Author: Chayan Ahunai

Iran were much stronger than Việt Nam as they surpassed the Southeast Asian champions in fitness, experience and technique. HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese players can grow strong after their heavy loss against Iran and still advance to the Asian Games’ next round despite huge challenges, according to their head coach. Việt Nam suffered a big defeat to Iran, losing by four goals to nil in their second Group B match on Thursday in Hangzhou, China. The continent’s powerful side scored one early in the first half and added three more after the break in a match that Việt Nam head coach…

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PM Chính proposed that the US continue backing Việt Nam’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and implement the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), especially in developing the renewable energy industry. NEW YORK — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính hosted US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry on September 21 (US time), on the occasion of his visit to the US to attend the General Debate of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Both expressed their delight at the success of President Joe Biden’s Việt Nam visit, affirming that it has contributed to raising mutual…

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The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Thailand unanimously approved a quarter-percentage point increase in the policy rate, raising it from 2.25% to 2.50%. This change, which took effect yesterday, marks the highest rate since October 2013. According to Piti Disyatat, the MPC secretary, the Thai economy is on a slow recovery path this year, primarily due to weak external demand. He expresses confidence that if the current pace is maintained, the policy rate will likely remain steady for some time. However, the MPC has revised its growth forecast for 2023 from 3.6% to 2.8%, due to ongoing slack demand. The delayed recovery in…

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Popular among tourists for its vibrant nightlife and luxurious beaches, Thailand’s tourism industry is picking up after a dip during the pandemic. But the happy economic boost comes with a shadow: the return of Thailand’s infamous sex tourism industry, which necessitates and supports child sex trafficking. A 2014 report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) notes Thailand accommodated over 123,530 female sex workers and 18,239 male sex workers in 2010. In 2007, nearly 40 per cent of sex workers in Thailand were children or minors under 18. Girls and boys, many impoverished and some as young as eight years old, find themselves coerced…

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President Joe Biden’s decision to skip Asean-related summits in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Sept 5-7 in favour of the G-20 leaders’ meeting in India just two days later has been greeted with howls of disappointment and criticism around Southeast Asian capitals and elsewhere that are concerned about America’s role in the region. Mr Biden’s unwillingness to show up is said to undermine “Asean centrality”, the notion that the bloc should be the main convening platform for promoting regional peace and security. It would of course be ideal to have the American president take part in the Asean-US summit and…

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The Myanmar regime-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) had more than US$6.8 billion in foreign reserves as of March this year in 14 overseas banks in Asia, Europe and the US, according to a CBM document seen by The Irrawaddy. Among the 14, nine Singaporean banks held more than $4.5 billion—more than half of Myanmar’s total foreign reserves. According to the document, Myanmar’s foreign reserves of $6,849,425,159 were held at banks in the US, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand as of March 31. The nine institutions listed as Singapore banks—DBS, UOB, OCBC, SMBC, May Bank (Singapore), Mizuho (Yangon…

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(Bangkok) – One million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh face little prospect of safely returning home, six years since the Myanmar military launched a campaign of mass atrocities in Rakhine State on August 25, 2017, Human Rights Watch said today. The United Nations Security Council has failed to hold Myanmar’s generals accountable for crimes against humanity and acts of genocide against the Rohingya. Over 730,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh in 2017 now live in sprawling, overcrowded camps under growing restrictions by the authorities and spiraling violence by armed groups. About 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar, effectively detained by junta authorities under a system of apartheid. “Rohingya on both sides…

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British police have questioned Myanmar’s ex-ambassador to London, stripped of his post by the military junta after a 2021 coup, over his refusal to leave a diplomatic residence, his lawyer said Saturday. “On 15 August, my client was interviewed by the police about an allegation that he trespassed on diplomatic premises, namely the ambassadorial residence in which he has lived since he became ambassador to the UK in 2013,” said Neil Swift, lawyer for Kyaw Zwar Minn. In April 2021, diplomats close to the junta seized the embassy in central London and refused access to Kyaw Zwar Minn, a supporter…

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The total disbursement of public investment reached 267.6 trillion VND (11.2 billion USD) as of the end of July, fulfilling only 35.49% of the plan set for 2023, but higher than the 34.47% recorded in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Finance. The total disbursement of public investment reached 267.6 trillion VND (11.2 billion USD) as of the end of July, fulfilling only 35.49% of the plan set for 2023, but higher than the 34.47% recorded in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Finance. Twelve ministries and 39 localities recorded disbursement rates higher…

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Vietnam’s tech startups are reaping the benefits as the country sets its sights on becoming a fully digital society by 2030. In 2020, the government announced its national strategy on digital transformation, which aims to increase the digital economy’s share of gross domestic product from 14% currently to 20% by 2025. The Southeast Asian nation hopes to become a high-income economy by 2045 by focusing on its digital economy. According to the World Bank, “If digital sectors expand by about 10 percent every year, the cumulated monetary gains for the economy will exceed US$200 billion over 2021-45, or about the size of…

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