Conversations on Vietnam Development
Sông Mekong chảy vào Việt Nam đang bị nhiễm độc. Sông nhiễm độc ngay từ đầu nguồn ở Myanmar, vì khai thác đất hiếm.
Đất hiếm là thành phần thiết yếu để sản xuất các sản phẩm công nghệ cao như xe điện, điện thoại, tuabin gió… Vì nhu cầu xe điện, điện thoại, tuabin gió… tăng cao, nhu cầu khai thác đất hiếm tăng cao. Tiếp tục đọc “Có ai biết sông Mekong chảy vào Việt Nam đang nhiễm độc?”
CNA Insider – 15-5-2026
In late 2025, images of deformed fish caught in Thailand’s rivers made headlines around the world. The strange lesions on the fish have been linked to rare earth mines upstream.
Driven by soaring global demand for rare earths, mining operations in Myanmar are sending toxic metals into tributaries of the Mekong River, contaminating waterways that millions depend on. War-torn Myanmar, where regulatory oversight is weak, has created the conditions for such mines to proliferate — unchecked and unregulated.
Tiếp tục đọc “Is your food safe? Inside Thailand’s toxic river crisis”
NBR.org September 17, 2025
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) faces a mounting challenge from transnational organized crime along its southern periphery. Myanmar has become the world’s most criminalized state, particularly after the 2021 military coup, providing a safe haven for illicit economies ranging from drug, human, and arms trafficking to illegal mining, cybercrime, and financial crimes.1 Other Mekong countries have also emerged as criminal hotspots, with Cambodia hosting around 100,000 trafficked victims in scam centers, according to a UN estimate.2 Sustained by corruption, weak governance, and entrenched Chinese criminal networks, these activities have disproportionately targeted Chinese nationals and thus have been framed as a matter of national security by the party-state.
In response, the PRC Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and other security agencies have intensified law-enforcement efforts in the Mekong region, designated as a “pilot zone” (实验区) for the Global Security Initiative (全球安全倡议). Chinese authorities have increased pressure on their neighbors and multiplied joint operations, resulting in the arrest and deportation of over 55,000 individuals from scam centers in northern Myanmar between August 2023 and April 2025.3 At the same time, Beijing has sought to pursue subregional security mechanisms under its leadership. These include coordinated Mekong river patrols with Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, which were launched in 2011, and the Lancang-Mekong Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center (LM-LECC), a spin-off intergovernmental body established in Yunnan in 2017 within the broader Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework.
Tiếp tục đọc “Policing Beyond Borders: China’s Law-Enforcement Expansion in the Mekong Region”
CNBC.com Published Sun, Feb 1 2026
Key Points
Amber Casino and former scam center, owned by Chen Zhi, a Chinese businessman who was deported to China, is seen in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Jan. 18, 2026.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Chinese-language money laundering networks funneled an estimated $16.1 billion in illicit funds through cryptocurrency transactions in 2025, according to a report released Tuesday by blockchain data analysis firm Chainalysis.
These networks, known as CLMNs, accounted for roughly one-fifth of the illicit cryptocurrency ecosystem in 2025, which Chainalysis valued at over $82 billion.
The criminal networks primarily operate through various channels and chat groups on the messaging platform Telegram, where launderers advertise their services to prospective customers. These postings often include pictures showing heaps of cash and public testimonials as proof of liquidity and service quality, according to the report.
These Telegram-based channels, known as “guarantee” platforms, function as marketing hubs or informal escrow services that connect vendors with prospective clients. While the platforms do not control the underlying transactions, Chainalysis said they are the main conduits through which illicit deals are arranged.
Vientiane, Lao PDR, 6 November 2025 – The Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the Government of Australia have reinforced their long-standing partnership through additional Australian support and the use of new digital innovations to enhance water monitoring and management in the Mekong region.
At a ceremony held today at the MRC Secretariat in Vientiane, Australia formalised an additional USD 1.71 million to support the MRC’s Environment and River Profile Survey, a key program that helps the MRC to enhance monitoring of river conditions, improve forecast changes, and better assess the health of the basin. This ensures the MRC can continue gathering and analysing data effectively that inform decisions on the river’s management and protection.
Australia’s support for the Environment and River Profile Survey builds on its core support to the MRC under the Mekong-Australia Partnership, which seeks to strengthen water security, economic resilience and sustainable growth in the sub-region. “Australia is proud to support this project as it will benefit the MRC, its member countries, and the river’s communities, economy, and environment” said H.E. Ms Megan Jones, Australian Ambassador to Lao PDR.
Joining the event was His Excellency Dr Linkham Douangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Lao PDR. Together with the MRC and Australia, he witnessed the formal launch of a new “Digital Twin” platform, a real-time modelling tool that integrates hydrological, meteorological and spatial data to help visualise how changes in rainfall, flow or land-use could affect communities and ecosystems.
“With this Digital Twin platform, we are giving our communities and partners a window into the river’s future,” said Dr Douangsavanh. “When we see what may come, we can plan better, respond faster and protect the peoples and their livelihoods and nature that depend so much on the Mekong.”
“Today we harness new digital capabilities and advanced capabilities so that we can ensure shared benefits for the sustainable development of the Mekong River Basin. The MRC is grateful for this timely support from Australia that has allowed this to happen,” said H.E. Ms Busadee Santipitaks, Chief Executive Officer of the MRC Secretariat.
About the Mekong River Commission
The MRC is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1995 to boost regional dialogue and cooperation in the Lower Mekong River Basin. Based on the Mekong Agreement among Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam, the MRC serves as both a regional platform for water diplomacy and a knowledge hub – to manage water resources and support sustainable development of the region.
vietnamfinance.com – 21/02/2025 08:30 (GMT+7)
(VNF) – Trong những năm gần đây, các hoạt động lừa đảo xuyên biên giới tại khu vực Đông Nam Á đã gia tăng mạnh mẽ, đặc biệt là những tổ chức lừa đảo có sự tham gia của các nhóm tội phạm Trung Quốc. Những tổ chức này không chỉ gây thiệt hại tài chính mà còn ảnh hưởng nghiêm trọng đến an ninh và trật tự xã hội của các quốc gia trong khu vực.
Các chiến dịch quốc tế nhằm đối phó với tình trạng này, bao gồm việc hồi hương hàng chục nghìn tội phạm lừa đảo về Trung Quốc, đã cho thấy sự tham gia của tội phạm nước này trong các vụ lừa đảo tại Đông Nam Á là rất lớn.
Theo một báo cáo mới đây của Trung tâm nghiên cứu chiến lược và quốc tế (CSIS, Mỹ), những hang ổ lừa đảo cắm rễ sau sự xuống dốc của lĩnh vực kinh doanh cờ bạc tại Đông Nam Á và gắn liền với các băng nhóm tội phạm người Trung Quốc.
Sau phong tỏa trong đại dịch Covid-19, nhiều khu casino và khách sạn bỏ trống đã biến thành các trung tâm lừa đảo qua mạng, nơi các nạn nhân buôn người bị chúng dụ dỗ và cưỡng ép đã lừa hàng tỷ USD từ nhiều người.
There is a human trafficking crisis in Southeast Asia. The UN estimates that 120,000 people have been trafficked to scam centres in Myanmar and another 100,000 in Cambodia. Many of them are brought through the border with Thailand. The victims are often forced to work as scammers, defrauding billions of dollars from unsuspecting targets across the world. These scam syndicates have been linked to the Chinese mafia as well as local rebels in Myanmar.
How do these scam centres operate? Who are the trafficking victims and how did they end up in this predicament? How is Thailand’s economy suffering from these trafficking networks, and what is being done to stamp them out? Insight investigates.
00:00 Introduction
01:22 Chinese victim in Myanmar’s scam factory
03:34 Why Southeast Asia is breeding ground for scams
06:23 High-profile kidnap of Chinese actor
07:52 Why war-torn Myanmar attracts scam kingpins
13:26 Changing demographic of trafficked victims 15:23 What happens inside scam centres
23:47 The voluntary scammers
25:21 How scams work
29:34 Romance gone wrong
34:49 China’s role in scam crackdown
37:21 What’s Thailand doing to fight scammers
Toxic runoff from unregulated mines in Myanmar has sparked health and environmental concerns, across the border in Thailand.
Thai authorities have detected levels of arsenic nearly five times above acceptable limits. Meanwhile, local fishermen and residents are complaining of falling incomes and expressing food safety concerns.
Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng reports from Bangkok, Thailand.
Tiếp tục đọc “Toxic runoff from Myanmar gold mines contaminates Thai rivers”
theconversation.com Published: March 12, 2025 5.03pm GMT
Myanmar has struggled with civil war, military rule and widespread poverty for much of the past seven decades. But the country’s youth have never faced threats to their survival and future as severe as today.
The military coup of February 2021 shattered the hopes of many young people in Myanmar who had envisioned a better and more stable future under their democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
As brutal crackdowns on peaceful protests unfolded, thousands of young people fled to the jungles to take up arms. Hundreds of thousands more joined the civil disobedience movement, abandoning their studies to protest military rule through demonstrations and strikes.
Myanmar’s armed opposition has made significant gains over the past year, seizing vast territories from the military – though the latter still controls major cities like Naypyidaw, Yangon, and Mandalay.
Amid the surging violence, young people in Myanmar are finding themselves even more deprived of opportunities and increasingly forced into submission.
In February 2024, Myanmar’s junta declared mandatory military service for men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27. Those who do not comply face up to five years in prison.
Tiếp tục đọc “Myanmar’s military rule is crippling hope for young people like never before”
MEDIA NOTE
US Department of State – OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
MARCH 26, 2022
Following is a joint statement on Armed Forces Day in Myanmar issued by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union and the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Begin text:
On Armed Forces Day, we remember those killed and displaced by violence over the last year, including at least 100 people killed on this day alone one year ago.
Some countries continue to supply lethal assistance to Myanmar’s military regime, enabling its violence and repression. We urge all countries to support the people of Myanmar by immediately stopping the sale or transfer of arms, military equipment, materiel, dual-use equipment, and technical assistance to Myanmar, in line with UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/75/287. We reiterate our call on the military to cease its violence and restore Myanmar’s path to democracy.
End text.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, speaks at the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting held in the State Guest House in Tokyo’s Moto-Akasaka district on Oct. 9. (Pool)
Five Southeast Asian leaders joined Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the State Guest House in Tokyo on Oct. 9 to adopt an agreement to strengthen ties between their nations and Japan.
The agreement, titled “Tokyo Strategy 2018,” was adopted by Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Japan, at the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting.
The document positions relations between Japan and the Mekong River region as a “strategic partnership,” and it describes “strengthening connectivity,” “raising human resources” and “environmental protection” as its pillars, with the aim of developing high-quality infrastructure. Tiếp tục đọc “Mekong-Japan partnership strategy agreed at Tokyo summit”
By 2030, more than 40% of the population in the Greater Mekong Subregion will be living in cities. Photo: ADB.
greatermekong – The subregion is one of the least urbanized areas in the world, but its cities are growing and their economic impact is being felt.
Urbanization levels in the Greater Mekong Subregion are low, ranging from 19.5% in Cambodia to 44.2% in Thailand. However, in all GMS countries, urban areas account for a much larger percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP)—at least half in most countries and about 75% in Thailand—than the share of its national populations.
Urbanization growth rates in the subregion range from 4.9% annually in Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China (PRC) —six times the provincial population growth rate—to a low of 2.6% annually in Myanmar—1.7 times the national population growth rate. Tiếp tục đọc “The Greater Mekong Subregion: Rural no more”
VNN – Last update 14:39 | 14/03/2018
The Greater Mekong, including Vietnam, is expected to have a colossal US$66 billion poured in to strengthen regional economic co-operation in the next five years, said an Asian Development Bank (ADB) official on Tuesday.
Director of ADB’s division of regional co-operation and operations coordination in Southeast Asia Alfredo Perdiguero.
The money was upped by $2 billion compared to what ministers of the six Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries – Myanmar, Laos, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Thailand and China – agreed to in the action plan framework for 2018-2022 late last year. Tiếp tục đọc “$66b invested in Greater Mekong Sub-region: ADB official”
greatermekong – Economic corridors are areas, usually along major roadways, that host a variety of economic and social activities. This includes factories, tourism, trade, environmental protection activities and other aspects of the economy and social development of an area.
An economic corridor is much more complex than a mere road connecting two cities. It involves not only the development of infrastructure but also the crafting of laws and regulations that make it easier to do business, access markets, and conduct other activities that support trade and development in a comprehensive manner.
Tiếp tục đọc “Economic Corridors in the Greater Mekong Subregion”
(Chinhphu.vn) – Bản ghi nhớ “Thu hoạch sớm” được các nước Tiểu vùng Mekong mở rộng (Việt Nam, Campuchia, Trung Quốc, Lào, Thái Lan và Myanmar) cho phép triển khai có hiệu quả Giấy phép vận tải đường bộ GMS và Sổ theo dõi tạm nhập cho xe thương mại.
Các nước thành viên GMS ký Bản ghi nhớ thực hiện “Thu hoạch sớm” Hiệp định GMS. Ảnh: VGP/Phan Trang
Hội nghị Ủy ban Hỗn hợp lần thứ 6 thực hiện Hiệp định Tạo thuận lợi vận chuyển người và hàng hóa qua lại biên giới 6 nước Tiểu vùng Mekong mở rộng (Hiệp định GMS-CBTA) cấp Bộ trưởng diễn ra chiều qua (15/3) đã thông qua và ký kết Bản ghi nhớ thực hiện “Thu hoạch sớm” và chính thức thực hiện từ tháng 6/2018. Tiếp tục đọc “Mở rộng vận tải xuyên biên giới Tiểu vùng sông Mekong”
CVD 
