This writer vividly remember the last quarter of 1994, when former Vietnamese foreign minister Vu Khoan and his team visited the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat. He was on an important mission,…
Read MoreThis writer vividly remember the last quarter of 1994, when former Vietnamese foreign minister Vu Khoan and his team visited the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat. He was on an important mission,…
Read MoreEarly Health Technology Assessment, or early HTA, is a tool that can help health innovations to meet the needs of the global health system. The approach was utilized by World…
Read MoreSiti Zhywee is far from the stereotypical image of a gamer: unhealthy and isolated, wiling away hours glued to a screen. The 38-year-old mother of two is a dance fitness…
Read MoreThe informal meeting arranged by Thailand’s caretaker government on the Myanmar crisis has only provided a comfort zone for the junta across the border, but dealt a blow to Thailand’s…
Read MoreMover Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat on Tuesday reaffirmed his support for ASEAN centrality in resolving the crisis in Myanmar, in what is seen as an attempt to distance himself…
Read MoreDelfina Guiwan’s heart was pounding as she snuck back to her village, now abandoned and eerily quiet, in the fertile foothills of gently erupting Mayon volcano in the northeastern Philippines….
Read MoreThe visit of US State Secretary Antony Blinken to Beijing has yielded indirect results, especially for anxious regional countries. Both the US and China have yet to reveal what they…
Read MoreOn Sunday, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai defended his country’s hosting of peace talks, which the foreign minister of Myanmar’s ruling junta is attending, which will be shunned by key…
Read MoreDespite the various degrees of content limitation and changes Southeast Asia media are facing, all online media in the region, and probably globally, are now struggling financially. As social media…
Read MoreThailand’s caretaker government hosted the foreign minister of Myanmar‘s ruling junta at informal regional peace talks on Sunday, as key Southeast Asian counterparts stayed away from the meeting that has drawn sharp criticism. Only Cambodia has so far…
Read MoreMyanmar on Saturday confirmed the country’s foreign minister would attend controversial “informal talks” in Bangkok on the coup-hit country’s political crisis, as Singapore warned that conditions were not yet right…
Read MoreSingapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Friday that conditions were not yet right for ASEAN to open high-level talks with Myanmar on the country’s political situation. “We believe it would…
Read MoreAfter more than two decades of relations, ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will reportedly hold their first summit in Jakarta in October. An informed source said that this…
Read MoreAn intensely hot summer and unprecedented drought are straining energy supplies in northern Vietnam, prompting rolling blackouts and sudden power outages that have led to “uncountable” losses among local firms…
Read MoreMove Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat says he will propose Chiang Mai as ASEAN’s centre for solving the PM2.5 dust problem and the party will push a clean air act…
Read MoreASEAN and Canada will hold a summit in September to commemorate Canada’s new status as a strategic dialogue partner of ASEAN, according to an informed source. After a long delay,…
Read MoreIndonesia, the current ASEAN chair, will host the first high-level ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum, alongside the ASEAN-related summits, on September 6th and 7th, according to an informed source. The forum is…
Read MoreUnder flashing disco lights, residents at a Singapore care home held hands and danced to golden oldies as part of an initiative to help those with dementia. They grooved to…
Read MoreIndonesia sees the European Union as conducting “regulatory imperialism” with its new deforestation law, but both sides would still engage in talks on a free trade deal, an Indonesian minister…
Read MoreWhen Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos was swept to power in 2022, human rights activists feared the worst. Marcos had been a vocal supporter of his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war…
Read MoreConcerns over potential US influence on politics in Thailand arose after the Move Forward party announced its foreign policy, aiming to ‘’Revive, Rebalance, Recalibrate’’ in the hope of having more…
Read MoreA new government under the leadership of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat will see Thailand play a more active role in ASEAN and on the international stage, according to…
Read MoreMyanmar’s second-most powerful general has issued a directive to his commanders to keep a closer watch on the Thai-Myanmar border after Thailand’s Move Forward Party won the most House seats…
Read MoreCambodia’s election body on Monday refused to register the main opposition party and chief challenger to Prime Minister Hun Sen for upcoming national elections. The National Election Committee said in…
Read MoreVietnam will not develop new coal power plants after 2030, according to a long-delayed national power plan published Tuesday, although the blueprint drew criticism that the transition to renewables is…
Read MoreThe death toll in cyclone-hit Myanmar rose to at least 81 on Tuesday, according to local leaders, officials and state media, as villagers tried to piece together ruined homes and…
Read MoreThe Philippines has placed navigational buoys within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to assert sovereignty over the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea, a government official said on…
Read MoreASEAN leaders have recommended that ASEAN experts come up with a robust and inspirational vision for the next 20 years, according to the ASEAN chairman’s statement issued yesterday (Thursday). The…
Read MoreThree more countries will accede to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) this year, according to the ASEAN chairman’s statement released this afternoon (Thursday). Saudi Arabia, Spain and…
Read MoreMyanmar’s ruling military has made no significant progress on implementing a peace plan agreed with ASEAN two years ago and the bloc must show unity in deciding how to address…
Read MoreMyanmar’s shadow government welcomes efforts by ASEAN chair Indonesia to kickstart peace talks in the strife-torn Southeast Asian nation but is deeply distrustful of the junta that took power in a 2021 coup,…
Read MoreThe region’s two economic giants’ recent steps on the road to recovery, in terms of their friendship and cooperation, come as welcome news for ASEAN members as their leaders gather…
Read MoreWith the goal of reminding children of the value of books, an original story has been published called Kiki’s Fantastic Adventure by Studio Boba. The creator decided that the comic-manga…
Read MoreIndonesia and Singapore condemned an attack against a convoy including Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) officials delivering humanitarian aid in Myanmar and called for an end to violence in…
Read MoreVietnam‘s mined output of rare earths soared tenfold last year, U.S. data showed, as global firms have flocked to the Southeast Asian country with the world’s second largest estimated deposits…
Read MoreThailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will not attend the ASEAN-related summit next week, according to an informed source. The source said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai…
Read MoreSingapore is expected to post slower economic growth this year but it “should avoid an outright contraction”, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Sunday. The Southeast Asian city-state’s economic performance…
Read MoreThis year is likely to go down as Myanmar’s hottest year so far, as temperatures in at least 10 cities have broken 40oC, according to figures released by the meteorological…
Read MoreJakarta’s Grand Istiqlal Mosque is busy with worshippers this Ramadan. This year they are being encouraged to donate to boost the mosque’s green credentials. A major renovation in 2019 installed…
Read MoreSingapore to build two new sports facilities in a young Chua Chu Kang estate, with an emphasis on activities for all ages. The aim is to build a more inclusive…
Read MoreThe United States and Vietnam said Saturday they hoped to upgrade diplomatic ties, days after a flare-up in tensions with China over Taiwan. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, passing…
Read MoreThe chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said on Thursday the bloc “strongly condemns” a military air strike this week on a village in Myanmar, which is…
Read MoreThe last group of 89 refugees, who fled the recent fighting in Myanmar near the Thailand’s western border, has been sent back to their homeland by the Thai army. Maj-Gen…
Read MoreMyanmar’s ruling junta has confirmed that it carried out an air strike on a village in which dozens of people were reported killed, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and…
Read MoreCambodia deported 19 Japanese nationals suspected of involvement in organised phone and online scams to Japan on Tuesday (April 11), Cambodian police said. The Japanese nationals, all male, were detained…
Read MoreThe leaders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar agree that the three ASEAN countries must cooperate closely and within the ASEAN framework to cope more effectively with the transboundary haze problem…
Read MoreThe Asian Development Bank raised its 2023 growth forecast for developing Asia on Tuesday, after China’s abrupt loosening of Covid-19 restrictions and reopening of its borders brightened the region’s prospects….
Read MoreThe search for solutions to Myanmar’s problems must be led by Myanmar through Myanmar’s processes, said Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, the first Cambodian Secretary-General of ASEAN, during his recent official…
Read MoreThailand is seeking cooperation from neighbouring countries to address cross-border air pollution, which is seriously impacting the northern provinces of Thailand. Spokesperson for the Thai Foreign Ministry, Kanchana Patarachoke, said…
Read MoreHuman Rights Watch on urged Bangladesh to suspend plans to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, warning conditions there would not be safe for the persecuted and stateless minority. Bangladesh is…
Read MoreMany ASEAN meetings have gone unreported, but that does not mean officials are not working, according to the secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, during the “Why ASEAN Matters:…
Read MoreA Mekong River port in southwest China’s Yunnan province was officially opened on Monday. It will serve as a gateway to boost trade between China and ASEAN countries, especially Thailand,…
Read MoreThe High-level Task Force for the ASEAN Community’s Post 2025 vision (HLTF-ACV) has agreed to increase its time frame, according to ASEAN Secretary General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn. In his…
Read MoreThe United Nations just announced a program, in corporation with the European Union and Thailand, including the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and the Ministry of Public Health, to push…
Read MoreThailand’s justice system was forced to swing into damage control mode after a series of disclosures pointed to senior judges and police officers attempting to spare a senator prosecution for…
Read MoreASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn will pay a three-day official visit to Thailand, from 29th to 31st March, as part of his familiarisation tour of the bloc’s member countries,…
Read MoreLocation information is being used to make Singapore’s roads greener, safer, and easier to navigate. Using geospatial data to improve people’s lives is here to stay, as the Singapore Land…
Read MoreJapan plans to apply for ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP) status, according to highly placed sources, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Japan and ASEAN Relations this year. Japan earlier…
Read MoreSuppliers to Dutch chip-making machines giant ASML Holding NV ASML.AS are considering building plants in Southeast Asia instead of China amid political tensions between Beijing and the West, according to two sources…
Read MoreThe voices, dreams and passions of the young, whose intersectionality creates desire for change in our current world, as told in a six part documentary series. On Mar 8th, 2023,…
Read MoreThailand’s National Environment Board will meet on March 15th to consider the forest fire and haze problems, after the Office of the ASEAN Secretary-General sent a “Second Level Alert” to…
Read MoreAs has happened during previous Indonesian ASEAN chairmanships, the Bali Concord 4 will be issued to institutionalise human rights and other civic values within the grouping at the 42nd ASEAN-related…
Read MoreNearly 300 migratory birds have been recorded in the middle alluvium ground of the Red River, which flows through Hanoi. This is a particularly rare occurrence as many migratory species…
Read MoreA deep connection between Myanmar’s arms dealer Tun Min Latt and the Thai elite has triggered a political controversy in Thailand at a time when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is…
Read MoreCambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will arrive in Bangkok on Thursday for a two-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties and forge new areas of cooperation. It…
Read MoreASEAN will stage its first region-wide online shopping event in August, to promote cross-border trade through e-commerce, according to an informed source. The new ASEAN chair, Indonesia, has recently proposed…
Read MoreResolving the logistics bottleneck at the Customs checkpoint in the South and increasing overall trade and investment were high on the agenda of Malaysia’s newly elected Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim when…
Read MoreCambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the shutdown of one of the last independent local news organizations in the country on Sunday night, saying it had attacked him and his…
Read MoreThe 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was on formal visit to Thailand. He discussed various issues, from the South of Thailand, economic cooperation between the two…
Read MoreMalaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on ASEAN to explore new approaches to resolving the ongoing crisis in Myanmar which, he said, can no longer be treated as the…
Read MoreThai immigration police arrested 33 Myanmar illegal migrant workers at a deserted warehouse in Bang Klam district of the southern province of Songkhla today (Wednesday). Police also arrested three Thai…
Read MoreASEAN has decided to establish an interim bureau to oversee the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). According to a press statement, issued by Indonesia, the decision came…
Read More“If the Mekong were a human, she would be half-dead, because everything has completely changed,” said Niwat Roykaew, a Goldman Environmental Prize recipient who has been leading the movement for…
Read MoreAfter the dramatic Cabinet shake-up over the past several weeks, Vietnam has been quick to restore confidence in its external relations with allies and friends, near and far. It is…
Read MoreThe United States and the Philippines are expected to announce a deal Thursday that will give US troops access to another four military bases in the Southeast Asian nation, as…
Read MoreSingapore’s biggest public library opens its doors at One Punggol, with a promise to welcome everyone. It’s the country’s fourth regional library, but it aims to be the first fully…
Read MoreThailand’s corruption standing for 2022 improved nine places to 101st, from 110th out of 180 countries in 2021, according to the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International. Thailand is…
Read MoreThailand’s lenient stance as well as the close ties between its armed forces and the Myanmar military — also known as Tatmadaw — would undermine the efforts of ASEAN and…
Read MoreThe recent meeting in Zurich between US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He sent a positive signal that the world’s two superpowers are on the path…
Read MoreThe ASEAN leaders will meet with their dialogue partners at the year-end summit in September, two months earlier than usual, according to an informed diplomatic source. The source said that…
Read MoreAll passport applicants must now wait for the immigration department to reopen, after the government temporarily suspended operations at the passport office. The announcement came from Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies…
Read MoreThe Indonesian government will put more emphasis on women’s empowerment during its ASEAN chairmanship this year, including by setting an agenda on women’s peace and security. The ministry of women…
Read MoreThailand coach Mano Polking bemoaned his side’s defending at set-pieces after Vietnam salvaged a late 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Asean Championship final in Hanoi on Friday….
Read MoreIndonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi says that ASEAN will hold two summits this year, in May and September, with the aim of making ASEAN important and relevant to its people….
Read MoreAn astute scholar of ASEAN from Cambodia, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, has now become the 15th Secretary General of ASEAN. Dr. Kao is no stranger to the academic world, as…
Read MoreThailand has been ranked first in ASEAN in the latest Sustainable Development Report by United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN). The report assesses 193 UN member states on their…
Read MoreIndonesia, the new ASEAN chair, will hold its first ministerial retreat in early February to discuss the bloc’s agenda and priorities, according to a diplomatic source. The retreat will be…
Read MoreThe outgoing ASEAN Secretary General, Dato Lim Jock Hoi, says that, despite the achievements of the last five years, the ASEAN community remains at a crossroads. “This is because of…
Read MoreIt must be clear today that the Japan with which Southeast Asia has been familiar throughout the post-war years is no longer the same. The past 70 years of a…
Read MoreThailand has invited interested members of ASEAN to join an open-ended consultative meeting on the situation in Myanmar on December 22nd. The informed source, who asked not to be identified…
Read MoreWhile the international community has put in a lot of effort into resolving the political crisis in Myanmar after General Min Aung Hlaing’s coup last year, Thailand in contrast has…
Read MoreStrengthening ASEAN-Korea relations is one of Korea’s top foreign policies priorities, as South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol recently unveiled his country’s version of the Indo-Pacific strategy and the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity…
Read MoreCambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will not make a planned third visit to Myanmar as ASEAN’s special envoy, a senior Cambodian official said Tuesday. The Khmer Times reported that Cambodia’s…
Read MoreNo political party should see themselves representing a single generation and involving more young politicians is necessary to stay relevant in politics, according to panel discussion on the challenges facing…
Read MoreThai Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and its English website, Thai PBS World, recently gathered journalists and young political leaders from Asia to discuss the challenges they face and the most…
Read MoreIn a dining hall at Malaysia’s International Islamic University, 22-year-old undergraduate Hajar Wahab stood next to a makeshift polling booth, as she showed a fellow student how to mark and…
Read MoreCambodia’s Foreign Affairs Minister and ASEAN special envoy Prak Sokhonn is planning a third official visit to Myanmar in a bid to prod the ruling military junta to comply with…
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