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Sunday, September 20, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
TRADE-CAMBODIA: WTO Entry Far From Being Rosy
Cambodia's entry as a full member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) tests the groundwork on whether poor countries in the world would be better off or worse by becoming new members of the global free trade body.POLITICS-THAILAND: Unabated Violence Rankles Authorities
By permitting judges to arm themselves in the southern provinces, Thailand has conceded that it faces a daunting task in trying to control violence in the region which, now, seems to have taken a turn for the worse.THAILAND: Bird Flu Jab Ban Settles Scores For Time Being
By declaring a ban on vaccinating poultry against bird flu, the Thai government has ended a passionate debate between the country's chicken-meat exporters and breeders of fighting cocks for sport.THAILAND: A Samaritan’s Quest to Save Children
He is treated like a star when he crosses the bridge that connects this northern town in Thailand to Burma. As he walks, the street children call out his name, while frail women, with babies in their arms, come up to him and smile.DEVELOPMENT-BURMA: Junta Blamed For Impoverishing Villages
A United Nations official is blaming the Burmese military government's restrictive agriculture policies for driving villages in two border regions of the country into further poverty.RIGHTS-BURMA: Women’s Hardships Belie Junta’s Tales
Rangoon's military government is arming itself to be perceived as a promoter of tolerance towards women in Burma as the world readies to mark the 10th anniversary of a landmark international conference on gender equality.RIGHTS-ASIA: A Role for Men in Gender Equality Fight
When the international community meets next year to review the status of women 10 years after a ground-breaking conference on gender, the role of men in the quest for the equality of sexes will be high on the agenda.LABOUR-ASIA: End of Textile Agreement Spells Huge Job Losses
Nurun Nahar is four months away from falling into a trap she fears she will never be able to rise out of - namely the twin evils of unemployment and poverty. And her fears are founded, for the 28-year-old woman from Bangladesh expects to lose her job when 2005 dawns.ENVIRONMENT-ASIA: Mekong ‘Water War’ Threatens Communities
Increasing fault-lines between countries that share the Mekong River are worrying environmentalists who warn that there is a grave possibility of a ''water war'' erupting in the region.POLITICS-THAILAND: Dissent Grows Against the Thaksin Juggernaut
Sensing political trouble after the weekend's election for Bangkok's governor, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is making a valiant effort to appear as a moderate by extending the hand of friendship to the opposition Democrat Party.DEVELOPMENT-THAILAND: Energy Saving Measures to Cramp Lifestyles
Thailand's energy-conservation scheme, due to start in September amid rising oil prices, will run right into this country's love affair with cars.RIGHTS-BURMA: Migrant Workers Bask in Hope Offered by Key Verdict
A Thai labour court is offering hope to over a million migrant workers that justice is possible in this South-east Asian country - even if the struggle to secure a victory could last nearly two years.ENVIRONMENT-LAOS: World Bank Support for Big Dams Remains
The World Bank’s faith in the construction of large hydropower projects in the developing world appears undiminished as a fresh round of discussions to construct a mammoth dam in South-east Asia’s poorest country, Laos, gets underway.THAILAND: Gubernatorial Polls to Test Thaksin’s ‘Popularity’
As the race to elect Bangkok's next governor enters its final lap, the poll has evolved from being a vote to solve the capital's perpetual traffic nightmares to one billed as an indirect referendum on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's style of governance.HEALTH-SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Free Trade Pact Could See Cigarette Flood
South-east Asia's march to create a regional free trade area by 2018 is causing heartburn among public health experts, given that this push to end trade tariff barriers could open the doors for an avalanche of cigarettes to flood local stores.POLITICS-BURMA: U.N. Sees Opportune Moment to Turn the Screws
By throwing his weight behind the legitimacy of Burma's opposition party, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has deprived Burmese Prime Minister Khin Nyunt of claiming political progress to mark his first anniversary in office.HEALTH-ASIA: Bird Flu Set to Haunt Again After Vietnam Deaths
The recently launched network to improve surveillance of bird flu in South-east Asia faces a stern test in the wake of three recent deaths in Vietnam due to the lethal strain of the virus.LABOUR-THAILAND: Climate of Fear Eases for Migrant Workers
Burmese migrant workers are displaying a new sign of confidence about their status as labourers in Thailand. Talking freely on the streets of the Thai capital in their own language is one of them.SINGAPORE: Sceptics Challenge New Premier’s Promises
Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's new prime minister who was sworn in Thursday, is offering his country's citizens a chance of enjoying the right to free expression - a luxury that had only been the preserve of his family and a few members of the political elite.THAILAND: A New Political Mask in a Pantomime?
It is becoming an act of courage in Thailand to fire a volley of criticism at Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, or the wealthy empire that his family presides over.NORTH KOREA: Tough Road Ahead for First U.N. Rights Envoy
A respected Thai human rights scholar faces a mammoth challenge in trying to open doors in North Korea - deemed as one of the world's most secretive and oppressive countries in the world.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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