Politics

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Asia Insight

Asia's flashpoints: What could go wrong in 2020

Missiles, military clashes, defaults and political crises in the cards

31 December 2019
Xi Jinping's ultimate aim is to win acceptance for what he has called a "community of common destiny" around Asia.
Opinion

2020 look ahead: Chinese influence a concern as ASEAN elections arrive

Taiwan, Singapore and others must beware Beijing's intentions as voters go to polls

31 December 2019
Vietnamese residents take photos as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un goes past in Hanoi on Feb. 26.
Photos

2019 in pictures: Looking back at a year of celebrations, confrontations and more

A selection of striking images from across Asia, and the stories behind them

29 December 2019
Kohon Ja, a Myanmar woman, applies “thanaka,” a traditional cosmetic paste made from finely ground bark, to her face at her home. She was forced to marry a Chinese man. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Photos

In pictures: Myanmar women trafficked as brides in China

Casting shadow on Belt and Road, victims share their ordeals

29 December 2019
Photos by Getty Images, Reuters
Politics

The 2010s in review: A decade of political and economic shocks

The past 10 years saw the rise of strongmen, the fall of an icon and an unexpected return

27 December 2019
© Illustration by Michael Tsang
Asia Insight

Manila Vice: Xi and Duterte grapple with online casino crime

China wants to kill thriving industry; the Philippines aims to tame it

24 December 2019
Beijing is promoting special economic zones in Laos as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. (Nikkeimontage/Source photo by Reuters)
Belt and Road

China digs Laos in deeper with flurry of SEZs

With Vientiane's hunger for investment, debt-trap fears mount

23 December 2019
Myanmar Leader Aung San Suu Kyi is welcomed by supporters waving Myanmar flags outside the airport as she arrives from the Netherlands on Dec. 14 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Politics

Genocide trial strengthens Suu Kyi's unifying power at home

Myanmar leader defends military at ICJ hearing

21 December 2019
Aung San Suu Kyi waits to address judges of the ICJ on Dec. 11, the second day of hearings: Suu Kyi has played her role to bring the military under control, forcing it to work with her and her party.
Opinion

Aung San Suu Kyi is playing politics with appearance at Rohingya case

Defending military from charge of genocide wins her power at home

16 December 2019
Russia sold $6.6 billion in arms to Southeast Asia between 2010 and 2017, making it the largest weapons supplier to the region.
International relations

Russia quietly expands military ties with Laos

Beijing has not objected to Moscow's military role in the region, experts say

14 December 2019
Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi addresses judges in the International Court of Justice on Dec. 11.
Politics

Myanmar's Suu Kyi denies genocide charges at Hague tribunal

Nobel laureate says her country can hold its own military accountable

11 December 2019
A television factory in Shenzhen, China. The U.S. has additional tariffs coming on Dec. 15 that already have Chinese manufacturers scurrying.
Trade war

China Inc's search for factories hits technological wall in Cambodia

US tariffs and threat of more put manufacturers in tight spot

10 December 2019
Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi is set to deny accusations of persecution of the Rohingya people when she appears at the U.N.'s highest court. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Politics

Suu Kyi to defend Myanmar over Rohingya crisis at international court

Suit filed by Islamic organization to be heard in The Hague.

6 December 2019
Cambodia's own currency only accounts for 20% of money used in the nation. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Economy

Chinese money flocks to dollar-based Cambodian economy

Phnom Penh starting to seek economic growth based on national currency

1 December 2019
People wait to check if their names are included in the National Register of Citizens at a draft center in Mayoung, India, pictured in July 2018: migration from Bangladesh has become politically explosive in India.
Opinion

China and India must address causes of migration to stop human traffic

Larger Asian countries are closing their borders, just like West and Gulf states

25 November 2019
Myanmar's garment industry will be irreparably damaged if the EU ends privileged access for the country's exports.
Opinion

Misplaced calls for Myanmar sanctions threaten wrong people

EU trade restrictions in response to Rohingya crisis would hurt ordinary workers

22 November 2019
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and the European Union flag. The EU last week sent Cambodia its preliminary report on whether to suspend the country from special trade privileges over its human rights record. (Nikkei Montage/ Source photo by Reuters)
Hun Sen's Cambodia

Hun Sen rival faces trial even as EU threatens Cambodia sanctions

Kem Sokha will be tried for treason despite being released from house arrest

19 November 2019
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, pictured at the ASEM leaders summit in Brussels in October 2018: external pressure is unlikely to transform the mindset of those in power.
Opinion

European trade threats risk pushing Cambodia closer to China

Beijing offers financial backing under framework of noninterference

19 November 2019
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has been criticized for quashing the opposition during his more than three decades in power.
Hun Sen's Cambodia

Cambodian leader releases activists to save EU trade perks

Hun Sen eases grip on opposition after blocking Sam Rainsy's homecoming

16 November 2019
A mysteriously long runway has appeared near the site of a planned resort that a Chinese company is building in Cambodia, along the Gulf of Thailand. (Photo by Tomoya Onishi)
International relations

Cambodia's China-built runway irks US but locals have other concerns

Farmers and workers carry on as Chinese transplants drive up land prices

11 November 2019
Cambodia's self-exiled opposition party founder Sam Rainsy hugs a supporter during his arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday.
Hun Sen's Cambodia

Sam Rainsy enters Malaysia ahead of planned Cambodia homecoming

Hun Sen's government appears willing to allow opposition leader's return

9 November 2019
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen attends a funeral in Phnom Penh. Cambodia has sent arrest warrants for Rainsy to all 10 members of the Southeast Asian bloc.
Hun Sen's Cambodia

Hun Sen rival blocked from flight as Cambodia showdown heats up

Sam Rainsy unable to transit via Thailand as he faces ASEAN roadblocks to homecoming

8 November 2019
Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi attends a meeting in Bangkok on Nov. 3, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit. 
International relations

UN chief calls on Myanmar to ensure 'safe' Rohingya repatriation

Guterres -- and Indonesia's Jokowi -- increase pressure on Suu Kyi

3 November 2019
A Cambodian woman works at a loom: The European Union will soon complete a review of human rights in the Southeast Asian country that could make it ineligible for trade preferences.
International relations

EU weighs softer stance toward Cambodia over human rights

Official says ending trade preferences will impoverish already-poor workers

3 November 2019
Cambodian riot police are seen in Phnom Penh. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s planned return coincides with Independence Day and security personnel across the Kingdom have been put on alert over the past few weeks.
Politics

Cambodia braces for showdown with EU over opposition icon

Garment industry stands to lose access to biggest market if Sam Rainsy is arrested

2 November 2019