Regional news from Southeast Asia in English — ASEAN politics, economy and diplomacy, covered by Thai PBS World.
ASEAN and China are reported to have made substantial progress in the 5th round of the ASEAN-China free trade agreement (ACFTA) upgrade negotiations held between January 29th and February 2nd n Hangzhou in China’s Zhejiang province. Ratchawit Piyapramote, deputy director-general of Thailand’s International Trade Negotiations Department and chair of the ASEAN team, said that the
Thailand’s plan to send humanitarian assistance to displaced persons inside Myanmar should be followed by a more active role by the current Srettha government in helping find a peaceful solution to the conflict in the country, said chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs Noppadon Pattama. “It is a good starting point. In fact,
Indonesia holds its presidential election on Wednesday but candidates are looking to another country’s export to win votes — K-pop, the South Korean sensation that has swept much of the world. At an event held by young volunteers for candidate Anies Baswedan in the capital Jakarta, die-hard K-pop fans had photoshopped his face with sunglasses
Bangkok – Ousted Myanmar democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi is in “strong spirits”, her son told AFP Tuesday after receiving a letter from her — their first communication since she was detained in a coup three years ago. “She is in strong spirits as always,” Kim Aris said of the letter he received from his
Representatives of the Thai government and a major separatist group ended their first day of peace talks hosted by Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur with emphasis on how to create an atmosphere conducive to the peace process and ending violence in southern Thailand, according to the Thai chief delegate. Chatchai Bangchuad, who is also deputy secretary
Peace talks to end decades of armed conflict in the restive southernmost provinces of Thailand resumed after a year-long pause this morning in Kuala Lumpur, between a delegation from the Thai government and representatives of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) movement. The peace talks are being facilitated by General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin of Malaysia. This
Ninety-two Thai nationals, lured to work in casinos in the Myawaddy district of Kayin state in Myanmar and who were rescued by Myanmar authorities, are due to return to Thailand this Wednesday. The Thai embassy in Myanmar has asked the Royal Thai Police to coordinate with the township border committee in Mae Sot district of
KUALA LUMPUR – A Malaysian pardons board today said it has decided to halve the jail sentence of former prime minister Najib Razak, who was convicted of graft and money laundering related to the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. Najib, who is serving a 12-year jail term, had his sentence reduced to six years and will
Bangkok – Hundreds of protesters screamed and wept as they demonstrated against Myanmar’s junta in Thailand’s capital on Thursday, the third anniversary of an army coup that ended the country’s brief spell of democracy. Young and old gathered outside the United Nations headquarters in Bangkok, wearing T-shirts showing jailed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with white
Myanmar’s National Defence and Security Council agreed on Wednesday to extend a state of emergency by six months, the junta said, again delaying elections the military has promised to hold. “U Myint Swe, the acting president announced the extension of the state of emergency for another six months… as the situation is not normal and
Phnom Penh, Cambodia – A top Cambodian opposition leader on Tuesday appealed against his 27-year treason sentence for trying to topple former premier Hun Sen’s government, his lawyers said. A court in March last year found Kem Sokha, a co-founder of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), guilty of conspiring with foreign entities to overthrow
Myanmar’s junta sent a senior official to a gathering of ASEAN foreign ministers in Laos on Monday — the first time the diplomatically isolated country has attended a high-level meeting of the regional bloc in more than two years. The country has been ravaged by deadly violence since a 2021 military coup deposed Aung San
