Showing 531 - 540 of 577
PM bows to the inevitable
News, Editorial, Published on 25/07/2016
» Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha deserves credit for moving the draft constitution to where it belongs -- the public forum. The prime minister made an unexpected about-face on the issue late last week -- one day he was advocating the multi-facet ban on free speech brought in by the Election Commission (EC) through the poorly considered Referendum Act; the next, he specifically authorised open debate at the provincial level. It is a welcome evolution.
Anxiety builds with Trump's nomination
News, Editorial, Published on 24/07/2016
» Less than a year ago, the thought of Donald Trump being officially nominated as the presidential candidate for the Republican Party was given zero chance of success.
Draft charter needs debate
News, Editorial, Published on 21/07/2016
» About a month before the Aug 7 referendum on the draft charter, a Bangkok University survey came up with a very worrying result -- that nearly 80% of the people that participated admitted that they had rarely seen any campaigns in their localities on the proposed charter.
Education in deliquency
News, Editorial, Published on 19/07/2016
» A national court has issued a clear warning to parents to better control their teenage children.The Central Juvenile and Family Court last week convicted a Bangkok husband and wife of encouraging their delinquent sons to attack student rivals. The court fined the couple a total of 60,000 baht, while suspending a six-month prison sentence for two years. However this case should not serve as a typical example to deter irresponsible parents from raising delinquent children.
Does vote have a Plan B?
News, Editorial, Published on 16/07/2016
» The referendum on the draft charter set for Aug 7 will only be fair if Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha makes it known to the public what will happen if the draft fails to pass the vote.Clarity is long overdue. Only three weeks are left until the vote is held.
Debate, not hide the facts
News, Editorial, Published on 11/07/2016
» In three weeks and six days, the nation is to vote on whether to make permanent the fourth constitution draft in 26 months. However, the military government, its second Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) and the Election Commission (EC) are doing little about keeping their promise to inform the public of the contents of the most recent charter, the one that will be decided on Aug 7. Instead, the regime has highlighted a mysterious conspiracy that it claims is trying to misinform the public of the details and intent.
Hun Sen report has lessons for us all
News, Editorial, Published on 10/07/2016
» The report by London-based campaign group Global Witness on the alleged wealth of Cambodia's ruling Hun Sen clan was a bombshell many media outlets around the world knew was coming.
Climate of fear must stop
News, Editorial, Published on 09/07/2016
» Are people allowed to campaign freely for or against the draft charter? The question is straightforward enough. If the answer is yes, which should be the case as far as the public referendum act is concerned, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), government and Election Commission (EC) must stop creating areas of ambivalence where they can use other laws or orders to stymie the activities.
Suu Kyi's hollow words
News, Editorial, Published on 08/07/2016
» Mob attacks against Rohingya Muslim communities and the burning of mosques in Myanmar's northern Kachin state and Bago Region in the past weeks remind many of us that there seems to be no end in sight for the chronic and terrifying anti-Muslim violence.
Political heat on the rise
News, Editorial, Published on 30/06/2016
» As each day passes, leading up to the Aug 7 charter referendum, the country's political temperature will rise. Despite the restrictions in place, comments on the charter will increase. Sadly, the issues raised over the proposed charter are not new as we continue, as a country, to swirl in circles. And the only way to emerge from this vicious circle is for all sides to admit their faults and strike a balance for the interests of the people.