Deutsche Welle
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)
Asia’s new gold: Sand mining threatens life on the Mekong
It’s an essential component of glass, asphalt and concrete. Sand is the stuff of which Asia’s growing megacities are made. In Cambodia, sand is being dredged from the Mekong River at an alarming rate, with disastrous results for local residents. Keep watching ...
A dam-building race threatens the Mekong River
The Mekong River, a critical waterway for six countries in Southeast Asia, is registering critically low water levels this summer. The Mekong River Commission (MRC), which monitors Southeast Asia’s longest river, reported in mid-July that water levels over the previous month had fallen to “among the lowest ...
Dams and sand mining threaten integrity of lower Mekong
At more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles), the Mekong is Southeast Asia’s longest river. It runs through six countries, providing food and income for more than 70 million people. But the integrity of the river, and therefore of the livelihood of the people who depend on ...
Forced labor still rampant in Thai fishing industry
Abuse, forced labor and trafficking continue in Thailand’s fishing industry, says a new report. It comes almost three years after the EU threatened to ban Thai fishing products if Bangkok didn’t get its act in order.Keep reading ...
Ate Hoekstra
Is Chinese investment taking over the Mekong?
China is shoring up its sphere of influence in Southeast Asia through aid and investment. By funding infrastructure and development, China can increase its economic and strategic leverage over poorer neighbors.Keep reading ...
Ate Hoekstra
The financial system killing environmental activists
A Global Witness report reveals 2016 as the deadliest year yet for environmental defenders. International investors are accused of bankrolling the projects that hundreds of people have been killed protesting. The action many of us take in daily lives to protect the planet might involve the ...
How Buddhist monks are battling deforestation in Cambodia
Cambodia has one of the world’s highest deforestation rates. But a group of Buddhist monks are stepping up efforts to save forests by publicly revealing wrongdoings and mobilizing local villagers. Ate Hoekstra reports. In Cambodia, where over 90 percent of the population is Buddhist, monks enjoy ...
