Myanmar Crisis

Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota: "I needed to film a flash protest, during which protesters only have about 30 seconds to voice their opposition."
Interview

Freed Japan filmmaker reveals arrest, sham trial in Myanmar

Filming 30-second protests landed Toru Kubota a 10-year jail term

28 November 2022
The Thilawa special economic zone opened in 2015 outside Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. (Photo by Nikkei)
Myanmar Crisis

Foreign companies in Myanmar bide their time with eye on long view

Toyota makes just one or two trucks a day at its new assembly plant

23 November 2022
The G-20 summit in Bali was one of a series of high-level international meetings held over the course of 12 days this month.
International relations

From ASEAN to G-20 to APEC: 12 days of summitry summed up

India wins, Russia loses and face-to-face meetings help cool U.S.-China tempers

21 November 2022
Former U.K. Ambassador Vicky Bowman, left, Australian economist Sean Turnell and Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota were among 6,000 prisoners released from prison by Myanmar's desperate military regime on Nov. 17. (Source photos by AP and Kyodo)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar releases ex-UK envoy, Aussie economist, Japan filmmaker

Freeing 6,000, military regime attempts to alter narrative about its failures

17 November 2022
The venue for the 2022 ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh: It is time for bold and courageous efforts at waging peace.
Opinion

ASEAN can make a difference for Myanmar and for the world

Southeast Asia must seize summit opportunities to secure commitments to peace

14 November 2022
Thai opposition figure Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit says, "If Thailand had successfully stopped the coup d'etat of 2014, there might have been no military coup in Myanmar." (Photo by Walid Berrazeg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Interview

Thai opposition leader defends Taiwan, vows support for Myanmar

Thanathorn criticizes Prayuth's embrace of China and Min Aung Hlaing

12 November 2022
The Myanmar kyat has lost 60% of its value,
Opinion

Myanmar's financial blacklisting is worth the risks it brings

Disruption of fund flows will hit aid groups and opposition, alongside regime

10 November 2022
Then-U.S. President Barack Obama appears on the cover of The Irrawaddy in this 2014 photo.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar bans Irrawaddy news site for disturbing 'public tranquility'

Military government had criticized the outlet for past reporting

1 November 2022
Military government leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing dreams of becoming Myanmar's president, according to sources close to him.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar's Gen. Min Aung Hlaing sets sights on presidency: sources

Military proxy party gears up for coming election with leadership change

29 October 2022
ASEAN foreign ministers expressed frustration over the lack of progress in resolving Myanmar's civil conflict at a meeting on Oct. 27, at a meeting in Jakarta. (Pool photo)
Myanmar Crisis

ASEAN stresses need for 'time-bound' Myanmar peace plan

Foreign ministers discuss options ahead of bloc's summit next month

27 October 2022
Charred wooden structures remain at this site in Myanmar's Kachin State after three fighter jets sent by the country's military bombed a concert on Oct. 23, killing scores of people.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar's airstrike of concert draws global condemnation

Western diplomats say military defied its 'obligation to protect civilians'

27 October 2022
With FATF blacklisting, banks are expected to impose additional due diligence requirements for transactions involving Myanmar.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar blacklisted by FATF for terrorism and crime finance

Analysts see designation as another 'damning indictment' of military regime

22 October 2022
Children are seen at the Mae La refugee camp in April 2022. Three generations of Burmese children, many of whom do not speak Burmese, have grown up in the camp, the largest of nine refugee camps established in the 1980s along the Thai-Myanmar border inside Thailand. (Courtesy of Visual Rebellion Myanmar)
Arts

Bangkok photo exhibit portrays plight of Myanmar refugees

Those forced to live in Thai borderlands face an "Endless Escape"

20 October 2022
Toru Kubota, Japanese documentary filmmaker, was detained in July in Myanmar after filming anti-military protests.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar military sentences Japanese journalist to 3 more years in prison

Tokyo calls for release of filmmaker who now faces a decade behind bars

13 October 2022
Toyota Motor has started operating its assembly plant near Yangon, Myanmar.
Myanmar Crisis

Toyota begins auto output in Myanmar

Launch comes after delay of over 19 months due to military takeover

11 October 2022
Japan will accept general travelers into the country from Tuesday for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, permitting visa-free entry for visitors from 68 countries and regions. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)
Your Week in Asia

China 20th Party Congress, Japan resumes visa-free travel, BTS concert

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

9 October 2022
Toru Kubota was detained while covering protests against Myanmar's military regime.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar tribunal sentences Japanese documentary maker to prison

Toru Kubota faces combined 10 years for incitement and other charges

6 October 2022
Han Lay, who was crowned Miss Grand International Myanmar in 2021, was placed on a wanted list after denouncing Myanmar's military government last year.
Myanmar Crisis

Former Miss Myanmar leaves Thailand to seek refuge in Canada

Han Lay, who denounced the Myanmar military government, was denied entry in Bangkok

29 September 2022
Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand demonstrate against the military regime in May. If blacklisted by the FATF, Myanmar citizens around the world would have more difficulty accessing financial services.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar citizens would bear brunt of potential FATF blacklisting

Move would squeeze foreign aid; experts warn of 'detrimental consequences'

25 September 2022
Khin Yi speaks at a USDP news conference in Yangon in November 2020. He claimed that there was significant fraud in the election held that year.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar's army-backed party to replace chief with general's ally

Khin Yi to take reins at USDP after predecessor steps aside for health reasons

23 September 2022
Kirin had hoped to continue selling beer in Myanmar after the dissolution of the joint venture but it was not able to do so.
Myanmar Crisis

Kirin pulls arbitration request in venture with Myanmar military

Japanese beverage maker moves forward with exit from country

21 September 2022
Ooredoo is believed to rank lowest in terms of subscribers among the country's four wireless carriers.
Telecommunication

Qatari telecom Ooredoo to exit Myanmar, following Norway's Telenor

Business will be sold to Singapore-based company with local ties

9 September 2022
Automobiles queue up at a gas station in Yangon, Myanmar.
Myanmar Crisis

Foreign companies in Myanmar struggle with shortage of dollars

Military government blamed for fickle foreign currency control policy

8 September 2022
Riot police guard a bank in Yangon. Myanmar's economy has been hit hard by Western sanctions over the military takeover.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar faces blacklisting risk by global financial crime watchdog

FATF's designation could further dent the regime's economic credentials

7 September 2022
ATOM has been running an aggressive advertising campaign in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, since rebranding in June.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar mobile carriers weigh options as military tightens grip

Ex-Telenor unit rebrands as ATOM while Qatar's Ooredoo considers exit

3 September 2022