Population and censuses
Firm denies circumventing Malaysia maid ban
Four Cambodian domestic workers sent to Malaysia despite an official moratorium on the practice have been repatriated amid claims of unpaid wages and harsh working conditions, though the company that recruited them has insisted that the terms of their employment didn’t technically violate the government ...
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 ...
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 ...
Refugees trickle home as TNLA reports more clashes
Fighting flared in northern Shan State on 7 February and while tensions remain high between the belligerents – the Restoration Council of the Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Tatmadaw – clashes have only been sporadic in the ...
Volunteer vessel to monitor for migrants in Andaman Sea
A ship, two rescue boats and a fleet of drones will be deployed in the Andaman Sea on 3 March to comb for migrants and monitor for smuggling vessels – and respond in case of a crisis. The Migrant Offshore Aid Station was launched by an ...
Census data could ‘shatter’ transition stability, says official
Census data held back last year is still too sensitive to release, officials say. Though the initial results of the 2014 census were released in August of that year and a more detailed statistical picture was made public in May 2015, information about religion and ...
Ministry calls a halt to passport extensions
The Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consulate Department has announced that it will halt the extension of expired passports and require officials and all citizens to apply for new passports. The move comes after sub-standard barcodes in passports issued between 2008 and 2012 caused problems when ...
Thai officials return local migrants
Thailand will send 77 illegal Cambodian migrant workers home on 19 February after they were rounded up at a construction site in the southern peninsula of the country, border authorities said on 18 February. Sin Nam Yong, a border official in Banteay Meanchey’s Poipet town, said ...
Longer stay for migrant workers proposed
Currently, migrant workers from other countries possessing “pink-card work permits” can work in Thailand for one year and are required to renew their permits if they want to continue working. Under a new proposal, migrant workers can work for two years before renewing theirpermits. The workers ...
Malaysia visa fee increase waived for thousands of workers
More than 2400 Myanmar workers left in the lurch while Malaysia and Myanmar dispute a visa fee will have their applications processed under the previous – much cheaper – payment schedule, according to the Ministry of Labour. Myanmar recruitment agencies have been boycotting Malaysia – long ...
