Showing 131 - 140 of 171
Rohingya aid badly needed
News, Editorial, Published on 25/10/2017
» Once again, international politics and point-scoring are being put before humanitarian and moral action by the international community. The United Nations organised a donor conference this week to raise funds to help Rohingya refugees. More than 600,000 members of the Muslim minority community have fled violence and threats in Myanmar, and the UN says that number will soon pass 1 million. At the same time, the upheaval in western Myanmar has caused problems elsewhere that also require and deserve international aid.
Weapons buys need scrutiny
News, Editorial, Published on 21/09/2017
» The 340-million-baht airship saga brings to light serious problems regarding the weapons acquisition process and the need to make it more accountable.
Distress of Rohingya
News, Editorial, Published on 04/09/2017
» The biggest tragedy about the Rohingya crisis is how unnecessary it is. A responsive government at Nay Pyi Taw could have responded to or even prevented the violence and suffering. The international community, which has practically adopted "never again" as a slogan, has been unhelpful. Decades of neglect are also weighing on civil society, which far too often has poured millions into relief and development aid for issues that made front pages instead of where help is truly needed.
Watched by big brothers
News, Editorial, Published on 16/08/2017
» The arrest last week of an investigative reporter going about his job has put the spotlight once again on the uneven prosecution of corruption -- and the apparent use of favouritism and intimidation in some cases. Reporter Natthaporn Weeranun of the Isra News Agency was looking into the background of a National Anti-Corruption Commission probe. The NACC has announced it is interested in a possibly false declaration of assets by retired Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon. He is both a former national police chief, and the younger brother of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
The right to assemble
News, Editorial, Published on 02/08/2017
» Both the security agencies and the government would be doing themselves and the country a service if they stopped obsessing over the Supreme Court sessions concerning ex-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
US-Thai ties warming up
News, Editorial, Published on 03/07/2017
» The official visit to Washington by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is rapidly gaining in importance. The original political analysis had it that President Donald Trump was talking off the top of his head in April when he invited the premier during a phone call. It now is clear something quite different is in the works. The White House and the US State Department are switching off the Barack Obama administration's hostility to the coup regime.
New law must rake in all corrupt figures
News, Editorial, Published on 16/07/2017
» The recent National Legislative Assembly (NLA) decision to approve a law on criminal procedures for holders of political positions has drawn mixed public reaction.
Hold the birthday cake
News, Editorial, Published on 22/05/2017
» The military regime of former army commander Prayut Chan-o-cha and his junta turn three today. Champagne and birthday cake aren't on the menu. The main achievement in 2014 of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) was to stop the street protests and occasionally deadly violence of clashing political beliefs. Three years on, that is still the regime's top accomplishment. Gen Prayut promised to address and solve root problems but has made no progress in either.
Suu Kyi must let help in
News, Editorial, Published on 13/05/2017
» Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi should accept a call by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to allow its aid workers access to people caught up in a conflict that has displaced tens of thousands.
Crackdown out of control
News, Editorial, Published on 24/05/2017
» As was virtually assured from the start, authorities now have gone unacceptably overboard in their censorship. Last week, the chief of the police Central Investigation Bureau said his force will begin action against internet users who even view a forbidden web page or social media post. Pol Lt Gen Thitirat Nongharnpitak seems to want to warn Thai people against the spread of lese majeste material. Still, he should withdraw this threat, as it is the wrong way to proceed.