Showing 71 - 80 of 160
Leaders must stand together
News, Editorial, Published on 14/04/2020
» Heads of government of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), this year chaired by Vietnam, are to hold a summit today, with Covid-19 preparedness and response the paramount issue.
A Wuhan in the making?
News, Editorial, Published on 21/03/2020
» The Chinese government may have closed down the wet market in Wuhan where the coronavirus is believed to have originated. But in the heart of Bangkok, a "Wuhan in the making" continues to operate as usual at Chatuchak Weekend Market, where trade in wild animals has taken place for years.
'Crisis' plan is censorship
News, Editorial, Published on 19/02/2020
» If the measure proposed by Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta to have state agencies dictate news coverage during "times of crisis" is adopted, it could further undermine press freedom and people's right to information.
Don't worsen political woes
News, Editorial, Published on 22/01/2020
» The Constitutional Court's decision to acquit the Future Forward Party (FFP) of seeking to overthrow the monarchy on Tuesday offered a reprieve not just for the party but also for a boiling political climate. However, the slew of legal hurdles awaiting the FFP, its leaders and political activists in the coming months are a reminder to the international community that political turbulence in Thailand is here to stay.
Dams lead to extinction
News, Editorial, Published on 08/01/2020
» Before being officially declared extinct by scientists late last month, the Chinese paddlefish, a native to the Yangtze River system, had been listed along with the Mekong giant catfish as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Don't forget 'disappeared'
News, Editorial, Published on 21/12/2019
» One year ago this month, Thai activist Surachai Danwattananusorn disappeared mysteriously from his residence in the Lao capital of Vientiane, while the bodies of his two aides were found in the Mekong River. Also, seven years ago this month, Lao activist Sombath Somphone suffered a "forced disappearance" in Vientiane.
Mekong left starving
News, Editorial, Published on 06/12/2019
» Known for its signature reddish-brown waters, the Mekong River recently turned a bright blue in some parts. Its crystal-clear water may be beautiful to look at, but this change is a symptom of a sick and starving river. For ecologists and observers, it will be too naive not to point the finger at the usual suspects -- dams.
Eyes on Xayaburi dam
News, Editorial, Published on 30/10/2019
» As the Xayaburi hydropower project in Laos began its first day of electricity generation yesterday on the Mekong River's mainstream, doubts still lingered among scientists and environmentalists about the measures proposed to mitigate the negative effects of the dam on the river's complex and large ecosystems.
Dams a threat to Mekong
News, Editorial, Published on 16/10/2019
» Almost a decade ago, Vietnam was the most vocal neighbour in opposing Laos' first dam on the Mekong River. Now, it has become a partner in the Lao government's Luang Prabang dam project -- its fifth on the mighty river. This new partnership is worrying, as is the rapid pace of overall Mekong hydropower development.
No country for dissidents
News, Editorial, Published on 14/09/2019
» Despite some restrictions on freedom of expression, Thailand was once a place where government dissent was tolerated. It was seen as a safe haven for dissidents in the region, many of whom arrived seeking asylum in a third country under UN Human Rights Commission rules. Od Sayavong, a 34-year-old Lao political activist, was one of them. But that hope was extinguished when he went missing in Bangkok on Aug 26.