Vietnam has announced its
candidacy to join the UN Human Rights Council, basing its case mostly on the country’s
successful containment of COVID-19. However, when it comes to Vietnam’s own human rights
record, the government has done everything to curtail people’s fundamental
civil and political rights.
Vietnam has announced its bid to join the
UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the body’s 2023-2025 term.
The country’s foreign minister, Pham
Binh Minh, justified the application by saying that people’s freedom can only be
safeguarded if a country defends itself against pandemics like that of COVID-19.
ASEAN has called for dialogue between the military and civilians in Myanmar following last month’s coup. However, the grouping has not shown any willingness to hold the military accountable through sanctions, either as a bloc or by joining the international community’s efforts.
In February, the Cambodian government suspended a planned joint military exercise with China, citing the need to cut
spending in order to allocate more resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the government’s explanation is less than convincing and likely has more to do with the country’s foreign policy, particularly its broken relationship with the United States.
Hun Sen may be using the decision to test the waters with the new administration in the US to see how President Joe Biden’s government views the development and if closer relations are possible.
If this is the case, then Cambodia will have
As
the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Malaysia, mental health issues are taking a growing toll across the
country.
Like
in much of the world, social isolation, economic insecurity and the loss of
loved ones have become major drivers of anxiety, depression, stress and other
challenges.
But
in Malaysia, mental health problems were already on the rise. Government
statistics show rates of mental health issues have tripled over the past two
decades and the economic impact on the country is expected to surge to US$6
trillion by 2030. According to the 2019 National Health and Morbidity survey, roughly half a million people in
Water levels on the Mekong River are declining sharply: Who is to blame? aseantoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from aseantoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.