SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions - Open Development Mekong

‘What other country would do this to its people?’ Cambodian land grab victims seek int’l justice

“It started when some people from the government came around the community telling us that we were illegally occupying the land,” Chhae Kimsrour said in June 2020. “I’ve lived here since 1995, but six months later they came back and started filling in my lake. They said it was their land now – many families […]

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OPINION: UN SDG goals boost access to justice

How do we counter massive pollution on land, at sea and in the air? How do we ensure justice for human rights defenders who are attacked when defending the environment? How do we promote more inclusion and participation in decision-making processes? The 17 United Nations-backed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to address these challenges by […]

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Building Cohesive Societies: Southeast Asian States Take On Gargantuan Challenge – Analysis

Several Southeast Asian governments and social movements are seeking to counter mounting polarization and inter-communal strife across the globe fuelled by the rise of civilizationalist leaders who think in exclusionary rather than inclusionary terms. In the most high-brow of various initiatives, King Abdullah of Jordan is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the inaugural International […]

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Myanmar: Signatories Of NCA Meet, Lofty Ideas But No Clout – Analysis

The ten signatories to the National Cease fire Agreement started a five-day meeting at Chiang Mai from May 14-18 to discuss about the agreement and how to move the peace process forward. It looks that having been brought into the “bag”, the smaller groups which have unwittingly joined the cease fire agreement without a well […]

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Hydropower dams linked to poverty and corruption

Countries that rely on large hydropower dams for their electricity suffer higher levels of poverty, corruption and debt than other nations, a study has found. The study by the University of Sussex and the International School of Management in Germany compared the security, political governance, economic development and climate change performance of major hydropower states against oil-producing […]

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‘Dirty money’ in the Mekong region is about 100 billion USD / year

That is the information given by Chris Batt, UNODC’s adviser against money laundering / counter-terrorism financing at the workshop “Enhancing compliance awareness on money laundering prevention, terrorism financing and multilateral assessment processes.” Continue reading (only Vietnamese version)

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Thailand’s Junta Government Defends Controversial Cybersecurity Law

“The scope of the law is so broad, it’s like Big Brother activists have called the legislation “cyber martial law” said Kanathip Thongraweewong, Director of Digital Media Law Institute at Kasembandit University. Thailand’s Junta Government The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Friday defended a controversial cybersecurity law approved this week, following an outcry from rights […]

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40th anniversary of Vietnam-China 1979 border war a chance to reflect

The upcoming 40th anniversary of the brief but devastating border clash between China and Việt Nam in 1979 offers a chance to reflect on history and draw lessons to consolidate bilateral ties, not to deepen hatred. Keep reading

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Trump-Kim summit in Hà Nội: what to expect?

Hà Nội has been chosen to host the political event of the year. US President Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the end of February. So what can we expect from the meeting? Keep reading

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New Year Opens With Fighting, Attack on Top Official in Myanmar’s Rakhine State

Myanmar government troops opened 2019 with exchanges of gunfire with an ethnic armed organization in Rakhine state’s Buthidaung township, while police accused the same rebel group of attacking a convoy transporting the regional chief. The Myanmar Army engaged in clashes with the Arakan Army (AA) all day Tuesday in northern Rakhine’s Keep reading

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