Social development
Public figures ‘must tolerate criticism’
Academics and activists on 8 May called for the government and its leaders to tolerate criticism as its reaction to being mocked could violate people’s freedom of expression. Public figures must be able to take criticism otherwise they should stay at home and raise grandchildren, said ...
Ten Vientiane industrial plants discharging unclean water
The Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment of Laos has confirmed that 10 industrial plants in Vientiane are discharging unclean and untreated water, some of which contains potentially harmful chemicals. Director General of the ministry’s Department of Pollution Control, Mr Khamphanh Nanthavong, addressed the issue on ...
Government rolls out ambitious plan to eliminate hunger
Backed by the U.N., Cambodia on 4 May launched a national action plan to completely eliminate hunger in the country by 2025, the first step in an ambitious initiative that the government signed on to last year. Newly appointed Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon said during the plan’s ...
Myanmar’s media landscape through the years
Recent years have seen dramatic changes to Myanmar’s media landscape, with the previous quasi-civilian government taking steps to unshackle a press corps long muzzled by successive military regimes dating back to 1962. In the wake of World Press Freedom Day, which was celebrated on 3 May, ...
Media workers lament decline in freedom of expression in Thailand
“We are the worst, even when compared to Laos or Vietnam,” said Kulachada Chaipipat, campaign manager at the Southeast Asia Press Alliance. “Those two countries have seen stagnant, bad situations, but Thailand is going down.” Speaking on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on ...
Drought exacerbates hoof and mouth outbreak among cattle
A vaccine campaign has been launched in response to an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease exacerbated by drought conditions in Kampong Thom province, officials said yesterday, as drought-relief efforts continued in Banteay Meanchey.Chan Panhavoan, director of the veterinary office of the Kampong Thom provincial ...
ICT forum eyed as FDI springboard
The government is hopeful an upcoming global forum for the information and communication technology industry will provide an avenue for foreign direct investment from global tech companies. The ITU Telecom World Forum 2016, to be held in Bangkok from Nov 14-17, will also allow the Thai ...
Scenes from a drought
Across the country of Cambodia, water scarcity is threatening health and livelihoods. In what may be the worst regional drought in more than 50 years, brought on by an El Niño cycle exacerbated by climate change, water shortages have been declared in 18 of the ...
Vietnam seeks aid as drought threatens millions
Officials from the country’s agriculture ministry and the United Nations said more than 60,000 women and children in 18 hardest-hit provinces in southern and central Vietnam are facing malnutrition while around 1.75 million people from farming families have had their livelihoods badly hit. Keep reading ...
Asean debates food safety issues
The three-day meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Health and attended by representatives of the Asean Secretariat and officials concerned with food safety matters from the 10 Asean member states. The importance of food safety has increased significantly in recent years following a series of ...
