Washington, DC -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/08/2016 -- While Thailand already has a shaky reputation when it comes to sex trafficking, recent accusations of far-reaching human rights violations could affect a great number of Thai citizens after the claims have spilled over into the shrimping industry. Meanwhile, the country faces future political concerns as the economy slows in the Northeast and worried citizens turn to the oppositional Red Shirts to solve their woes. This month, Borderless News Online, a news source uniquely covering politics, human rights, and economics in Southeast Asia, has published several articles focusing on these situations in Thailand, as well as provided a glimpse into Vietnam's startup culture, rounding out its coverage of the area's current economic climate.
In an article exploring recent bids to ban Thai shrimp and other seafood in both the U.S. and Europe until worker conditions improve, Zhixing Zhang, a new contributor to Borderless and formerly writing for Stratfor Global Intelligence, examines how this threat could impact the shrimping business. While Thailand is the world's largest shrimp supplier, writes Zhang, the U.S. accounts for over 40% of its exports – meaning a boycott of Thai shrimp could be catastrophic to the industry. The article details why, though bans are unlikely in the near future, human trafficking in the shrimp industry will "likely be a topic during next hearings of House's subcommittee on global human rights," according to Jeff Sagnip, communications coordinator for the Chairman of the U.S. subcommittee on human rights.
In its coverage of Southeast Asian politics, meanwhile, Borderless News Online also examines anxiety in Isaan, a Northeastern province of Thailand that comprises over 1/3 of the population and currently suffers a slowing economy, giving cause for concern that the country's ruling junta will be unable to rectify the situation.
Through an examination of the recent political climate in the country and historical trends in citizens' behavior, Borderless provides readers with an informed prediction of what may occur in the near future.
Finally, Borderless News Online moves their focus on the Southeast Asian economy to Vietnam, where it outlines, in an article discussing Vietnam's "startup scene," how government censorship and intervention could ultimately inhibit both innovation and investment in the country's new and promising online companies.
To read these articles in full or subscribe to Borderless News Online for timely updates and analyses of Southeast Asian current events, visit http://www.borderlessnewsonline.com.
About Borderless News Online
Borderless News Online was formed by international journalist Matt Rusling in response to a lack of news sources that specifically report on Southeast Asian events and issues, and is designed to provide businesses, governments, corporations and individuals with analyses of news relevant to their relationship to the Southeast Asian region. Rusling, a graduate of Northwestern School of Journalism and contributor to the New York Times, NPR, BBC Radio, USA Today and others, has reported from Japan, Thailand, Korea, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Cuba and Washington DC. He has gone undercover in Thailand to investigate human trafficking; has interviewed top Asian CEOs and Asian political and religious leaders.