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.
Tag: Mekong Chao Phraya
“We Have to Hide Our Face”: Cambodia’s Eco-Activists Go Undercover
Environmental advocacy group Mother Nature Cambodia is known for their confrontational videos, with activists exposing crimes against nature. But with three members jailed, and others facing harassment, the group has decided to conceal their identities.
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.
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.
“Let It End in Our Generation”: How the Thailand Protests Came to Be
Thailand has seen massive pro-democracy demonstrations this year calling for constitutional reform. Thai news site, Prachatai, unpacks what is behind the protests, what is happening now and what the future may hold for Thailand.
While School’s Out in Cambodia, Students Help Each Other Learn
Due to COVID-19 concerns, most schools in Cambodia were closed in March, risking long-term setbacks to students’ education. But some entrepreneurial youth took action by organising informal classes and community libraries.
Can Cambodia Eradicate the World’s Most Fatal Disease?
Each year, hundreds of people in Cambodia are estimated to die of rabies, which is treatable but fatal once symptoms present. Animal welfare and health experts say vaccinating the nation’s dogs and controlling the dog meat trade could help prevent deaths.
The Rat Catchers of Takeo
During the rainy season, rising waters in the rice fields surrounding Cambodia’s Koh Andet district provide an ample supply of rodents. As the global economic downturn leaves many jobless, some are turning to catching and exporting rats to make ends meet.
Medical Waste Collectors: Cambodia’s Unseen Front-Line Workers
On the front lines of Cambodia’s fight against COVID-19, the five-man team responsible for disposing of all of Phnom Penh’s medical waste says they are poorly equipped, uninsured and at risk of infection, but few recognise the challenges they face.
No Progress or Answers on Enforced Disappearances in Thailand
The remains of a land rights activist who went missing in 2014 has brought up the issue of torture and enforced disappearances in Thailand. But civil society groups fear little action is being taken on a bill that would recognise enforced disappearance as a criminal offence.