The Jakarta Post
Can Myanmar’s second wave lead to ASEAN CDC formation?
The rapid rise of COVID-19 in Myanmar has caught the attention of Asian neighbors and international organizations. Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and China have provided aid to Myanmar to fight the virus. They are well aware that if the second wave in Myanmar ...
Aung Win
ASEAN cooperation to address transboundary haze amid pandemic
Forest fires are a major source of transboundary haze in the ASEAN region. It is particularly pronounced in the dry season during the first half of the year for the Mekong subregion and second half of the year, most notably from July to September, for the southern ASEAN region. The ASEAN region contains over half of the world’s peatland, a valuable ecosystem critical for ...
Kung Phoak
Insight: COVID-19 response ignores social context at our peril
While frantically reading news about COVID-19, I wonder why the voices of social scientists and even public health specialists seem so subdued. Clearly, they have a contribution to make in the fight against the coronavirus based on their disciplinary core principles and what has been ...
Associate Professor Rosalia Sciortino
Rohingya refugee voices amplify across Southeast Asia
The 2017 Rohingya humanitarian crisis caused by Myanmar is not only affecting Bangladesh, which has taken in 740,000 refugees, but it’s also causing strife in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Despite Myanmar’s alleged attempts at repatriation, Rohingya have stayed put in camps and cities fearing the security ...
ADAM BEMMA
World's rivers loaded with antibiotics waste: Study
Rivers worldwide are polluted with antibiotics that exceed environmental safety thresholds by up to 300 times, according to research unveiled at a conference Monday. Scientists found one or more common antibiotics in two-thirds of 711 samples taken from rivers in 72 countries, they told a meeting ...
Marlowe Hood
Meth epidemic in the Mekong region
This week, Vientiane played host to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) “High Level Conference on Transnational Organized Crime in Laos People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) and the Mekong Region”. The UNODC brought together senior Lao PDR officials, international partners and select experts ...
Laos highlights importance of ASEAN cooperation
New Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Laos to ASEAN Ekkaphab Phanthavong has highlighted the role of ASEAN in the international arena and how the bloc will benefit Laos. The New Ambassador delivered his speech while presenting Letter of Credentials to ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi in Jakarta ...
News Desk
Bank Indonesia continues its monetary easing stance
In line with expectations, Bank Indonesia has continued with its monetary easing by keeping its benchmark sevenday repo rate at 4.75 percent on January 19 to maintain stability amid growing global uncertainty. The move anticipated a change in direction of United States economic policies brought ...
Indonesia among Asia's top destinations attracting investors: ECN survey
Indonesia is among Asia’s most attractive investment destinations, thanks to a robust private demand combined with expectation of improvements in its business climate, a survey from The Economist Corporate Network showed. Published on January 17, the survey — titled “Navigating Asia’s Risks and Rewards: Asia ...
Millions of Cambodian farmers receive land titles under state plan
Cambodia is moving fast to provide millions of land titles to farmers in an effort to reduce conflicts over territory in the Southeast Asian nation, a senior government official said. About 770,000 Cambodians — more than five percent of the population — have been affected by land ...