BANGKOK - Southeast Asian nations vowed on Saturday to fight against plastic pollution in the ocean, as their leaders adopted a joint declaration during a summit in Bangkok. The Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region was adopted by leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes four of the world's top polluters. ASEAN members Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, along with worst offender China, throw the most plastic waste into oceans, according to a 2015 report co-authored by environmental campaigner Ocean Conservancy. "All countries...value and emphasize environmental protection and support Thailand in including the agenda on safeguarding of the environment and combating marine debris, which matches a global agenda," deputy government spokesman Werachon Sukondhapatipak told reporters on Saturday. The declaration was commended by environmentalists as a good first step for the region, though doubts remained … [Read more...] about Southeast Asian nations vow to combat plastic debris in oceans
Association of southeast asia nations
Southeast Asian leaders throw weight behind China-led trade pact
Southeast Asian leaders throw weight behind China-led trade pact (Agence France-Presse) - June 22, 2019 - 1:45pm BANGKOK — Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Bangkok on Saturday determined to drive forward the world's largest commercial pact, with the trade war between the US and China clouding the outlook for their export-led economies. Disputes in the flashpoint South China Sea, Myanmar's persecution of Rohingya Muslims and plastic pollution in the seas are also set to be discussed at the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, chaired by Thailand. But trade will take centre stage with ASEAN leaders keen to hasten the signing of a China-drafted commercial deal covering around half the world's population. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) includes all 10 ASEAN economies, plus India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. It is seen as a mechanism for China to … [Read more...] about Southeast Asian leaders throw weight behind China-led trade pact
Southeast Asian authorities accused of ‘trading’ dissidents
Southeast Asian authorities accused of ‘trading’ dissidents Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia seen as complicit in rights violations A woman walks past a banner at the venue of the Asean summit in Bangkok on Friday. (Reuters Photo) Three Thai policemen approached Vietnamese refugee Nguyen Van Chung at his home in Bangkok in January and asked him whether he was in touch with another Vietnamese man, Truong Duy Nhat, who had fled to Thailand.Chung said no, he had never met Nhat, a writer and critic of Vietnam’s communist government who previously had spent two years in prison for “abusing democratic freedoms”. He only knew of Nhat from his Facebook posts. But during a subsequent interrogation, Chung was surprised to notice a man who seemed to be a Vietnamese official, and Thai police then confirmed he was indeed from Vietnam. “Somehow, discreetly, police of Vietnam and Thailand worked together and knew … [Read more...] about Southeast Asian authorities accused of ‘trading’ dissidents
Southern Asia urged to wind down coal to keep warming in check
KUALA LUMPUR: Countries in South and Southeast Asia must end their reliance on coal power plants and switch to clean energy in order to meet pledges to curb climate change and tackle air pollution, researchers said on Thursday (Jun 20).A study from Perth-based think tank Climate Analytics warned that failure to do so threatened a global goal to limit warming."Plans for major new coal deployment in these regions alone could put the Paris Agreement objectives out of reach ... given that countries in South and Southeast Asia account for half of the world's planned coal power expansion," report author Paola Yanguas Parra said in a statement.The 2015 Paris accord set a goal to limit average global temperature rise to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6°F) above pre-industrial times, and to "pursue efforts" for 1.5°C.The study said investing in renewables, like solar and wind, would mitigate the effects of climate change such as droughts and crop failure, boost economic … [Read more...] about Southern Asia urged to wind down coal to keep warming in check
Why are Chinese workers so unpopular in Southeast Asia?
Their early days there were rough. They had no language skills in either Tagalog or English, and Xu says the authorities frequently shut down businesses in Chinatown, partly because many were evading taxes. He found himself in a police station on more than one occasion. "I would get in there and everyone arrested would be Chinese. I was scared. I was so young at the time," he says. Now the owner of a range of businesses offering services from rice imports to printing, Xu believes Chinese immigrants must adjust and integrate into the local culture, which he says includes small but significant idiosyncrasies such as the tendency for Filipinos to dislike Chinese bosses disciplining staff in front of other workers. He does not see a great deal of anti-Chinese sentiment outside of a small group of Filipinos he believes are seeking to incite hatred. Fellow immigrant Ken Hong, 43 and also from Fujian, has done almost every job imaginable since he arrived in Manila nine years ago. He went … [Read more...] about Why are Chinese workers so unpopular in Southeast Asia?