A shopper walks down an aisle at an Aeon Orange supermarket in Yangon.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar releases detained Japanese executive after sentencing

Military neither explains decision nor gives Hiroshi Kasamatsu's whereabouts

13 August 2024
An Aug. 5 speech by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's military ruler, was released with Chinese subtitles. (Screenshot of video by Myanmar's military)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar's ethnic armed groups widen grip, threatening stability

Ethnic Chinese forces capture key base as persecution of Rohingya continues

13 August 2024
Hiroshi Kasamatsu was in charge of price setting at local venture Aeon Orange before he was detained. (Photo by Sadachika Watanabe)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar sentences Aeon executive to 1 year in prison: source

Tokyo seeks release of Japan retailer employee charged with rice pricing violation

12 August 2024
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who was recommended by Bangladeshi student leaders as the head of the interim government, speaks during a press briefing as he arrives at the Hazarat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Aug. 8.
Opinion

After Hasina, Bangladesh needs a foreign policy reset

Interim government under Yunus is off to a promising start but must tackle entrenched interests

12 August 2024
Groups of Rohingya cross the Naf River near Palong Khali, Bangladesh, in 2017.
Myanmar Crisis

Mass civilian casualties trigger accusations in Myanmar's Rakhine state

At least 150 Rohingya may have been killed in artillery and drone attack

11 August 2024
Myanmar traditional restaurant chain Khaing Khaing Kyaw first expanded business operations into the Thai market in November 2023 and has since opened a second branch in Bangkok in March this year. (Photo by Htet Phyoe)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar businesses flood Thailand to follow fleeing customer base

Growing number of restaurants, shops in Bangkok reflect population exodus from war-torn state

9 August 2024
Army soldiers and police officers patrol in Lashio, Myanmar, in May 2013. The city, which is near the border with China, is one of the most important in northern Shan State for the Myanmar military.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar extends state of emergency by 6 months as fighting intensifies

Economic turmoil, combat with ethnic rebels cast shadow over plans for 2025 election

1 August 2024
Myanmar's military regime of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing appears to be on the defensive in Rakhine state. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and AFP/Jiji)
Myanmar Crisis

Arakan Army pushes Myanmar's military to brink in monsoon war

Rebel group says it looks to 'eradicate all' regime's forces from Rakhine state

31 July 2024
United Wa State Army (UWSA) soldiers march during a ceremony in Myanmar's Shan state in 2019. The group is a key player in the region bordering China.
Myanmar Crisis

China and neighbors pressure Myanmar as regime reels from battle losses

Resistance gains, deteriorating security prompt concerned countries to recalibrate

30 July 2024
Foreign ministers of Southeast Asian countries pose for a photo on the day of the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane on July 25.
International relations

ASEAN ministers at loggerheads over Israel-Hamas conflict

Malaysia pushes line condemning violence, as Singapore, Thailand cause 'some discord'

27 July 2024
A soldier from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on guard at a rebel military base in the Kokang region. (REUTERS/Stringer)
Myanmar Crisis

Major Myanmar regional military HQ captured, rebels say

Loss of Lashio northeast of Mandalay in northern Shan State a serious loss

25 July 2024
ASEAN officials attend a retreat session at the 57th ASEAN foreign ministers meeting at the National Convention Centre, in Vientiane on July 25.
Myanmar Crisis

ASEAN members at odds over how to resolve Myanmar crisis

Myanmar 'hopeful' about resuming relations with bloc

25 July 2024
Meth seizures in Thailand like this one have become commonplace as more drugs from Myanmar flow into and through the country.
Crime

Myanmar crisis pushes Asian meth seizures to new highs

Flow of drugs increases as armed rebels use sales to fund war efforts

23 July 2024
Myanmar has faced economic turmoil since the military takeover in February 2021 and subsequent civil unrest. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar's corporate crackdown grows beyond Japan retailer Aeon

Inflation and capital outflows push regime to tighten grip on economy

18 July 2024
Japanese auto parts maker Yazaki has found a way to maintain profitable operations at its plant in Myanmar. (Yazaki)
Myanmar Crisis

From auto sector to startups, Japan companies see green shoots in Myanmar

Abundance of unemployed engineers makes country attractive despite tensions

16 July 2024
Hiroshi Kasamatsu, merchandise division chief at Aeon Orange, and 10 Myanmar nationals have been held for allegedly selling rice at prices 50% to 70% higher than officially set ones.
International relations

Japan executive at Myanmar Aeon unit indicted for rice pricing violation

Aeon Orange senior official held at Yangon police station since June 30

12 July 2024
A U.N. expert's report says companies registered in Thailand are utilizing Thai banks to transfer weapons and related materials to Myanmar's military regime. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Myanmar Crisis

Thai banks say they lack staff to fully probe Myanmar weapon payments

Lenders respond to criticism, say they 'do not have this kind of investigators'

11 July 2024
A 7-year-old girl's shrapnel wound is dressed after Pasaung, a town in Karenni state in eastern Myanmar, was repeatedly bombed and set ablaze by the Myanmar Air Force on March 1. (Photo by Free Burma Rangers) 
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar military's bombing of civilians set for record year

Amnesty International and United Nations report failure of jet fuel sanctions

8 July 2024
A long queue at a fuel station in Yangon in December 2023 when severe shortages saw many people arriving at dawn to try and fill up.
Editor-in-Chief’s Picks

Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: Myanmar's fuel dilemma

Shin Nakayama shares his weekly reflections and recommendations

5 July 2024
Myanmar's military regime is almost entirely dependent on imported fuel to kill and terrorize civilians, and to power all aspects of its war machine. With revenue from natural gas sales to Thailand and China falling off dramatically, this is proving an unaffordable vulnerability.  (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Big Story

Myanmar's reliance on imported fuel squeezes military as civilians suffer

Economic crisis likely to hit generals harder than sanctions as insurgents gain ground

3 July 2024
Aeon Orange is a joint venture by Japanese retailer Aeon and its partner in Myanmar. (Photo by Nikkei)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar detains Aeon unit exec for high rice prices

Military regime targets big businesses as public frustration over economy mounts

2 July 2024
Myanmar's military regime has accessed Chinese equipment, technology and support in its efforts to spy on internet users and censor the internet. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP, Reuters and Ken Kobayashi)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar regime uses Chinese tech to surveil internet users, report says

VPN ban worsens repression and further sours the country's business environment

27 June 2024
Rifles confiscated by an armed group in Loikaw, Karenni state, in November 2023: Thai banks have become a key conduit for Myanmar's military regime and its weapons purchases. (Photo by Myo Satt Hla Thaw/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar military shifts arms financing to Thai banks from Singapore

Siam Commercial Bank and others urged to cut ties with Myanmar state-owned entities

26 June 2024
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's return to Thailand has revived political tensions in the deeply polarized country. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Politics

Thailand's political factions struggle to gain military influence

Pheu Thai leaders are on their guard about another possible coup attempt

21 June 2024
The China-led Myitsone dam project in Myanmar's Kachin state was designed to produce as much electricity as six nuclear reactors.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar revives stalled infrastructure projects with China and Russia

Military regime moves to woo key partners amid pressure at home

16 June 2024