Regional news from Southeast Asia in English — ASEAN politics, economy and diplomacy, covered by Thai PBS World.
On Friday, Thailand formally took over the rotating chairmanship from New Zealand of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) for 2022, with its theme “Open. Connect. Balance.” To symbolise the handover, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha a Maori waka (canoe) paddle. She stated that the theme of New Zealand’s 2021
(Reuters) – A court in military-ruled Myanmar on Friday jailed American journalist Danny Fenster for 11 years, his lawyer and his employer said, despite U.S. calls for his release from what it said was unjust detention. Fenster, 37, the managing editor of online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was found guilty of incitement and violations of immigration and unlawful associations laws, his
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Chinese President Xi Jinping will co-chair the special ASEAN-China summit, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their bilateral relations, on November 22nd. It will be their second summit within a month. At the recent ASEAN related summits in Bandar Seri Begawan, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang represented China at the summit and
Myanmar’s junta has charged a US journalist detained since May with sedition and terrorism, which carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, his lawyer said Wednesday. The military has squeezed the press since taking power in a February coup, arresting dozens of journalists critical of its crackdown on dissent that has killed over 1,200 people,
MANILA, Nov 9 (Reuters) – The daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday removed herself from the running for mayor of Davao City, just days away from a deadline to change candidates for a presidential election next year. Sara Duterte-Carpio, who has been widely tipped to run to succeed her father, did not say
The Thai cabinet today approved Thailand’s bid to join ASEAN-Canada FTA talks, in the hope of opening a trade gateway to North America. The cabinet agreed to let Thailand participate in the talks for the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on the suggestion of the Ministry of Commerce, said deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek. An
The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrived in Bangkok today (Tuesday) to forge closer bilateral ties with Thailand and to develop the UK’s wider role in Southeast Asia, as part of her week-long tour of the region. Thailand is Truss’ second stop after a visit to Malaysia. She will then visit Indonesia, her last
SINGAPORE, Nov 8 (Reuters) – Singapore and Malaysia will allow quarantine-free travel between both countries for individuals vaccinated against COVID-19, they said in a joint statement on Monday. The two neighbors will launch a so-called vaccinated travel lane between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Nov. 29, it said.
BANGKOK – A united ideology can elevate ASEAN to better manage superpower rivalry, regional crises and meet the aspirations of its citizens, said two Thai regional experts. Both Kasit Piromya, former Foreign Minister, and Supalak Ganjanakhundee, independent researcher, advocate “liberal democracy” as a new shared belief for ASEAN and which, they say, is the only
A secondary school dropout and the son-in-law of a family of four generations of bean sprout farmers, invents an automatic bean sprout growing machine to help with the hardships of his family’s work. As a bean sprout farmers, Nguyễn Văn Quang from Đa Tốn commune, Gia Lam district, Hanoi understands the hardships of the work.
Win Htein, a senior aide to Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday on charges of high treason, media and one of his family members said. Win Htein, 79, is a stalwart supporter of Suu Kyi and a long time political prisoner during decades campaigning to
PHNOM PENH, Oct 28 (Reuters) – Cambodia, the incoming chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), will push Myanmar’s military rulers to open dialogue with its opponents, its foreign minister said on Thursday. Warning Myanmar was on the “brink of civil war”, Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia would appoint a new special envoy to
