Thailand is recalling its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelling Cambodia’s envoy as an investigation into landmine explosions ratcheted up a long-running border dispute. The Thai Foreign Ministry downgraded its diplomatic relations with Cambodia and lodged a formal protest after an investigation by the Thai military allegedly found evidence that Cambodia had laid new landmines in a disputed border area, Phumtham Vejjayachai, the acting prime minister, said in a statement on Wednesday. The government has also ordered the closure of all border checkpoints under the jurisdiction of Thailand’s Second Army,…
Category: RFA
China begins building mega-dam in Tibet
China has started to build a massive dam on Tibet’s longest river, a move approved by the central government in December despite concerns by India, Bangladesh and Tibetan rights groups about its impacts on residents and the environment. The structure is expected to cost more than 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion). Once completed, it would be the world’s largest hydropower dam, generating 300 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually, about three times the power of China’s Three Gorges Dam, Xinhua, a state-run news agency, reported last year. Operations are expected to…
Cambodia targets workers in crackdown on scam centers
Cambodia’s government on Friday said that at least 2,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown ordered this week by prime minister Hun Manet on scam centers — prison-like compounds that aid groups say run on the work of human trafficking victims. Images and videos released by state-controlled media showed people running from alleged scam-center sites, Cambodian troops inspecting seized electronic equipment and groups of detainees in plastic wrist ties. Officials said detained workers included Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Indian nationals. cambodia-scam-center This July 17, 2025, image distributed by Cambodian…
Taiwan holds annual live-fire, air raid drills that simulate Chinese attack
Air-raid sirens blared in Taipei and other cities in northern Taiwan on Thursday, part of annual drills testing the country’s response to a potential invasion by China. Video: Air raid sirens wail as Taiwan simulates Chinese missile attackPolice stopped personal vehicles and public buses and directed pedestrians into shelters, such as basements and subway stations. Some shops and restaurants pulled down shutters and turned off lights, moves aimed to reduce their visibility during a potential nighttime attack. The drills also involved simulating wartime aid distribution and a mass-casualty event. Earlier…
Innovative Chinese dissident uses cryptocurrency to fund his activism
To skeptics, a meme coin is a fast way to make a cheap buck. For exiled activist Li Ying, it’s been a way to bankroll a pro-democracy community that’s challenging Chinese censorship and authoritarian rule. Li, 32, is better known by his handle on the social media platform X: “Teacher Li is not your teacher.” He’s built a following of more than 2 million by posting news that Chinese authorities don’t want people to see. Last December, he branched out to launch $Li, a form of cryptocurrency modeled after his…
Cambodia to begin conscripting civilians amid border row with Thailand
Cambodia will begin conscripting civilians into its military beginning next year, Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Monday, amid simmering tensions along its border with Thailand. Hostilities between the neighbors spiked in recent weeks after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a shooting incident on May 28 along a contested border area. Since then, some border areas have seen closures, Cambodia has petitioned the International Court of Justice and banned some Thai imports, and Thailand has suspended its prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, amid negative reaction to a leaked phone call…
Vietnam to ban gas-powered motorbikes in central Hanoi next year
Vietnam will ban fossil-fuel-powered motorcycles and mopeds in the heart of Hanoi starting in July 2026 in an effort to reduce air pollution, state media reported on Monday, curbing the main mode of transport for many of the city’s 8 million residents. Issued by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the directive applies to the area within the main ring road around central Hanoi, home to much of the city’s business activity. The city has nearly 7 million motorbikes and a million cars. vietnam-motorcycle-ban A man transports orchids on his motorcycle…
Video: U.S. Secretary of State Rubio meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang at ASEAN
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that he had “positive and constructive” talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, amid tensions over tariffs and trade. Rubio was in Malaysia on his first Asia trip since taking office, looking to stress U.S. commitment to the region at the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum, as countries received notices of U.S. tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump this week. Video: Rubio meets Wang at sidelines of ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.At a Thursday photo-op before the start…
Constitutional amendment allows Cambodian government to revoke citizenship
Cambodian lawmakers on Friday voted unanimously to pass a constitutional amendment that would allow the government to create legislation that would revoke the citizenship of Cambodians found guilty of conspiring with foreign nations to harm the national interest. The change would apply to people who were born Cambodian citizens, people with dual citizenship in Cambodia and another country, and people from other nations who have been granted Cambodian citizenship. All 125 members of the National Assembly voted for the resolution, which legally amends Article 33 of the Cambodian constitution. The…
PERSPECTIVE: Why Vietnam’s To Lam moved so quickly to restructure the government
Read about this topic in Vietnamese In less than a year as general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam has made moves likened to the drastic cuts that U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have implemented to U.S. federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). To Lam has merged ministries and central government agencies, reduced the number of provinces and cities by half, and dismantled district-level administrative units. Why did To Lam move so fast with reforms, and what are the political, social, and…