ASEAN and Universal Health Care
ASSOCIATION of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has traditionally relied on a mixture of public and private health care with an emphasis on the latter. It is a structure that is likely to continue as more countries in the region begin to move toward the provision of universal health care.
For...
UN wants inquiry into strikers’ deaths in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH (REUTERS) — The U.N. human rights agency urged Cambodia to launch an investigation into the "disproportionate" use of force by security forces last week against garment factory workers striking over pay.
Military police opened fire on workers protesting outside a factory in Phnom Penh on Jan. 3 and...
Asean free-trade pacts weak, ADB study says
BANDAR Seri Begawan—Free-trade agreements (FTAs) in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) tend to be “weak” and could be distracting members from real economic reforms and regional integration, argued a study that reviews progress in the Asean Economic Community.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently published a collection of...
What’s Happening in Cambodia? VOA Speaks with Activist and Analyst Ou Virak
PHNOM PENH — In recent weeks the Cambodia government has cracked down on striking garment workers demanding a doubling of the minimum wage, as well as political opposition groups who accuse the ruling party of rigging the last election. Gatherings of protesters are now banned after clashes with police...
Malaysia: Letting the extremists and right-wing dominate will BACKFIRE – analysts warn Umno
KUALA LUMPUR ― Umno’s continued silence as the voices of Malay right-wing groups grow louder by the day could end up being misconstrued as Putrajaya’s endorsement of extremism and racism, analysts have warned.
By staying passive to appease its supporters in Malay-Muslim Malaysia, Umno also risks having its own grip...
Cambodia: Capitalism for Human Rights?
If you enter Cambodia, you'll inevitably notice a plethora of non-profits that riddle the country. There has been a 75% increase of orphanages in Cambodia since 2005, new schools teaching English herd kids into classrooms, and civil society organizations working on post-conflict issues have taken root in different provinces....
Myanmar refugee to meet her children after five years
Kolkata: Myanmar citizen Jahura Begum’s dream of reuniting with her seven children is coming true after a five-year agonising wait in India which she entered along with her children illegally in 2009.
The 55-year-old woman fled her country after a reign of terror was allegedly unleashed by the Junta on...
2013: A year of religious intolerance in Burma
By Mark Inkey
The past year has seen a rise in religious intolerance against Muslim people in Burma fanned by radical Buddhists whose most vocal spokesperson has been the monk Wirathu.
The problems first surfaced in 2012 in Arakan State when tensions between Buddhists and the minority Muslim Rohingya erupted into...
UN enacts int’l treaty allowing child rights abuse cases vs State
MANILA, Philippines—Children whose human rights have been violated can now seek international justice through the United Nations.
On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly, enacted an instrument known as the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure (OP3 CRC) that was adopted in...
Int’l traders see PH as gateway to Asean for auto parts
Investors are considering making the Philippines their gateway for their planned investments in the region, in preparation for the formation of the Asean Economic Community by 2015.
“With the AEC 2015 in the horizon, there is a strong interest in making the Philippines a hub for (investments in) retail, automotive...
