The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Blood Copper – Investigating Abuses in a Massive Mining Project in Myanmar  ‍

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Film screening and panel discussion, Monday, 15 June, 7pm

The documentary film Blood Copper reveals collusion between the Myanmar military regime and a Chinese state-owned company operating the Letpadaung mine, a huge copper mining complex in Sagaing, central Myanmar. The Letpaduang project, which was pushed through in the face of widespread public protest by local communities who lost their land and are impacted by pollution from the mine, currently brings in millions of dollars to military regime coffers every month.

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis shows how Myanmar’s military forces based at the mine have conducted widespread attacks on surrounding villages, pushing people out and enabling the mining area to expand. Investigators gathered video and photographic evidence in the area at great risk and explain what it shows. Their hope is the evidence will help hold the military and mine operators accountable in the future for the abuses they have committed.  

Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) produced the 25-minute film, working in collaboration with Myanmar Witness.

Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion with:

Jason Tower, Senior Expert, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.

Debbie Stothard, founder and coordinator, Altsean-Burma.

Jude Foster, director, Blood Copper.

Zin Koko, OSINT analyst, Myanmar Witness.

Moderated by Elaine Kurtenbach, FCCT board member.

‍Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.

Members free, non-members 150 baht; students and local media with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

Shared Futures: Australia's Commitment to Refugee Protection in the Asia-Pacific

Panel discussion, Thursday, 18 June, 3pm

On World Refugee Day this year, Settlement Services International (SSI), the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) and Amnesty International Australia will bring together refugee leaders, civil society organisations, governments, policymakers and regional stakeholders to reflect on Australia's role in advancing refugee rights and protection across the Asia-Pacific.

This event marks several significant milestones: One million refugees resettled in Australia, plus 50 years of resettlement from Thailand, and a decade of partnership between SSI and APRRN. It will also recognise Thailand's leadership in expanding work rights and pathways for refugee inclusion and self-reliance, and elevate refugee-led perspectives on protection and community participation across the region.

Speakers at the FCCT clubhouse:‍

Violet Roumeliois, chief executive officer, SSI;‍

Hafsar Tameesuddin, co-secretary general, APRRN;‍

Zaki Hairdari, strategic campaigner, Amnesty International; ‍

Felicity Flook, from the Australian Embassy in Thailand;‍

Karen Whiting, head of protection, UNHCR Asia Pacific bureau;‍

Khair Ullah, chair, South Asia Working Group, APRRN steering committee.

Moderator: Klaus Dik Nielsen, co-secretary general, APRRN.

To attend online, please register at: https://events.humanitix.com/shared-futures-australia-s-commitment-to-refugee-protection-in-the-asia-pacific

Free and open to all.

Reporting Iran: Covering a Regional Crisis With Global Consequences‍

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Wednesday, 24 June, 7pm

A man stands amid ruined buildings in southern Beirut after Israeli strikes, March 12, 2026 (AFP via Getty images).

As the world watches the latest developments involving Iran, uncertainty continues to surround the future of the region. The current tensions have raised profound questions about Iran’s position in the Middle East, the future of its regional and global alliances, and the implications for trade and energy flows, particularly through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

For journalists, however, the story is also about access, risk, verification and reporting under pressure. Iran remains one of the most challenging countries in the world to cover, requiring reporters to navigate political sensitivities, security restrictions, competing narratives and the complexities of reporting from a tightly controlled environment.

Join three journalists with firsthand experience reporting from Iran and the wider region for a discussion on what it takes to cover one of the world’s most consequential and complex stories.

Karishma Vyas, Asia editor, ABC Australia, recently reported from Iran during the current crisis.

Tony Cheng, Al Jazeera Southeast Asia correspondent, recently reported from Lebanon and Jordan, covering the broader regional fallout of the conflict.

Nik Mallard, BBC video journalist and producer, has covered conflicts across the Middle East for many years, including reporting assignments in Iran.

Moderated by Anneliese McAuliffe, FCCT board member, who has worked in Iran on multiple reporting assignments and covered the wider Middle East.

Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.

Members free, non-members 450 baht; students and local media with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

UNDP hosts a Regional Media Salon, with a theme of “Behind the Algorithm: Technology, Rights & Environment in ASEAN”‍

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Thursday, 25 June, 2026 (4pm to 7pm)

On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), we are delighted to invited you to join us as a participant at our upcoming in-person Regional Media Salon with the theme of ‘Behind the Algorithm: Technology, Rights & Environment in ASEAN’. This salon is hosted by the UNDP-EU joint action ‘Agents of Change: Youth and Media for Responsible Business Practices’, with support from Earth Journalism Network (EJN).

Who will attend:

Designed as an invite-only curated discussion, the session will convene 25-30 participants in-person, from a cross-section of stakeholder groups in the emerging tech and the Business, Human Rights and Environment space. For example, bureau chiefs, editors, foreign correspondents, investigative, business and technology journalists and key representatives from the private sector, multilateral, civil society and youth-led initiatives.

Salon theme: Behind the Algorithm: Technology, Rights & Environment in ASEAN

Behind every AI query lies a physical pipeline: energy-hungry data centres, transoceanic cables and vast subcontracted labour networks. While the emerging technology revolution promised a “green and frictionless” future, the reality is an opaque supply chain that has a visceral impact on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for communities across ASEAN. Southeast Asia acts as the central material anchor for this emerging technology boom, commanding 85% of global electronic chip and semiconductor exports while dominating the refining of AI-critical hardware components – including 99% of global gallium and 85% of silicon. The urgency of this story is underscored by the immense economic transformation unfolding across the region, with the historic discussions on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which is slated to be the first region-wide dedicated digital economy pact.

Why should you attend?

For investigative journalists, the critical narrative lies at the intersection of tech policy, climate justice and corporate legal accountability. While frameworks like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) provide a blueprint for corporate due diligence, the gap between sustainability commitments and the on-the-ground realities remain a key investigative beat. This salon will therefore serve as a strategic newsroom briefing focused on three core outcomes:

Toolkits on deconstructing corporate due diligence: Equipping journalists with the investigative toolkits needed to analyze corporate behaviour against the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and emerging policies such as ASEAN’s DEFA and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

Investigating access to remedy: Identifying systemic barriers facing local populations affected by tech-related environmental and human rights impacts and documenting the journey toward corporate accountability.

Advancing cross-border collaboration: Connecting reporters with regional experts, peers, and civil society actors to foster investigative networks that can track intersectional risks across tech supply chains.

Speakers to be confirmed shortly.

Food and beverage will be arranged for the networking reception for people who attend the event by registering for the session (before June 21). Entry is only via invite & registration. As spots are limited, we request you to confirm your interest via this form as soon as possible. If registration is full by the time you confirm, we will add your name to our waitlist and ensure we contact you in case a spot opens.

Link to register: https://forms.office.com/e/D146P5X6ih

The event will be livestreamed at this link.

Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Co-working at the FCCT

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Tuesday, 16 June, 10am

Need a change of scenery from your home office? Join us for a coworking day at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) -- a perfect space for working professionals, digital nomads and anyone looking to break free from the home-office routine.Enjoy a spacious, comfortable workspace with dedicated tables, a full restaurant, café and bar and exclusive lunch specials just for this event.Whether you're tackling deadlines or networking with like-minded professionals, this is an opportunity to be productive in a collaborative, social environment. Come work, connect, and enjoy great food because working remotely doesn’t have to mean working alone.

Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Board games night

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Tuesday, 16 June, 7pm

Join us for a chilled night of board games with The Boring Club. Try your luck with classics like chess and backgammon or modern games including Catan and Pandemic.The bar and restaurant will be open. Try our pizzas from the new pizza oven. The Boring Club meets at the FCCT clubhouse for games every Tuesday at 7pm.

Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

"As a foreign correspondent, you're
an observer"
Jonathan Head

‍
Dateline Bangkok podcast

Watch the full video at this link.

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