Author: Chayan Ahunai

GENEVA — Reports are emerging of new atrocity crimes being committed in a concerted campaign of violence and destruction by Myanmar’s military against the largely Muslim Rohingya people in northern Rakhine state. “We are receiving frightening and disturbing reports from northern Rakhine state in Myanmar of the impacts of the conflict on civilian lives and property,” Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Friday in a briefing to journalists in Geneva. “Some of the most serious allegations concern incidents of killing of Rohingya civilians and the burning of their property,” she said, noting that tens of…

Brussels (12/03 – 55.56) Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said that the dissolution of human rights NGOs signals a deteriorating environment for civil society and human rights defence in Tajikistan. She reiterated that Tajikistan must reconsider its attitudes towards civil society and view human rights defenders as allies instead of enemies. Earlier in November 2023, Tajikistan Minister of Justice announced that 700 NGOs in the country had been liquidated over an 18-month period. “Human rights defenders working on so-called sensitive issues, including freedom from torture, the right to housing and compensation for requisitioned land, minority rights, freedom of belief and good governance, political rights, and…

Authorities arrested nearly 200 Myanmar workers across Thailand in an eight-day span, a migrant assistance organization told Radio Free Asia this week. From Nov. 17 to 24, 199 Myanmar laborers were arrested across four provinces in Thailand for illegally entering the country, the group added. In Mae Sot, a Thai city which sits directly across from Kayin state, 121 workers were arrested while entering Thailand. Mae Sot is well-known for its high numbers of migrant workers and activists fleeing junta persecution, as well as frequent raids by local police and task forces in search of rebels. In Ranong, Kanchanaburi, and Nonthaburi provinces,…

WASHINGTON — Myanmar’s military junta has blocked communication between detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her family and her lawyers, according to her younger son. Suu Kyi’s son Kim Aris told VOA via phone that the Myanmar junta has not allowed him to communicate with his mother “at all,” despite concerns about her health. Suu Kyi, 78, was arrested on February 1, 2021, after the military overturned the results of an election that her party had won. The coup was met with protests across the country and outrage around the globe. She received a 27-year sentence on what are…

The Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, projected to account for around 70 per cent of global economic growth this year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Even as recession fears loom – with a number of European countries impacted earlier this year – the Asia-Pacific, and Southeast Asia in particular, remain resilient. For companies looking to expand, there are significant opportunities across the region. In line with this trend, PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) is placing greater emphasis on international growth – aiming to become a leading provider of mobility solutions and lifestyle…

Thailand‘s film industry is poised for a significant transformation following the finalisation of the draft for a new Movies and Games Bill by the Ministry of Culture. Culture Minister Sermsak Pongpanit revealed that the proposed legislation intends to decentralise censorship power from the government, instead placing it in the hands of producers. This bill is set to replace the current government censorship board and establish a self-governing council for movies and games. This shift, as Sermsak further explained, is a crucial part of Thailand’s strategy to minimise state interference within creative content. It aims to foster an environment of self-regulation within…

Twelve Thai nationals were released from Gaza on Friday, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. It said the 12 hostages have passed through the Rafah crossing and are on the way to Israel’s Hatzerim air base, and will then be taken to a hospital. The ministry says 39 Thai citizens were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack in Israel and 26 were taken hostage. Egypt’s state information service said the 12 Thais is in addition to 13 Israeli captives who are to be freed Friday. Fifty hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed under a Qatar-brokered four-day ceasefire deal. Source:…

President of the Cambodian National Assembly Samdech Khuon Sudary left Hanoi on December 2 afternoon, concluding a successful official visit to Vietnam from November 30-December 2 at the invitation of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. During the visit, the Cambodia NA leader met with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong, held talks with NA Chairman Hue, and made a working trip to the northern province of Ha Nam. In all the meetings and talks, the two sides acknowledged the strong development of the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Regarding parliamentary cooperation, the two sides agreed to work closely…

Through the EU-GIZ and IUCN “Rethinking Plastic” partnership project, significant strides have been made in enhancing the circular economy model at the local level and improving municipal waste management practices and policies. The video below provides a summary of the efforts made by local people, the private sector, civil society, and local authorities in the Koh Libong Sub-district, Kantang District, Trang Province, Thailand. It highlights the project’s achievements, lessons learned, and the areas impacted in the eight targeted island-based communities since the project’s inception in February 2021 through October 2022. The achievements include: From November 2021 to September 2022, small…

Thailand, famed for its vibrant culture and stunning landscapes, is grappling with a linguistic challenge, its national English proficiency, which has caught the attention of educators and language enthusiasts worldwide. Despite recent strides in enhancing English proficiency through virtual classrooms in Bangkok, Thailand finds itself in the shadows of its ASEAN neighbours, ranking a modest eighth in the region and a lacklustre 101st globally in the English Proficiency Index 2023. A recent report by Education First (EF) unveils the stark reality – Thailand’s proficiency in its second language languishes in the very low category, garnering a score of 416. This places the nation just behind Cambodia, the English proficiency leader in…