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Wednesday, September 2, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
POLITICS: Thai Tensions Form Apt Backdrop for ASEAN Meet
The decision by Thai government to shift the venue of a regional summit from Bangkok to the northern city of Chiang Mai points to an administration unsure of its place in the country’s capital.RIGHTS-BURMA: No Mercy For Women Political Activists
When it comes to throwing pro-democracy activists in jail, Burma’s military regime does not discriminate between the sexes. The junta treats women and men with equal measure of abuse.BURMA: Cyclone Relief – Distrust of Junta Deters Donors
Burma’s military regime is struggling to attract international aid nearly six months after the powerful Cyclone Nargis tore through the country’s Irrawaddy Delta. The financial shortfall has more to do with distrust of the junta than donor fatigue.RIGHTS-THAILAND: Army Reveals Two Faces
Calls by the country's army chief for the prime minister's reisgnation over the deaths of two anti-government demonstrators in clashes with the police have left the Malay-Muslim minority with reason to wonder if their lives are less valuable in this predominantly Buddhist country.
LAOS: Unexploded Cluster Bombs Hold Up Farming
As the country affected most by cluster munition in the world Laos is a natural leader in the global campaign to have the deadly ‘bomblets’ banned.
Q&A: 'Oil Prices Have Revived Interest in Dams'
Concerns over the future of fisheries in the Mekong River floated to the surface at the first round of discussions held here late this month to shape a blueprint to build a series of mega dams across South-east Asia’s largest body of water.
ENVIRONMENT-LAOS: Paying South-east Asia's Power Bill
There is an uneasy calm that swirls through this South-east Asian capital, which sits on the banks of the Mekong River. White sandbags piled waist-high over a 13 km stretch along the river offer the reason why - floods.ASIA: Calamities, Climate Change – Reprieve for Mangroves
Lack of access to military-ruled Burma has not stopped a global environmental body from setting its sights on the country’s Irrawaddy Delta, which was devastated by a powerful cyclone in early May. Rehabilitating mangroves is the draw.RIGHTS-BURMA: Monks Jailed, Disrobed For Challenging Junta
In military-ruled Burma the jails are filling up with Buddhist monks. Currently, 136 members of the clergy are behind bars, most of them in the notorious Insein Prison in Rangoon, the former capital.POLITICS-THAILAND: New PM Faces Baptism of Fire
Thailand’s new prime minister - the second this year - begins his term in an unprecedented climate of hostility against elected parliaments.THAILAND: 'New Politics' to Disenfranchise the Poor
An anti-government protest movement, whose leaders have forcefully occupied the prime minister’s office, appears to be running counter to accepted notions of democracy.ASIA PACIFIC: MDGs – Children Under Five Straggling
Children under five years across Asia and the Pacific are being left behind in the race to reduce poverty even as the region boasts impressive strides in meeting major United Nations development goals.THAILAND: Court Tells PM to Step Down for Playing TV Chef
A passion for Thai cooking provied to be Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's undoing. A court ruled Tuesday that he had broken the law by appearing for payment on a widely televised cooking programme after becoming the leader of the country this year.MEDIA-THAILAND: Satellite TV Boosts Anti-Gov’t Protests
On first impressions, Thailand’s political crisis appears to be an attempt to shape the future of democracy in a kingdom that has witnessed 18 military coups. But the anger that drives a protest movement to topple an elected administration has pitted it against the old media order.POLITICS-THAILAND: Talk of Anarchy
The tense political drama playing out in the Thai capital that has pitted anti-government protestors against a democratically elected dispensation is threatening this relatively prosperous South-east Asian country with anarchy.POLITICS-THAILAND: Women Power Anti-Gov’t Protests
At 64 years, women may prefer going to bed early, relax with grandchildren or spend time pursuing a new hobby. But not Somchit Suwanasay, who sacrifices such pleasures to join anti-government protests in the Thai capital.THAILAND: Army Back as Arbiter of National Politics
By throwing a protective net around the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, this week, the Thai military has removed little doubt that it is the final arbiter of national politics in this kingdom, not the country’s electorate.BURMA: Suu Kyi – A Living Legend
Nyo Ohn Myint still remembers the moment, 20 years ago, when the legend of Aung San Suu Kyi began. He was there when she gave a stirring speech and became the symbol of hope for a country under the oppressive grip of military rule since 1962.
BURMA: No Photo Op for Gambari
A United Nations-led effort to push political reform in military-ruled Burma plunged to a humiliating low on the weekend, raising questions about the effectiveness of the world body’s special envoy to the country, Ibrahim Gambari.PHILIPPINES: Hopes Narrow for Peace With Muslim Rebels
Hopes for peace in southern Philippines have grown slim as fighting escalates between government troops and Muslim separatist rebels. When August began, a different mood prevailed as negotiators on both sides reported progress on reconciliation talks on the sensitive issue of land.ASIA: Rock Star's Expulsion Says No to Child Sex Tourists
When a British rock star, convicted on paedophilia charges, was turned away at two Asian airports, this week, it was seen by child rights activists as a sign that this region will no longer tolerate sex tourism that exploits minors.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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