Languages
Saturday, September 19, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
POLITICS-THAILAND: Muzzling the Press Could Backfire say Editors
A showdown between Thailand's often feisty print media and the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is looming up as a draconian decree to quell the escalating violence in the country's south came into effect this week.HEALTH-BURMA: HIV Threat Overshadows Political Instability
While political reform in Burma is set to dominate next week's meeting of South-east Asian foreign ministers in Laos, a deadlier subject, HIV spread in the region, cries for attention.RIGHTS-THAILAND: Thaksin Company Courts Controversy
In the weeks leading up to a court battle over her rights as a citizen, Supinya Klangnarong has grown philosophical, in a Buddhist way, at least. Twice a day, she prays for her adversary, Thailand’s most powerful business empire.ECONOMY: Thailand Reaps the Whirlwind of Populist Policies
From enjoying a status of near invincibility for almost four-and-a-half years, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is waking up to a reality that makes him look like any other local politician - vulnerable and on the defensive.HEALTH-THAILAND: HIV/AIDs Stalks Burmese Migrant Workers
It was fear that drove Ma Ne from her home in Burma's Mon state to this port town famous for its seafood processing factories. She wanted to escape the forced labour policy of the Burmese military regime.HEALTH: Thai Clinical Trials May Hold Key to Malaria Control
Every two weeks, without fail, Sornchai Looareesuwan leaves the Thai capital on a mission that takes him to a province in the north-west of this country. For it is there, in Mae Sot, that he is conducting trials for a new anti-malarial drug.ASIA: Dons Take Second Look at Gay, Lesbian Studies
Dede Oetomo, an openly gay Indonesian anthropologist, quit his post at a major university in his country when his request for a new academic programme - a masters degree in sexuality - was turned down.TRANSPORT: Asian Highway Opens Path to Regional Cooperation
ûAsian governments will soon have a new symbol to illustrate their increasing spirit of regional cooperation: a network of highways that links 32 countries spanning Japan at one end and Turkey on the other.RIGHTS-INDONESIA: A Reality Check Over War Crimes in East Timor
Indonesia's hope of emerging as a force for democracy in South-east Asia faces a reality check in regards to its stance on justice - especially justice for victims of human rights violations in East Timor.THAILAND-U.S.: AIDS Drugs Take Centre-Stage at Trade Talks
After tiptoeing around the issue for months, Thailand's trade negotiators will have to finally reveal where they stand on the life-or-death question of producing cheap, generic anti-AIDS drugs.TSUNAMI IMPACT: Lack of Water-Borne Disease a Silent Success
Away from the cameras and the headline-grabbing stories is a quiet miracle, of sorts, that has unfolded within the wasteland areas of Asia's tsunami-devastated countries: There was no massive outbreak of water-borne diseases amongst children as initially feared.POLITICS-THAILAND: June May Be the Cruellest Month
June is threatening to become the most violent month in southern Thailand since clashes erupted there 18 months ago between government forces and suspected Muslim militants.SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Cardinal’s Death a Loss to Pro-Democracy Activists
South-east Asia lost its greatest symbol of ''people power'' with the death Tuesday of Cardinal Jaime Sin, former head of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.LABOUR: Burma Condemned to New Pariah Status
Thanks to the stubbornness of Burma's military rulers, that South-east Asian nation is to enter a league of its own as the first country in the world to face sanctions for failing to end forced labour.RIGHTS-ASIA: Corporal Punishment to Get the Boot from Homes, Schools
Child rights activists are holding out hope for children across East Asia and the Pacific that the days of corporal punishment and other forms of violence they are subject to in their homes may someday come to an end.RIGHTS-ASIA: Children’s Cry Against Corporal Punishment Gets Hearing
She is barely in her teens, yet Hilda Wong's worries go beyond her school books and passing her next exams. The 14-year-old from Hong Kong flew into town this week to raise a cry against corporal punishment.CORRUPTION-THAILAND: Government Beyond Accountability Looms
Four months after he was re-elected by an unprecedented majority, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra faces a corruption scandal the outcome of which could define the tone of his second term in office.SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Burma a Nightmare for Minorities
After enduring long food shortages and being a victim of forced labour, a 30-year-old woman from Burma's Karen ethnic community fled her village for the nearby Thai-Burmese border late last year.RIGHTS-BURMA: Silenced but Not Forgotten, Suu Kyi Turns 60
Though she appears destined to mark her 60th birthday as a prisoner of Burma's military regime, Aung San Suu Kyi will not be forgotten by the Burmese Diaspora and her legions of sympathisers across the world.POLITICS: Malaysia Moots Moderate Path for Islamic World
Despite its location on the margins of the Islamic world, the South-east Asian nation of Malaysia is coming out well ahead of other Muslim countries on the pivotal question of how to redeem the battered image of Islam and its followers.THAILAND: Exchange the Iron Fist for Reconciliation Down South, Urge Groups
As the Thai government mulls its next move to counter violence in the country's south, it is facing calls from diverse quarters to broaden its recently unveiled conciliatory policies as the best hope for peace in that troubled region.« Previous Page — Next Page »
The Week with IPS
NEXT STOP - SDGs
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
