This week, Thailand will get its moment under the sun when it hosts one of the major diplomatic events of the year — the APEC leaders’ summit — from Monday…
Read MoreThis week, Thailand will get its moment under the sun when it hosts one of the major diplomatic events of the year — the APEC leaders’ summit — from Monday…
Read MorePHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — President Joe Biden promised Saturday that the United States would work with a strategically vital coalition of southeast Asian nations, telling leaders that “we’re going…
Read MoreASEAN leaders have reaffirmed their 5-point consensus (5PC) and urged Myanmar to comply with the promises it made last April. In a joint statement, issued today (Friday), the leaders said…
Read MorePHNOM PENH, Nov 11 (Reuters) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed in principle to admit East Timor as the group’s 11th member, the bloc said in…
Read MorePhnom Penh – India’s comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP) with ASEAN is expected grow and strengthen bilateral ties, according to a senior Cambodian official. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Minister Delegate attached…
Read MoreCambodia has offered to use the upcoming ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh next week to host talks between Russia and Ukraine, according to a senior official of the Cambodian Foreign…
Read MoreJudging by the outcome of the special ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting in Jakarta on October 27th, the ASEAN foreign ministers have not done their jobs very well. They were supposed…
Read MoreThe Philippines has recorded 72 deaths from Tropical Storm Nalgae that caused floods and landslides in southern provinces, the country’s disaster agency said on Saturday. Maguindanao province was the most affected with…
Read MoreSoutheast Asian foreign ministers acknowledged Thursday that their efforts to bring peace to Myanmar haven’t succeeded and agreed to increase their determination to end violence in the country, where a…
Read MoreJakarta (Agencies) — Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting in Jakarta today to lay the groundwork for the group’s summit in Cambodia next month,…
Read MoreTheir stomachs full of eggs, beer, and coconut water, Nguyen Van Liet’s prized white oxen streak ahead of their rivals to the cheer of tens of thousands of spectators in Vietnam’s…
Read MoreMyanmar’s dissident groups have proposed the establishment of an ASEAN-Plus inclusive platform to engage all stakeholders in resolving the ongoing political crises in the military-ruled country, the United Nations Special…
Read MoreThe decelerating export growth in July has raised concerns that the outlook for Thailand’s economic growth may be bleak because of an increasingly likely global slowdown. The Thai economy grew…
Read MoreSingapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced Sunday the country will repeal a colonial-era law criminalizing gay sex, though he maintained that the government will continue to “uphold” marriage as…
Read MoreBy Kavi Chongkittavorn Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah recently proposed that the special envoy of the ASEAN chair should be granted a tenure of more than a year and that…
Read MoreASEAN special envoy Prak Sokhonn, who has made 2 trips to Myanmar since the coup, dampened expectations for major progress in the short term. The bloc decided that the Myanmar…
Read MoreAgainst all odds and naysayers, ASEAN has survived for the past five and a half decades. The bloc has grown in terms of numbers and international profile. Given the current…
Read MoreIn responding to recent cross-strait developments, ASEAN’s foreign minister has called for all parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from provocative action and to adhere strictly to the principles contained…
Read MoreNazeri bin Lajim, a 64-year-old Singaporean, has only hours left to live. Singapore intends to execute him in the early hours of Friday morning. His family was informed by the…
Read MoreThe United States appears to be going all-out to get Thailand on board, ostensibly in its efforts to contain China. Visits to Bangkok over the past few months by senior…
Read MoreThai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held discussions today (Tuesday) at Government House on trade, economic cooperation, investment and greater connectivity between the two countries,…
Read MoreA Phnom Penh court convicted around 60 opposition figures including an outspoken US-Cambodian activist in a mass trial Tuesday as long-serving leader Hun Sen cracks down on dissent ahead of…
Read MoreKuala Lumpur (AFP) – Malaysia’s government said Friday it has agreed to abolish the mandatory death penalty, with campaigners welcoming the move but cautioning the country had failed to deliver on previous…
Read MoreASEAN special envoy, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, will make his second trip to Myanmar, on June 29th and 30th, to follow up on the implementation…
Read MoreSpokesperson for Myanmar’s State Administration Council (SAC), General Zaw Min Tun, has confirmed that four prisoners, two of whom are politicians, will be sentenced to death. The four include ex-NLD…
Read MoreThe Lao PDR has come a long way, from a land-locked nation to a land-linked hub. Since last December, with a high-speed train linking Southern China to Vientiane up and…
Read MoreAbout 5,000 representatives of governments, the private sector and civil societies from 193 countries are in Bali, Indonesia, to attend the 7th session of the Global Platform (GP2022), convened by…
Read MoreIn his inaugural speech, newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was very succinct about his administration’s foreign policy agenda, which will focus on the promotion of a liberal democracy,…
Read MoreOnly diplomatic platitudes in the joint vision statement plus a small financial package demonstrated the Joe Biden administration’s commitment to maintain momentum in the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy in Southeast Asia,…
Read MorePrime Minister Prayut Chan-cha, speaking at the special ASEAN-US summit, revealed Thailand’s regional strategies, which will promote peace and resilience in the post-pandemic era. He outlined three priorities for the…
Read MoreThe leaders of ASEAN countries will meet with US President Joe Biden in Washington D.C. on May 12-13 for a special summit to commemorate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations…
Read MoreThailand and the US began a two-day strategic discussion in Washington yesterday (Monday), to strengthen further their security partnership in creating a peaceful and prosperous region. The Thai delegation is…
Read MoreBatac City (AFP) – Millions of Filipinos thronged primary schools and other polling stations Monday to elect a new president, with the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos the favourite to win…
Read MoreASEAN hopes the US will play a constructive role in backing an ASEAN effort to maintain peace and stability, to mitigate the negative impacts of the Ukraine conflict. Director General…
Read MoreCambodia started to build a 1.5-billion- U.S. dollar logistics and multi-purpose seaport on Thursday in the southwestern Kampot province, aiming to enhance the kingdom’s logistics and transportation sector, officials said….
Read MoreDuring his three-nation visit to ASEAN member countries over the past five days, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida demonstrated his country’s middle-of-the-road approach to diplomacy when it comes to special…
Read MoreCambodia, the current chair of ASEAN, is to hold a high-level consultative meeting on May 6th, to discuss ways and means ofproviding humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, according to an informed…
Read MoreThe Indonesian navy arrested two foreign-flagged tankers attempting to smuggle crude palm oil or CPO. The navy arrested mt world tanker on its way from Dumai in Riau province to…
Read MorePresident Joko Widodo has ensured that the ban on the export of cooking oil and its raw materials will be lifted only if the cooking oil supply in the market…
Read MoreA car bomb exploded at the Myanmar immigration building, on the approach to the First Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, opposite Thailand’s Mae Sot district of Tak province, setting fire to the…
Read MoreMyanmar’s military junta has failed to normalize conditions in the strife-torn country following a subdued water festival punctuated by violence and an unpopular plan to reopen for tourism. Meanwhile, ASEAN…
Read MoreOn the morning of April 19th, a wave of panic hit Myanmar citizens as rumours of fuel shortages went viral on social media. The rumours started following a supposed internal…
Read MoreAfter several rounds of negotiations over the dates for the second special ASEAN-US summit, both sides have now agreed to meet in Washington DC on May 12th and 13th, 2022,…
Read MoreThe Russia invasion of Ukraine has changed the security balance in Europe forever and this will have a long-term ripple effect around the world. Already, key European members have pledged…
Read MoreThe logo commemorating the 75th anniversary of Thai-Indian ties is highly symbolic. On the left is the Thai Pha Khao Ma (the Thai-style sarong or longyi) interwoven with the sari,…
Read MoreMyanmar local media reports that a plane, containing materials to print Myanmar Kyat banknotes, is due to arrive in Nay Pyi Taw tonight (Wednesday). Khit Thit News Media cites sources…
Read MoreOn the second day of their three-day visit to Myanmar, the ASEAN special envoy and delegates are scheduled to meet with selected stakeholders in Yangon today (Tuesday), according to a…
Read MoreThe second special ASEAN-US summit, which was scheduled to take place on March 28th and 29th, has been postponed until new dates can be arranged in May, according to Thailand’s Deputy…
Read MoreMalaysia will re-open to all vaccinated tourists from April 1, authorities said Tuesday, joining a growing number of countries removing restrictions in an attempt to live with Covid. The tourism-reliant Southeast Asian country, known for its…
Read MoreDuring the 11th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Thailand has joined 140 countries voting in favour of the resolution to condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, while…
Read MoreAt least 13 people were killed and four others missing after a tourist boat capsized Saturday in bad weather off the coast of Hoi An, a world heritage-listed Vietnamese city,…
Read MoreASEAN is “deeply concerned” over the evolving situation and hostilities in Ukraine, according to a statement released Saturday, after Russian troops began military assaults on key Ukrainian cities. “We call…
Read MoreAt least two people died when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Friday, with residents shuttling loved ones to safety as buildings crumbled around them. The quake came…
Read MorePHNOM PENH, Feb 17 (Reuters) – A special Southeast Asian envoy to the crisis in Myanmar on Thursday said he was seeking to visit the country next month and appealed…
Read MoreThailand will join 57 other countries from the Indo-Pacific region to discuss a range of issues related to defence and security, digital connectivity and transnational issues, such as climate change…
Read MoreCambodia said on Tuesday that Myanmar had confirmed its absence from this week’s meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a day after its ruling military criticised neighbours…
Read MoreLike many of her male counterparts who regularly endure long and exhausting ocean research expeditions, the braving of challenging environs makes for a typical workday for Aileen Tan Shau Hwai,…
Read MoreThe race to lead the Philippines kicked off Tuesday, with the son and namesake of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos the favourite to succeed authoritarian firebrand Rodrigo Duterte and return his clan to…
Read MoreIt must be the first time that the leaders of Russia and China have met exclusively and mentioned ASEAN during their discussion. Annually, each of them held bilateral meetings with…
Read MoreMyanmar will send U Chan Aye, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, to attend the upcoming ASEAN ministerial retreat in Phnom Penh, according to an informed source in Phnom Penh. The…
Read MoreTo mark the 45th anniversary of ASEAN-EU relations, their leaders are planning a summit in Brussels in December, according to an informed diplomatic source, who asked not to be identified….
Read MoreASEAN foreign ministers will hold their first informal meeting under the new chair on February 16th and 17th in Phnom Penh in a hybrid format, allowing virtual participation, according to…
Read MoreLast week, US President Joe Biden sent a letter to ASEAN leaders assuring them that the proposed special US-ASEAN summit is still on the agenda, according to a highly placed…
Read MoreFor the Asia region, it is better to look ahead to the second year of the Biden administration. A review of the past 12 months is unlikely to bring cheer…
Read MoreSINGAPORE, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Singapore’s leader said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should continue excluding Myanmar’s junta from its meeting until it cooperates on an agreed peace…
Read MoreCambodia said on Wednesday it had postponed a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) scheduled for next week, because some ministers had expressed “difficulties”…
Read MoreMyanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin will attend the ASEAN ministerial retreat in Siem Reap on January 18-19 in person, according to a highly placed source. The source said that…
Read MoreOn January 7th, 2022, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen became the first national leader to visit Myanmar’s junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Before Hun Sen even set foot…
Read MoreJapan has launched multi-pronged initiatives aimed at promoting ASEAN-Japan relations, taking it from a development to a co-creation partner, according to Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Koichi Hagiuda….
Read MoreThe military junta in Naypyidaw has asked the country’s resistance forces to join ceasefire talks and to work together to deliver effective humanitarian assistance to the needy people of Myanmar….
Read MoreASEAN senior officials have endorsed Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn as the new ASEAN special envoy, according to a highly placed source. The source said that…
Read MoreAs host of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits and Myanmar crisis resolution, Thailand faces major challenges of superpower rivalry and ASEAN centrality in 2022. However, seasoned diplomats fear this Thai…
Read MoreJAKARTA, Jan 3 (Reuters) – Indonesia will begin giving COVID-19 booster shots to the general public from January 12, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Monday, as the Omicron…
Read MoreKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (Reuters) – Malaysia will provide 1.4 billion ringgit ($334.93 million) in cash aid and other forms of relief for those devastated by severe floods this month,…
Read MoreThe new United Nations special envoy to Myanmar on Monday said she was “deeply concerned” by escalating violence in the country and called for a new year ceasefire between the…
Read MoreThailand booked their place in the AFF Suzuki Cup final for a ninth time in 13 attempts after they held defending champions Vietnam to a goalless draw on Sunday in the…
Read MoreSave the Children said two of its Myanmar staff were missing on Saturday, after the charred remains of more than 30 people were found, in an attack a monitoring group and local media blamed on junta troops. Myanmar has been in chaos since the February coup,…
Read MorePrime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed local officials in Thailand’s western border province of Tak to provide humanitarian aid and temporary shelter to about 4,000 people fleeing the fighting in…
Read MoreMalaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob is scheduled to make an official visit to Thailand, from December 28th to 30th, according to an informed government source. The…
Read MoreMore than 30,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Malaysia on Sunday as the country battles some of its worst flooding in years. The tropical Southeast Asian nation often…
Read MoreThe Thai military lodged a protest note with the Myanmar government, via the local Thai-Myanmar Border Committee (TBC) yesterday (Thursday), over the landing of a mortar-type shell on Thai soil…
Read MoreVietnam has come a long way since it began its “Doi Moi” (renewal) 35 years ago. Now, fresh from serving as a two-year non-permanent member of United Nations Security Council,…
Read MoreCambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday said he will appoint his country’s foreign minister, Prak Sokhonn, to be the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ special envoy to Myanmar, beginning January…
Read MoreThe new “traffic light” coalition government in Germany will have to perform a major Houdini act, should it decide to take a radical departure from its predecessor’s foreign policy, especially…
Read MoreMyanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin will fly to Cambodia’s capital tomorrow (Tuesday) to pay a one-day courtesy call on the new ASEAN chair, according to an informed but unnamed…
Read MoreThe death toll from a sudden, spectacular eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Semeru has risen to 13, disaster officials said Sunday, as rescuers searched villages blanketed in molten ash for survivors….
Read MoreSingapore and Malaysia re-opened one of the world’s busiest land borders on Monday, allowing vaccinated travellers to make the crossing after nearly two years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden…
Read MoreA new $6 billion Chinese-built railway line opens in Laos this week, bringing hopes of an economic boost to the reclusive nation, but experts are questioning the benefits of a…
Read MoreFinally, the list of 110 countries invited to attend the two-day “Summit for Democracy” on December 9th and 10th has been released. 21 countries in the East Asia Pacific region are among…
Read MoreForeign Minister Don Pramudwinai on Thursday dismissed the “Summit for Democracy” to be hosted by the US and to which Thailand was not invited as “nothing more than pure politics.”…
Read MoreThai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as ASEAN Coordinator, said at the 13th Asia-Europe (ASEM) Summit hosted by Cambodia today (Thursday) that Thailand believes that multilateralism is the…
Read MoreCambodia will be hosting the two-day Asia-Europe (ASEM) summit later this week, focusing on the post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery and strengthening multilateralism. The chair has not invited Myanmar’s Senior General Min…
Read MoreAttending the ASEAN-China summit for the first time in the three decades of their relations this morning, China’s President Xi Jinping made a strong impression on the ASEAN leaders in…
Read MoreBEIJING, Nov 22 (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping told leaders of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a summit on Monday that Beijing would not “bully”…
Read MoreMyanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, will not be invited to attend the special virtual ASEAN-China summit, commemorating the 30th anniversary of their relationship, on November 22nd, according…
Read MoreJust a few days after being sentenced to 11 years in prison, American journalist Danny Fenster was freed to go home. It was the first clear indication that Naypyidaw is…
Read MoreMANILA, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter agreed on Tuesday to be running mate of Ferdinand Marcos Jr in next year’s presidential election, her spokesperson said, confirming…
Read MoreOf the many artists and entertainers arrested in the months following the February coup in Myanmar, one of the best-known faces is the rising star Paing Takhon. A model, an…
Read More