Politics

Rohingya refugees march on to camps after crossing the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh in October 2017. Their situation remains tenuous two years later.
Comment

Rohingya crisis redraws fault lines in Myanmar politics

Conflicting views of public, military and international community hem Suu Kyi in

24 October 2019
Suu Kyi acknowledges that solving Myanmar's problems is taking time, but that sustainable solutions are more important than quick fixes. (Photo by Wataru Ito) 
Interview

Q&A with Aung San Suu Kyi: We see China and Japan as friends

State Counselor talks political reform, Rakhine crisis and desire for neutrality

23 October 2019
Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review on Oct. 23 in Tokyo. (Photo by Wataru Ito)
Interview

Suu Kyi: Myanmar constitution must change for 'complete democracy'

De facto leader calls Rohingya crackdown a response to 'terrorist attack'

23 October 2019
Of the 60 offshore gaming operators licensed to operate in the Philippines, over 80% are registered outside the country, mostly in the British Virgin Islands.
Media & Entertainment

Shadowy operators power Duterte's offshore gaming boom

Lawmakers question value of online casino industry registered in tax havens

15 October 2019
Exiled Cambodian opposition politician Sam Rainsy prays in September with Cambodian Buddhist monks in San Jose, California. (Photo provided by Sam Rainsy)
Interview

Cambodian opposition icon vows return and million-strong welcome

Sam Rainsy pledges to lead 'people power' movement against Hun Sen

14 October 2019
Cambodian authorities in June ordered the destruction of Bun Kim Long's 80 pigs. Like many smallholder pig raisers across Asia, her business is in tatters. (photo by Shaun Turton)
Agriculture

African swine fever wipes out Asia's backyard pig farmers

Outbreak forcing a shift to commercial operations with biosecurity resources

11 October 2019
The construction site of the railway arch bridge with world's longest span of 490 meters across the Nujiang River in China, which is a key section of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor: the NLD government has paved the way for the project.
Opinion

China walks political tightrope in Myanmar

Beijing should leverage its influence with military

8 October 2019
Soldiers walk over Gote Twin bridge damaged by explosion in northern Shan State, Myanmar on Aug. 15. Members of an ethnic rebel alliance in Myanmar staged coordinated attacks in five locations in Mandalay Region and in northern Shan State, where 14 people were reported killed.
Belt and Road

Renewed conflict in Myanmar slows China's Belt and Road projects

Ethnic strife and national pride halt Beijing-championed infrastructure projects

6 October 2019
Tsai Ing-wen rejuvenated the New Southbound Policy in 2016 while Beijing launched its measures to bring Taipei back into line.
Opinion

Taiwan's New Southbound Policy is decreasing its reliance on China

Looking to regional neighbors for closer trade relationships is bearing fruit

4 October 2019
Thailand expects to take possession of 140 Stryker armored vehicles from the U.S., which is to hand over more than 50 of the personnel carriers for free.
International relations

Thailand-US defense ties heal as China makes gains in Cambodia

Delivery of armored vehicles comes as Washington frets over Beijing's dominance

18 September 2019
Opening ceremony of the Yangon Stock Exchange center in December 2015: among the bourse's five listees are banks, investment companies and a real estate developer.
Opinion

Asian stock exchanges are getting ahead of themselves

China, Hong Kong and Myanmar's bourses have all made hasty moves recently

16 September 2019
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in April. China supported the Southeast Asian country when it was isolated and continues to build influence.
Comment

China's gains in Myanmar divert US attention from human rights

Security takes priority over Rohingya as Beijing builds strategic clout

14 September 2019
Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh: more than 700,000 members of the ethnic Rohingya live in sordid makeshift refugee camps. 
Opinion

Rohingya refugees should press Myanmar for their own state

Self-government in Rakhine could persuade them back from Bangladesh

4 September 2019
From left, Naypyidaw, Putrajaya and Astana (source photo from Reuters)
Politics

A short history of relocating capitals in Asia

Indonesia's move has precedents in places such as Myanmar and Malaysia

30 August 2019
Philippine central bank governor Benjamin Diokno told reporters Wednesday that officials are bracing for the possible end of online gaming. (Photo by Manda Yeung)
29 August 2019
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands, but Cambodia needs to be careful about its relationship with its more powerful regional neighbor
Opinion

It is time for US and Cambodia, in China's shadow, to reset ties

Both sides need to repair rock-bottom relations with frank discussions

28 August 2019
The Mekong River in Laos: drought is a reflection of the broader inability of the Mekong countries to agree on a regional plan for managing their water resources.
Opinion

Mekong nears tipping point as US-China rivalry grows

Difficult choices ahead as drought takes hold in downstream countries

27 August 2019
Workers leave the Ngwe Pinlae Industrial Zone in Myanmar after work on Aug. 17. (Photo by Yuichi Nitta)
Business trends

Fashion brands rethink Myanmar position after report on military ties

Hong Kong's Esprit says it will no longer source from industrial zones named in UN report

26 August 2019
ASEAN should remain front and center of regional action and coordination to keep powers from outright conflict.
Opinion

ASEAN must mitigate war without weapons between US and China

Southeast Asian bloc should stop coining acronyms and start acting

21 August 2019
Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has traveled to all parts of the country since January to shore up political support.
Politics

Myanmar's Suu Kyi furious about corruption ahead of elections

Ruling NLD struggles in rural regions with little to show in reforms

19 August 2019
Pol Pot's right-hand man Nuon Chea, pictured in February 2008, was finally brought to justice.
Opinion

Nuon Chea's death highlights importance of Khmer Rouge Tribunal

There can be no perfect justice for Cambodian genocide, but law helps healing

16 August 2019
Narendra Modi visits Sri Lanka in June 2019: if connectivity initiatives have to succeed, "we must also build bridges of trust," said Modi.
Opinion

India responds to Belt and Road Initiative with infrastructure push

New Delhi does not want China to dominate its backyard so has started spending

13 August 2019
Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, has an array of business interests, from construction and pharmaceuticals to tourism and banking.
International relations

UN team recommends sanctions on Myanmar military businesses

Foreign companies urged to 'sever ties' to avoid enabling Rohingya abuses

5 August 2019
Cambodian Navy sailors stand in formation alongside a Chinese naval patrol boat at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base: China and Cambodia reportedly have signed a secret agreement to create an outpost for Chinese military forces.
Opinion

China's naval expansionism is natural path for emerging global power

Potential Chinese ports in Cambodia and Pakistan frighten regional rivals

2 August 2019
A container filled with trash arrives at a port in Indonesia. 
Environment

Southeast Asia sends back heaps of trash to rich countries

After China import ban, garbage-filled containers swamp the region

30 July 2019