Myanmar

A Ukrainian soldier drives a captured Russian T-72 tank in the village of Lukianivka, in northwestern Kyiv, Ukraine, in March 2022.
Ukraine war

Russia 'buying back' arms parts exported to Myanmar and India

Reimports appear aimed at improving weapons for use in Ukraine war

5 June 2023
Myanmar's military may have as few as 70,000 combat troops, well below previous estimates in the hundreds of thousands, according to a report in May.
Myanmar Crisis

Shrinking Myanmar military struggles to quash resistance

Active troops down by 21,000, analyst says, as violence escalates

2 June 2023
A car washed away by floods caused by Typhoon Goni in the Philippines in 2020.
Climate Change

Children in Vietnam, Philippines face high climate risks: report

UNICEF urges countries to develop infrastructure to minimize impact

1 June 2023
Indian conglomerate Adani Group has announced it is selling a port project underway in Myanmar for just $30 million after coming under fire from activist investors.
Myanmar Crisis

ESG investors push international firms to rethink Myanmar projects

India's Adani Group pulls out of port development, taking losses

31 May 2023
Asia should not turn a "blind eye" to the Ukraine crisis, according to Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch. (Photo by Tamayo Muto)
Interview

India, as largest democracy, must condemn Russia for Ukraine war

Human Rights Watch head also says Tokyo can spur ASEAN to act on Myanmar regime

29 May 2023
A former member of the Myanmar parliament trains in an area controlled by ethnic Karen rebels.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar clashes stall completion of Southeast Asia economic corridor

Fighting along border with Thailand drives shipping costs to soar 50%

18 May 2023
A new U.N. report has made the case for cutting off international supplies to Myanmar's military regime. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar military imported over $1bn in arms since takeover: U.N.

Japan, New Zealand, South Korea urged to impose weapons-related sanctions

18 May 2023
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and other leaders gather for the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 10. (Pool via Reuters)
The Nikkei View

ASEAN must unite on ending violence in Myanmar

Fragmented diplomacy by bloc's members will allow chaos to continue

16 May 2023
Refugees who have fled intense fighting between Myanmar's military government and rebels receive aid on the country's border with Thailand.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar resistance calls for ASEAN aid plan as conflict intensifies

Urgent appeal comes as Southeast Asian nations demand end to violence

11 May 2023
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and delegates attend a sideline meeting during the ASEAN summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 11.
International relations

ASEAN urges cool heads on South China Sea as summit ends

Indonesia's Jokowi laments 'no significant progress' on Myanmar crisis

11 May 2023
Officials from India and Myanmar attend the May 9 inauguration of Sittwe Port in Myanmar's Rakhine state. (Photo courtesy of the Indian Embassy in Myanmar)
Myanmar Crisis

Indian-backed port opens in Myanmar in answer to China's corridor project

Sittwe Port, part of a $484m transport initiative, to bolster economic ties

11 May 2023
Rohingya refugees gather in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in 2022, five years after fleeing Myanmar. Whether they will return as authorities hope remains unclear.
Myanmar Crisis

Rohingya refugees visit Myanmar in repatriation push

Trip from Bangladesh a first since violence sparked exodus from Rakhine in 2017

6 May 2023
(Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Travel & Leisure

Myanmar's domestic tourism rises, but foreigners still scarce

Effects of pandemic and 2021 coup still hinder once vibrant travel sector

4 May 2023
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who met with Myanmar's military ruler today, at an event in Shanghai on April 21.
Myanmar Crisis

China's foreign minister travels to Myanmar to meet military ruler

Qin Gang makes first such meeting since 2021 army takeover

3 May 2023
Yangon on April 10: Diplomacy toward Myanmar's regime is intensifying, clashing with ASEAN's official stance of excluding the military leadership.
Myanmar Crisis

India hosts '1.5' informal Myanmar talks amid flurry of diplomacy

Critics say engagement undercuts ASEAN's freeze on generals

26 April 2023
Soil containing rare earths is transported for export at a port in China's Jiangsu province, a producer of the metals.
Materials

China ramps up rare-earth production to meet EV, wind power demand

Beijing raises cap amid rising demand and worry over risk to U.S. imports

26 April 2023
The Yuan Wang 5, seen by India as a spy ship, is welcomed to Chinese-run Hambantota International Port in Sri Lanka on Aug. 16, 2022.
Opinion

India now has to face strategic consequence of Myanmar's isolation

Signs suggest China has leveraged influence to put spy station on remote island

21 April 2023
ASEAN leaders including Myanmar's top general, Min Aung Hlaing, agreed in April 2021 on five steps toward resolving the crisis in the war-torn member state. Only one has been accomplished, and the bloc's unity and credibility are on the line.
Asia Insight

Myanmar tests Indonesia's resolve as ASEAN fissures deepen

Bloc's 2023 chair works quietly to overcome two years of Five Point Consensus failure

19 April 2023
Stream article image
The Big Story

Thailand's air pollution crisis deepens amid seasonal crop burning

Smoke from agricultural field and forest blazes chokes Southeast Asia

19 April 2023
Myanmar fighter jets are seen behind the country's flag during a parade: Tuesday's airstrike has amplified calls to ban exports of jet fuel and weapons to the military regime.
Myanmar Crisis

Deadly Myanmar airstrike heaps pressure on ASEAN ahead of summit

Indonesia thought to be seeking bloc statement on attack; Japan, Taiwan join outcry

12 April 2023
Supporters of the National League for Democracy gather outside the party's headquarters in Yangon after the general election in November 2020.
The Nikkei View

Dissolution of Suu Kyi's party deepens Myanmar's political disarray

Elections excluding pro-democracy NLD will be rejected at home and abroad

12 April 2023
A Chin midwife holds the baby of a Chin refugee moments after it was delivered in a clinic near refugee camps at the India-Myanmar border in India's Mizoram state on Jan. 15. (All photos by Valeria Mongelli)
Life

Myanmar's border midwives deliver hope to refugees

Underequipped teams help minority women fleeing violence

12 April 2023
Myanmar fighter jets fly during a parade. The military has increased the use of fighter jets in attacks against villages cooperating with the pro-democracy forces.
International relations

Myanmar airstrike kills more than 50 as calls mount for jet fuel ban

Deaths may surpass 100 at village event installing pro-democracy administration

12 April 2023
Rohingya women and children rest on the beach after their boat landed in Aceh province, Indonesia, in February 2023. Many women and girls from this ethnic minority group flee Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat only to find new perils await.
Books

Book review: How the world is failing Rohingya refugees

Kaamil Ahmed's 'I Feel No Peace' exposes prejudice and lack of interest

5 April 2023
Myanmar's Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military council, conducts an inspection during a parade to commemorate the 78th Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw on March 27. (Photo by Htet Aung Phyoe)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar resistance urges Taiwan, Japan to reject 'sham polls'

Parallel government appeals to Asian democracies after 40 parties dissolved

4 April 2023