Showing 111 - 120 of 162
Capital's failing functions reveal an edifice complex
Spectrum, Published on 26/10/2014
» The parliament in Nay Pyi Taw, the country's remote capital, is majestic in both size and design. Built under the orders of the previous military regime, it seems no expense was spared.
For students, rector's armyties are too close for comfort
Spectrum, Published on 31/08/2014
» Somkit Lertpaithoon was about to enter his office inside Thammasat University's prestigious Dome building last Monday when he was stopped by a group of students.
Rise of the rural middle class
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 10/08/2014
» Outside the Central department store in Ubon Ratchathani, a black Mercedes-Benz S-Class with yellow Lao licence plates drove from the car park. It was a Wednesday, but at weekends, a security guard told me, some 20% of the vehicles parked here are from Laos, many of which are European cars travelling to the northeastern province through Pakse or Mukdahan.
The Lady rallies fresh support
Spectrum, Published on 15/06/2014
» Yet another test of Myanmar’s political reforms has emerged over the past few weeks as the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and the 88 Generation students joined forces to rally support for amendments to the controversial 2008 constitution.
Meeting resistance: the hard road of opposition in exile
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 15/06/2014
» After waiting for 90 minutes at the hotel for the man who many in the Thai establishment consider the “most dangerous mind” in politics, a white Toyota Fortuner rumbles to the entrance.
Myanmar stunned by coup, and they should know
Spectrum, Published on 01/06/2014
» It was the coup Myanmar was least expecting, and it came with a sense of eerie familiarity. Dealing with its own emergence from five decades of military dictatorship, seemingly intractable ethnic violence and political protests of its own, Myanmar had long looked to Thailand as a relatively successful, stable and democratic neighbour.
Marriage laws spark rights fears
Spectrum, Published on 18/05/2014
» On the main roundabout in the centre of Yangon, three houses of religious worship sit next to each other: a pagoda, a church and a mosque. But this cosy picture of religious tolerance is deceiving.
Activists in the line of fire
Spectrum, Piyaporn Wongruang, Published on 04/05/2014
» While the details in the case of the missing Mr Porlajee remain unclear, some human rights activists say it has highlighted threats routinely made against environmental campaigners and human rights activists.
Reeling from the great land grab
Spectrum, Published on 30/03/2014
» Tin Myint remembers being evicted from his land in 1976 as if it were yesterday.
Righting the waterway wrongs
Spectrum, Angus Mitchell, Published on 16/02/2014
» Last week, we began wading into the issue of water pollution in Bangkok by taking a look at the laws and government agencies that regulate the waterways. After defining the different factors that are tested for when determining the level of water pollution in a given area, we compared the statistics found by the Pollution Control Department (PCD) to the standards set forth by the US EPA. This week, we will try to trace that pollution back to its source and discover why the waterways are as filthy as they are, as well as look at a couple of high-profile cases of citizens fighting back against the polluters that illegally dump toxins where fishermen fish and swimmers swim.