TOPIC

/ location

Myanmar

Latest news, updates and opinion on Myanmar, covering politics, economy, society and the country’s relationships with China and India, and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Capital

Naypyidaw

Head of State

Acting President Min Aung Hlaing

Head of Government

Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing

India

India rescues 2 Chinese nationals from sunken cargo ship, searches for others

The Panama-flagged vessel had ‌24 crew on board, including 20 Chinese nationals, according to India’s coastguard.

23 Aug 2026 - 3:03PM

War and conflict

Myanmar air strike kills 14 praying at monastery, rebel witnesses say

22 Aug 2026 - 6:48PM

Starlink

Asian Angle | SpaceX’s Starlink blackout punishes Myanmar civilians, not just cybercriminals

22 Aug 2026 - 12:00PM

US-China relations

Exclusive | Waico vs Pax Silica: Southeast Asia caught between China and US in AI race

Beijing reportedly offers exclusive perks to attract Global South partners while describing the American-led body as exclusionary.

22 Aug 2026 - 12:08AMvideocam

Protesters march in Manila on August 13 against Pax Silica, a US-led initiative established in December with the aim of reducing “coercive dependencies”. Photo: AFP

Scams and swindles

Asia faces scam ‘epidemic’ threat as gangs exploit agentic AI, analyst warns

The technology could allow scam syndicates to carry out multiple tasks to cheat victims at the same time without needing human intervention.

21 Aug 2026 - 3:12PMvideocam

US-China relations

US designates academic Min Zin as ‘wrongfully detained’ in China

Case adds friction weeks before Trump-Xi summit, with Washington pressing Beijing over Americans held in the country.

21 Aug 2026 - 6:53AMvideocam

US-China trade war

Editorial | ‘Transshipment scam’ is not a global conspiracy but a warning to the US

The White House’s accusation that over 40 nations are involved in a shadow network that harms the US betrays a misunderstanding of how trade works.

20 Aug 2026 - 7:15AM

Containers at the Port of Long Beach in the US on May 20. Photo: Los Angeles Times/TNS

Thailand

Fake residency of foreign children in Thailand spotlights widening corruption

Seven people were arrested after nearly 200 children from Myanmar were found falsely registered as occupants in cramped flats in Bangkok.

19 Aug 2026 - 6:40PMvideocam

Indonesia

Indonesia seizes 2.6 tonnes of liquid meth in record drug bust

This is the second raid involving a Tanzanian-flagged vessel in two weeks. Almost all the crew are from Myanmar.

19 Aug 2026 - 3:30PM

Vladimir Putin

Russia’s Putin hosts Myanmar leader, talks up energy projects

The president says the two countries are cooperating across a range of sectors, including energy, defence and even space exploration.

19 Aug 2026 - 1:41AM

Russia

Myanmar’s president heads to Moscow seeking Russian arms and oil

Fresh off a five-year military deal, Min Aung Hlaing is meeting Vladimir Putin for talks on further economic and security cooperation.

18 Aug 2026 - 5:15PM

Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing waves as he boards a plane bound for Russia on Monday. Photo: Myanmar’s Presidential Press and Information Bureau / AFP

Thailand

Thailand to review pardon rules after release of drug lord, 85, brings backlash

Laota Saenlee, a former anti-communist guerrilla turned drug runner, is freed after serving less than a decade of a life sentence.

18 Aug 2026 - 3:35PM

US-Asean relations

US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind

Analysts say a report accusing nine Southeast Asian nations of helping China skirt tariffs conflates cheating with legitimate trade.

18 Aug 2026 - 5:33PMvideocam

Thailand

How Cambodian worker exodus exposes Thailand’s fragile labour model

An estimated 780,000 Cambodian workers have left Thailand since last year’s border conflicts, affecting a wide range of industries.

16 Aug 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Cambodian migrant workers cross the border at Ban Laem Border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, Thailand, in July last year to return to their home amid the deadly border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Photo: Reuters

Asean

UN atrocity report adds friction to Myanmar junta’s push for legitimacy

The report says abuses escalated around the time Myanmar was conducting junta-led elections that saw Min Aung Hlaing elected as president.

14 Aug 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing reviews a Thai guard of honour during a welcome ceremony at Bangkok’s Government House on August 6. Photo: Reuters

Laos

‘Struggling to help’: surging waters leave Mekong communities without aid

Tens of thousands have been displaced in Laos and Myanmar, with rescue efforts hampered by threadbare resources.

13 Aug 2026 - 8:31PM

Mental health

Letters | 5-year plan must take mental health seriously for the economy’s sake

Readers discuss why mental health ought to be positioned as a strategic asset, and how the city is well-placed to build health resilience for the world’s most impoverished.

13 Aug 2026 - 11:30AM

Asean

AI threatens nearly a quarter of Southeast Asia’s workforce but not all is lost

Being most exposed to AI does not mean that jobs would be replaced – just that some could move up the value chain or evolve, analysts say.

14 Aug 2026 - 5:23PMvideocam

A man looks at a screen depicting a person made out of pixels. AI is affecting some jobs in Southeast Asia. Photo: dpa

Myanmar steps up civilian attacks with drones and paragliders, UN says

The attacks rose ahead of elections held in December and January, according to a team of UN investigators.

12 Aug 2026 - 7:55PM

Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong’s IOMed ‘ready to tackle state disputes, serve as Asian legal hub’

IOMed head Teresa Cheng says six countries have nominated 26 mediators to handle such disputes, as Hong Kong seeks Asia legal capital role.

11 Aug 2026 - 12:27PM

China travel

China’s aviation regulator steps up safety communication with foreign carriers

The Civil Aviation Administration of China, following some operational changes, has increased its aircraft checks as an additional safety measure.

11 Aug 2026 - 8:30AMvideocam

Planes from AirAsia, a subsidiary airline of Capital A, are seen on the tarmac of Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 in Sepang, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters

Asean

Myanmar rebuffs Asean call to free Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar will continue to work with Asean’s special envoy but does not see the need to continue when Singapore takes over on January 1.

9 Aug 2026 - 8:26PMvideocam

Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing reviews the honour guard during a welcoming ceremony at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday. Myanmar’s former army chief who had originally seized power in 2021 from Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government, has been trying to win political legitimacy since the takeover and resume relations with Asean. Photo: EPA

Asean

Can war-torn Myanmar finally realise its economic potential?

Myanmar’s economy has shown signs of life after years of sky-high inflation and negative growth, but experts say it is far from recovering.

11 Aug 2026 - 5:10PMvideocam

Thailand

Video | Myanmar’s president in first state visit to Thailand since coup

The junta-chief-turned-president pledged to improve ties with Asean despite the country’s leaders being barred from bloc’s summits since the 2021 coup.

7 Aug 2026 - 2:56PM

Thailand

Myanmar president heads to Thailand amid civil war at home

Thailand’s acknowledgement of Min Aung Hlaing’s legitimacy stems from a ‘straight up pragmatism’, analysts say.

7 Aug 2026 - 3:04PMvideocam

Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing leaves after delivering a speech in parliament on Friday. Photo: AP

Aung San Suu Kyi

Video | Myanmar’s Suu Kyi meets Red Cross official

Newly released photographs are among the few images that show the democratic leader since she was detained by the military in 2021.

4 Aug 2026 - 2:12PM

01:06

Aung San Suu Kyi

‘She is alive’: new Suu Kyi photos emerge as Myanmar junta faces pressure

In photos released by the president’s office, Suu Kyi is seen shaking hands with Arnaud de Baecque and cutting a birthday cake.

4 Aug 2026 - 2:40PMvideocam

Malaysia

‘Incomprehensible’: Malaysia’s Rohingya return deal sparks refoulement fears

Rights groups warn returnees to Myanmar could face forced conscription, arbitrary detention, torture and forced labour.

30 Jul 2026 - 8:46PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Myanmar

India rescues 2 Chinese nationals from sunken cargo ship, searches for others

The Panama-flagged vessel had ‌24 crew on board, including 20 Chinese nationals, according to India’s coastguard.

Myanmar air strike kills 14 praying at monastery, rebel witnesses say

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Asian Angle | SpaceX’s Starlink blackout punishes Myanmar civilians, not just cybercriminals

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Exclusive | Waico vs Pax Silica: Southeast Asia caught between China and US in AI race

Beijing reportedly offers exclusive perks to attract Global South partners while describing the American-led body as exclusionary.

Asia faces scam ‘epidemic’ threat as gangs exploit agentic AI, analyst warns

The technology could allow scam syndicates to carry out multiple tasks to cheat victims at the same time without needing human intervention.

US designates academic Min Zin as ‘wrongfully detained’ in China

Case adds friction weeks before Trump-Xi summit, with Washington pressing Beijing over Americans held in the country.

Editorial | ‘Transshipment scam’ is not a global conspiracy but a warning to the US

The White House’s accusation that over 40 nations are involved in a shadow network that harms the US betrays a misunderstanding of how trade works.

Fake residency of foreign children in Thailand spotlights widening corruption

Seven people were arrested after nearly 200 children from Myanmar were found falsely registered as occupants in cramped flats in Bangkok.

Indonesia seizes 2.6 tonnes of liquid meth in record drug bust

This is the second raid involving a Tanzanian-flagged vessel in two weeks. Almost all the crew are from Myanmar.

Russia’s Putin hosts Myanmar leader, talks up energy projects

The president says the two countries are cooperating across a range of sectors, including energy, defence and even space exploration.

Myanmar’s president heads to Moscow seeking Russian arms and oil

Fresh off a five-year military deal, Min Aung Hlaing is meeting Vladimir Putin for talks on further economic and security cooperation.

Thailand to review pardon rules after release of drug lord, 85, brings backlash

Laota Saenlee, a former anti-communist guerrilla turned drug runner, is freed after serving less than a decade of a life sentence.

US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind

Analysts say a report accusing nine Southeast Asian nations of helping China skirt tariffs conflates cheating with legitimate trade.

How Cambodian worker exodus exposes Thailand’s fragile labour model

An estimated 780,000 Cambodian workers have left Thailand since last year’s border conflicts, affecting a wide range of industries.

UN atrocity report adds friction to Myanmar junta’s push for legitimacy

The report says abuses escalated around the time Myanmar was conducting junta-led elections that saw Min Aung Hlaing elected as president.

‘Struggling to help’: surging waters leave Mekong communities without aid

Tens of thousands have been displaced in Laos and Myanmar, with rescue efforts hampered by threadbare resources.

Letters | 5-year plan must take mental health seriously for the economy’s sake

Readers discuss why mental health ought to be positioned as a strategic asset, and how the city is well-placed to build health resilience for the world’s most impoverished.

AI threatens nearly a quarter of Southeast Asia’s workforce but not all is lost

Being most exposed to AI does not mean that jobs would be replaced – just that some could move up the value chain or evolve, analysts say.

Myanmar steps up civilian attacks with drones and paragliders, UN says

The attacks rose ahead of elections held in December and January, according to a team of UN investigators.

Hong Kong’s IOMed ‘ready to tackle state disputes, serve as Asian legal hub’

IOMed head Teresa Cheng says six countries have nominated 26 mediators to handle such disputes, as Hong Kong seeks Asia legal capital role.

China’s aviation regulator steps up safety communication with foreign carriers

The Civil Aviation Administration of China, following some operational changes, has increased its aircraft checks as an additional safety measure.

Myanmar rebuffs Asean call to free Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar will continue to work with Asean’s special envoy but does not see the need to continue when Singapore takes over on January 1.

Can war-torn Myanmar finally realise its economic potential?

Myanmar’s economy has shown signs of life after years of sky-high inflation and negative growth, but experts say it is far from recovering.

Video | Myanmar’s president in first state visit to Thailand since coup

The junta-chief-turned-president pledged to improve ties with Asean despite the country’s leaders being barred from bloc’s summits since the 2021 coup.

Myanmar president heads to Thailand amid civil war at home

Thailand’s acknowledgement of Min Aung Hlaing’s legitimacy stems from a ‘straight up pragmatism’, analysts say.

Video | Myanmar’s Suu Kyi meets Red Cross official

Newly released photographs are among the few images that show the democratic leader since she was detained by the military in 2021.

‘She is alive’: new Suu Kyi photos emerge as Myanmar junta faces pressure

In photos released by the president’s office, Suu Kyi is seen shaking hands with Arnaud de Baecque and cutting a birthday cake.

‘Incomprehensible’: Malaysia’s Rohingya return deal sparks refoulement fears

Rights groups warn returnees to Myanmar could face forced conscription, arbitrary detention, torture and forced labour.

Asian Angle | SpaceX’s Starlink blackout punishes Myanmar civilians, not just cybercriminals

Exclusive | Waico vs Pax Silica: Southeast Asia caught between China and US in AI race