao National Assembly (NA) passed a draft law on the prevention of cybercrime after it was raised for debate at the ongoing ordinary session of the parliament. The approved draft will be revised in accordance with recommendations made by the law makers during the debate. Widespread ...
Laos National Assembly debates education law amendment
Government policy regarding compulsory education, foreign language teaching in primary schools, rights and obligations of teachers and students were highlights at the National Assembly (NA) debate on the amendment to the Law on Education. The assembly took a half day yesterday to debate the latest draft ...
Cambodia's mining tax likely won’t budge
Cambodia’s new mining law is on track for adoption by the end of this year and will introduce a raft of reforms to the sector, a senior official said, although the country’s mining tax will likely remain the same. Meng Saktheara, secretary of state at the ...
EU warns NGO law could cost $700m
The European Parliament yesterday passed a resolution urging Cambodia’s government to scrap the proposed NGO law, saying the Kingdom could lose $600-700 million annually in development projects if the legislation is passed. It stated the Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations could see the country lose ...
Cambodia: NGO law tweaks mulled
Government officials have agreed to reconsider elements of a proposed NGO law, but ruled out further public consultation on the widely criticised legislation, signalling a final vote would be held soon. The promise to review some provisions came during the government’s first public workshop on the ...