Author: Darrell Anderson

A month of intense fighting between Myanmar’s ruling military and an alliance of ethnic minority insurgents has displaced tens of thousands of people in the border region, according to the United Nations, with concern growing in Beijing about instability and an influx of refugees. The rebellion has presented the biggest battlefield challenge to Myanmar’s well-equipped military since it seized power in a coup in 2021. Emboldened by the northern offensive, pro-democracy militias increase attacks on security forces elsewhere in the country. The “Three Brotherhood Alliance”, as the insurgents call themselves, said they had conquered several towns and the Kyin-San-Kyawt border gate, one of five major…

The Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) raided seven locations yesterday linked to Thai senator Upakit Pachirirangkun and seized assets worth 409 million baht on charges of involvement in a transitional crime organisation. Move Forward Party MP Rungsiman Rome revealed the alleged close relationship between Senator Upakit and Myanmar’s leading drug trafficker, Tun Min Latt, during a 2022 Parliament debate. Upakit reportedly admitted to knowing Tun Min Latt personally, and there was apparent evidence of his involvement in the transitional crime organisation, but the case went nowhere until this year. Upakit was charged with money laundering and involvement in a transitional drug trafficking organisation because of his relationship with Tun…

Pornchai Thiravej, director of the Finance Ministry’s Office of Fiscal Economy Director, and the Bank of Thailand (BOT)’s Assistant Governor for Corporate Relations, Chayawadee Chaianan announced today (November 28). The announcement follows on from a memorandum of understanding signed between all the parties and will mark the second time that Thailand has been entrusted to host the most significant global economic and financial conferences. The county last played host to the meetings in 1991. More than 12,000 attendees, including finance ministers and central bank governors from 190 member countries, are expected to participate in the 2026 conferences. Various working committees…

Thailand will prioritise tackling informal debt to revive the economy, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Tuesday. “Informal debt is like modern-day slavery that destroys dreams … and a chronic problem,” he told a press conference, adding the government would coordinate with police to prevent unregulated lending. He said the measures, to solve one of the region’s worst household debt problems, will help with debt restructuring and prevent people from taking on more debt that necessary. The government estimates there is about 50 billion baht ($1.43 billion) of informal debt, he said, adding that this was a conservative estimate and the problem…

DUBAI — Việt Nam needs international support, financial cooperation, cutting-edge technology and high-quality personnel to serve its green transition, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính told a business forum in Dubai on Saturday. The Vietnam Business Forum, themed “Mobilising Resources for the Green Transition”, was jointly held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Vietnamese Embassy in the UAE and the Global Wind Energy Council. It saw the attendance of representatives from the COP28 Organising Committee and nearly 200 leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), international organisations, businesses operating in the fields of energy, manufacturing, finance and banking, and investment…

Low-carbon economic development towards a circular economy is becoming an inevitable tendency in the framework of the green transition with the creation and development of carbon markets seen as an increasingly crucial tool. The World Bank Group’s Country Report on Climate and Development for Việt Nam in 2022 highlights that the effects of climate change cost the country roughly US$10 billion in 2020, approximately 3.2 per cent of GDP. By 2050, the entire economic expense associated with climate change could reach $523 billion. The carbon market has been identified as a key solution for Việt Nam to reach its net…

 Expecting a growth rate of 7% in the fourth quarter, Vietnam has high possibility to achieve about 5% growth for the whole year, held experts, assessing that although the figure is under the target of 6.5%, it is still a positive result. The Vietnamese economy showed good recovery in the first three quarters of this year, reflected through many important indicators. A higher growth in the last quarter is expected to make a push to the growth in 2024 and following years. According to Dinh Quang Hinh from VNDIRECT, Vietnam’s GDP expansion is predicted to rise 7.0% in the fourth quarter of 2023,…

Vietnam, with the world’s second-largest reserves of the rare earths used in such modern devices as electric vehicle batteries and smart phone screens, is intensifying mining of the critical minerals. The industry, though, faces high processing costs, environmental concerns, and the takedown of industry leaders for illegal mining and mineral sales. Vietnam’s rare earth resources are second only to those of China, which has held a tight monopoly since the 1980s. With Chinese relations with the West becoming more volatile, many countries are looking for other sources for the elements. “China produces about 60% of the world’s rare earths but…

AS WAR IN GAZA RAGES, PALESTINIANS IN OCCUPIED WEST BANK FACE RISING ATROCITY RISKS As Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza continue to escalate, atrocity risks are mounting in the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Across the Occupied West Bank, Israeli forces are employing violent military tactics during search-and-arrest operations and raids, as well as violently suppressing demonstrations. Since 7 October Israeli forces have killed over 150 Palestinians, including 44 children, injured 2,375 others and arrested approximately 2,000 Palestinians. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has received credible and consistent reports of ill-treatment in detention, concluding…

Việt Nam has improved its global ranking in English proficiency, ranking 58th out of 113 non-native English-speaking countries, according to the EF English Proficiency Index (EPI) by Education First (EF). The Southeast Asian nation scored 505 out of 800, three points higher than last year and above the global average, keeping it in the “moderate proficiency” category along with 32 others. In 2021, the country was in the “low proficiency” group with a score of 486. The Red River Delta, with a focus on Hà Nội, has the highest English proficiency in Việt Nam, with men outperforming women. Globally, it…