Social development
Myanmar: Sex education in schools sparks debate over morality
A new school textbook, which features a fictional same-sex couple and young students who find themselves attracted to the opposite sex, has sparked outrage in Myanmar. The opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Buddhist monks and conservative parents protested the distribution of the book, calling ...
Cape Diamond (Yangon)
Poverty rate in Laos down to 18.3 per cent
Poverty in Laos continues to decline to 18.3 per cent, as infrastructure accessibility has improved, particularly road electricity, clean water and sanitation access, according to data from the Lao Consumption and Expenditure Survey in 2018-2019. Consumption and expenditure of households in Laos have significantly increased, particularly ...
National policy on child protection to provide equal opportunities to all children
The National Policy on Child Protection System will provide equal opportunity to all children to become qualified human resources contributing to the national development. The ten-year (2019-2028) national policy gather investment on children in a more comprehensive and systematic way, said Vong Sauth, Minister of Social ...
European Union disburses 59.693 billion MMK in support of education in Myanmar
Today, the European Union (EU) disbursed €37.625 million [59.693billion MMK] to further support education reform in Myanmar. The grant is paid earlier than planned to help the Government address the exceptional needs that arose due to COVID-19 and ensure a safe return to school for ...
NGO formed to protect natural resources and raise awareness
The Ministry of Interior announced the creation of the Lover Environment and Society Association in a July 9 announcement. The president of the new association, Chum Huot, said he wanted to raise awareness of human rights and protect Cambodia’s environment. The association, which is an NGO dedicated ...
Long Kimmarita
COVID-19 opens a can of worms for fisherwomen in Cambodia
“I’m used to hearing the sound of laughter every morning as my customers come to buy fish,” says 37-year-old Huon Tim. “But it’s very quiet these days in the village.” For Huon, who runs a small fish and produce stall at the local market in Kampong Por, ...
Picnic protest to support the National Pensions Bill
Before a march from the United Nations building to Government House on 13 July to demand that the Prime Minister endorse the National Pensions Bill, the Welfare Watch Network hosted a picnic, with representatives from parliament and a Deputy Prime Minister joining in. At around 9:00, ...
Prachatai
Pregnancy doesn't stop during a pandemic. Neither do human rights.
Covid-19 has taken an enormous toll on women and girls around the world as a direct consequence of national lockdowns and the sidelining of sexual and reproductive health services. Health systems are struggling to respond to the pandemic. As the crisis rages on, the number of women ...
Natalia Kanem, Naomi Kitahara
Thailand Makes Its Own Covid-19 Tests to Avoid Import Reliance
Thailand is ramping up domestic production of Covid-19 test kits to avoid a potential shortage, as it prepares for a possible second wave of infections after most businesses and services reopened. “Thailand has always received criticism for testing too few, and that was the case at ...
Lao Doctors, Nurses Demand Overtime Pay Owed For Work Containing COVID
Over 800 health-care workers in southern provinces of Laos are calling on authorities to pay them for extra hours worked this year in hospitals and quarantine centers while trying to control the spread of coronavirus, according to sources in the one-party communist state. However, official sources ...
RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Manichanh Phimphachanh. Written in English by Richard Finney
