News
EU eyes trade action over rights abuses in Cambodia
The European Union is launching action that could see it suspend Cambodia’s preferential access to the EU market over the deterioration of human rights and the rule of law in the country. Keep reading ...
The Mekong region is caught in a tug-of-war
For the Mekong countries, including Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, 2018 was a big year both domestically and regionally. Key developments from last year will inevitably continue to shape the politics of the region in 2019. In terms of domestic affairs, the most worrying ...
Brexit and EU sanctions threaten to push Cambodia into economic crisis
Cambodia is teetering on the verge of economic crisis, as it faces higher export tariffs into Britain due to Brexit at a time when the European Union is considering suspending duty-free access to punish Prime Minister Hun Sen for political suppression. The first wave of ...
Dozens of companies launch US$1 billion bid to end plastic pollution in Asia but environmentalists dismiss it as ‘greenwashing’ stunt
The “Alliance to End Plastic Waste” (AEPW) consortium of more than 30 companies launched last month, dedicating a combined total of US$1 billion over the next five years – aiming for US$1.5 billion if more conglomerates join – to develop better plastic recycling practices and ...
Mekong Delta looks to high-quality agriculture
Provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta have set to develop high-quality agriculture combined with eco-tourism, services and industry as their ambitious targets this year. Located in a key economic region, with advantages in tourism, aquaculture and rice production, Kien Giang province, for instance, achieved ...
Mekong Delta prepares for dry season, seeks to keep out saltwater
Authorities in the Mekong Delta are bracing for the dry season and the resultant saltwater intrusion from the sea in rivers. They have taken a number of measures including dredging of canals, building temporary dams to keep out saltwater and storing water in reservoirs. Keep reading ...
Southeast Asians See China Replacing US as Regional Power, Survey Finds
Three-quarters of educated professionals surveyed across the ASEAN bloc say China is the country most likely to fill a vacuum created by a perceived growing lack of American interest in the region, according to a report published by a Singaporean think-tank recently. More than 1,000 ...
Asia’s Environmental Apocalypse 2019?
This year’s environmental news kicked off in grisly fashion: a Vietnamese poaching gang recording one of its members straddling and punching a snared and presumably dead tiger (the Thai authorities say they have caught the perpetrators) in one of Thailand’s protected areas. Thailand has always seemed, to ...
Chinese investment in Southeast Asia is plummeting
China-funded infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia have plunged in the past year as foreign governments grow wary of Beijing’s overseas investments. The value of newly announced big-ticket deals in the region – investment commitments and construction contracts worth more than $100 million – dropped just ...
Thousands of Protesters Call For Termination of Dam Project in Myanmar’s Kachin State
About 10,000 people in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state staged a massive protest Thursday against the controversial Chinese-backed Myitsone Dam and recent calls by China for the suspended project to resume. Kachin activists, leaders from Kachin political parties, religious leaders, local civil society groups, Buddhist monks, ...
