Social development
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 ...
Cambodian PM voices outrage over tycoon's assault on TV star
Cambodia’s prime minister has added his voice to growing outrage over a vicious attack by a businessman on a female TV star that was captured on video. Hun Sen called property tycoon Sok Bun’s actions intolerable and warned that his wealth would not help him escape ...
Thai junta urged to drop criminal defamation case against journalists
Proceedings have ended in the controversial trial of two Thailand-based journalists facing criminal defamation charges for reporting on the alleged involvement of Thai naval forces in human trafficking. The charges against Alan Morison, the 67-year-old Australian editor of independent Thai news website Phuketwan, and reporter Chutima Sidasathian, ...
A dozen Montagnards agree to repatriation from Cambodia to Vietnam
A dozen ethnic Montagnards who sought refugee status in Cambodia willingly returned to their home country of Vietnam Thursday after Hanoi gave assurances it would not punish or discriminate against them, according to rights group and United Nations officials. The 12 were part of a group ...
First HIV/AIDS treatment centre opens in Laos
The first infectious disease ward, which shall include the first HIV/AIDS treatment centre in Laos, opened yesterday in Vientiane, aiming to improve the medical environment to treat infectious disease patients including those with HIV. The centre received financial support from the government of Japan. The new facility ...
Shelling sends civilians fleeing in Shan State
More than 100 people from Kaung Kha village in Muse Township have fled their homes after artillery shells were fired into the settlement on 13 July, reportedly leaving one person dead and two others injured. The displaced villagers told The Irrawaddy that the artillery bombardment began ...
Cambodia: National Assembly passes controversial NGO law
On 13 July the National Assembly passed the controversial NGO law, amid a boycott by the opposition and street demonstrations against the widely criticised legislation. After almost four hours of speeches commending the legislation and criticising their absent opposition counterparts, 68 Cambodian People’s Party lawmakers voted ...
Laos: Officials discuss national food and nutrition security
Stakeholders from the government, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector gathered on 10 July to discuss and exchange information on food and nutrition security in Laos. Meeting at the Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the Asean Integrated Food Security Framework in ...
Few admirers of Thailand’s role in Uighur saga
After a barrage of condemnation from the United States, the European Union, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and a host of human rights groups, over the Thai government’s “forced deportation” of of 109 Uighur men back to China, Beijing has come to Thailand’s rescue. It has ...
Uighurs sent back from Thailand were on way to join jihad, says China
More than 100 ethnic Uighurs deported from Thailand to China had been on their way to Turkey, Syria or Iraq to wage holy war, China’s official news agency has claimed. On 9 July, Thai authorities sent back the 109 Uighurs,who had been in Thailand for over a year ...
