Showing 1 - 6 of 6
Work together for rule-based trade
Oped, Anders Ahnlid, Published on 20/05/2025
» For almost 80 years, the multilateral rule-book has been the basis for international trade relations. Under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and its successor, the World Trade Organization (WTO), world trade has expanded at an unprecedented rate, contributing to growth and prosperity around the world. Our countries, Thailand and Sweden, share a long tradition of support for the rule-based trading system.
Malaysia's forced deportations cannot be tolerated
Oped, Hanh Nguyen, Published on 10/03/2021
» The Feb 1 putsch by Myanmar's military has halted the country's democratic transition, sparking nationwide protests. Shortly after, on Feb 24, amid mounting concerns over the increasing use of violence against civilians in Myanmar, Malaysia deported 1,086 Myanmar nationals back into the depths of the chaos. Malaysia's actions are the latest blow to the multiple crises facing the people of Myanmar, adding a new burden to a fragile state grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, unresolved ethnic armed conflicts and an increasingly violent coup. It raises the alarm about the increasing insecurity faced by refugees and migrants from Myanmar in other countries in the region, including Bangladesh and Malaysia.
School bullying in the Asia-Pacific affects us all
Oped, Jenelle Babb and Danika DeCarlo-Slobodnik, Published on 27/11/2020
» Earlier this year, a young boy and his mother made a profound statement. Yarraka Bayles posted a video of her nine-year-old son, Quaden, crying and saying that he wanted to kill himself after being taunted by classmates. The video has since spread far beyond their native Queensland and spurred serious discussions about bullying and our shared responsibility to ensure that schools are safe places to learn.
In challenging waters, Vietnam to steer Asean
News, Du Nhat Dang, Published on 16/01/2020
» Mention "Asean" these days and public opinion in Vietnam tends to think of the South China Sea disputes. But the country sees its role as Asean Chair in 2020 as one that entails a much wider responsibility -- that of being a bridge among Asean's members, as well as between with Asean and external powers, in uncertain times.
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.
Horror of the disappeared
News, Editorial, Published on 11/02/2019
» Cases of the sudden disappearance of political dissidents continue to mount. The latest such case occurred in daytime, inside a well-known Bangkok mall. Truong Duy Nhat, a well-known journalist and blogger in Vietnam, was seized and dragged out of Future Park shopping centre. He had just registered his personal details and applied for asylum through the UN refugee office. His disappearance on Jan 26 has received the usual silence from governments involved.