
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — It took only a second for the murky floodwaters swamping parts of Asia to swallow Nguyen Phuoc Hien’s baby. His 3-year-old daughter had been playing happily while her aunt studied, but somehow, the girl slipped quietly outside the family home deep in Vietnam’s southern Mekong Delta.
When Hien’s [...]

The United Nations on Thursday “strongly urged” the Cambodian government not to meddle in the work of a UN-backed Khmer Rouge court after a judge quit citing political opposition to two new cases.
“The Legal Counsel strongly urged the royal government of Cambodia to refrain from statements opposing the progress of cases 003 and 004 [...]

The only female Khmer Rouge leader charged with genocide at Cambodia’s UN-backed war crimes court has dementia and should not have to go on trial, her lawyer said Thursday.
“Ieng Thirith is unfit to stand trial and the proceedings against her should be discontinued,” said Diana Ellis after medical experts told the court [...]

Cambodian, Vietnamese authorities set to appeal
A Thai provincial court has sentenced a Thai, a Cambodian and a Vietnamese to two years in jail for espionage along the Thai-Cambodian border in June.
The court in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province yesterday announced the sentences of Suchart Muhammad, a 32-year-old Thai, Cambodian citizen Ung Kimtai, 43, [...]

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has asked the Foreign Ministry to investigate alleged secret talks about oil and gas interests in an overlapping marine area with Cambodia during the tenure of the Democrat-led government.
Ms Yingluck wants the ministry to look into talks involving Suthep Thaugsuban, deputy prime minister in the last government, said government spokeswoman Thitima [...]

Former PM may discuss oil, gas with Cambodia
Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has cautioned the Yingluck Shinawatra government to tread carefully in dealing with fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and to put the national interest before the interest of a single person.
As it moves into office, the Pheu Thai-led government has been criticised for pandering [...]

Cheaper neighbours’ supplies may be tapped
Thai rice exporters are already looking for alternative supplies from Vietnam and Cambodia in case the new government makes the price too dear for export, which could halve volume to only 5 million tonnes next year for a revenue loss of 60-70 billion baht.
The Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) has [...]

BALI, Indonesia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised Laos as taking a “forward-leaning position” after the tiny, land-locked nation said it had no immediate plans to resume work on a dam across the Mekong River.
The project Laos was considering would be the first dam across the river as [...]

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – It was supposed to be a model for international justice and national reconciliation: a U.N.-backed tribunal to hold trials on one of the 20th century’s grimmest chapters — the Khmer Rouge’s murderous 1970s regime in Cambodia.
Eight years after its creation, however, the multinational panel is riven by suspicion, infighting and angry [...]

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Cambodia’s leader accused Thailand on Wednesday of loving war and said he wants to talk peace with his Thai counterpart at an upcoming regional meeting.
In his first comments since border fighting began last Friday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said he welcomes talks with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit [...]