Months before Myanmar’s shadow government declared war on the military, an American gun enthusiast taught activists to build crude bombs that could kill soldiers and civilians alike. Amid a global charm campaign, opposition leader Dr. Sasa praised their efforts.
Tag: Investigation
What Happened to Wanchalearm?
A year after Wanchalearm Satsaksit vanished, authorities say there is no proof he was abducted in Phnom Penh. A joint investigation reveals details of the Thai dissident’s escape from Thailand, life in exile in Cambodia and the last days before he disappeared.
In Myanmar, Offshore Gas Workers Weigh Strikes to Cut Junta Funds
Offshore gas workers in Myanmar say they want to join the anti-coup Civil Disobedience Movement and cut off one of the military’s main sources of revenue. But they fear going on strike will draw reprisals from management, or even the military.
On Patrol, a Mekong Village Tackles Electric Fishing Scourge
Volunteer community patrollers along the Mekong in Cambodia aim to stop a rise in illegal electric fishing, which harms river ecosystems and livelihoods that rely on protected fisheries. But the sale of outlawed gear allows the dangerous practice to continue.
A Mass Trial in Cambodia Points to Far-Flung Anti-Opposition Efforts
A general contractor in Texas who has never set foot in Cambodia is among more than a dozen foreign citizens called up to a mass trial of the banned main opposition party. Their experiences suggest Thai authorities supplied a Cambodian court with their names.
The Sustainability “Entrepreneur” and the Lawsuits
Nigel Grier has sold himself as a businessman with a plan: a financial and environmentally-friendly return on your investment. But those who invested in his eco-projects in Myanmar and Indonesia say they received neither.
A Surrogate Family and the Law That Criminalised Them
Cambodia banned commercial surrogacy in 2016, but the future of the practice and people involved is unclear. Since then, about 100 surrogate mothers have been ordered by courts to raise the children they carried for others—a costly but happy result for one.
The Silence of Myanmar’s Whistle-Blower Cop
Former police captain Moe Yan Naing has been showered with awards for exposing a police plot to entrap two journalists who uncovered a military massacre of Rohingya. The awards have shielded him from questions about his own potential involvement in the killings.
When the Myanmar Military Almost Decriminalised Drug Use
Myanmar’s carceral approach to drug control is typical of Southeast Asia. But there was a moment in time when things could have been different.
Cambodia’s Brick Factory Families, Still “Left Behind”
Cambodia’s brick factories are supplying the nation’s construction boom. But despite documented abuses, the industry continues to rely on the labour of disposable workers—including children—their indebtedness and scant government oversight.