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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

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

Asean

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

2 minutes agovideocam

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

12 Aug 2026 - 7:55PM

Hong Kong courts

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

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

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

01:55

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

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

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

A Myanmar government handout photo shows ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi (left) talking to Arnaud de Baecque in Naypyitaw on Monday. Photo: Myanmar President Office/EPA

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

Rohingya refugees sit inside a truck as they are taken by police, in front of the office of the UN Refugee Agency, after being evicted from their homes, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Asean

Justice beyond borders: East Timor’s Myanmar case tests Asean diplomacy

The case, which alleges abuses in Myanmar’s northwestern Chin state, is now under consideration by the courts in Dili.

31 Jul 2026 - 9:15AMvideocam

Asean

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

29 Jul 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysian police raid online scam centres in Johor, arrest 335 people

Those arrested include 309 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesians and ⁠three Malaysians, with assets worth about US$245,000 also seized.

28 Jul 2026 - 9:00PM

An aerial view of the Forest City development in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, in December 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE

Crime

Myanmar approves death sentence in crackdown on scam centres

Junta-backed bill targets syndicate bosses with life in prison and capital punishment.

28 Jul 2026 - 2:12PMvideocam

People from China, Vietnam and Ethiopia after being released from scam centres in eastern Myanmar in 2025. Photo: AP

Asean

Myanmar military escalates civilian killings under new command, monitor reports

A conflict monitor records more than a dozen ⁠mass killings in 2026, over 450 civilians ⁠dead.

27 Jul 2026 - 1:41PM

Thailand

Thailand monastery added to Unesco heritage list, boosting tourism hopes

The Phra Mahathat monastery, the site has served as a regional Buddhist centre since its founding in the 8th century, according to Unesco.

27 Jul 2026 - 2:17AM

Aung San Suu Kyi

‘Defanging’ Aung San: Myanmar’s generals wage war on memory

Removing statues of the country’s founding father appears aimed at stripping democratic legitimacy from his daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi.

26 Jul 2026 - 10:00AM

A woman walks past a statue of Myanmar’s independence hero Aung San at Thu Mingalar Park in Yangon on July 16. Photo: AFP

Bangladesh

Video | Rohingyas risk deadly voyages as trafficking surges

One in seven of the Rohingya people who headed to sea hoping to escape poor conditions of the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh was reported missing or dead in 2025.

26 Jul 2026 - 9:00AM

Bangladesh

Video | 500 feared dead in Myanmar smuggler boat tragedy

The UN confirmed many passengers were Rohingya refugees fleeing camps in Bangladesh.

24 Jul 2026 - 9:48PM

Malaysia

Malaysia’s refugee registration halt risks ‘ultimate disaster’ for new arrivals

The asylum seekers would be ‘susceptible to enforcement raids’ and ‘extortion by both authorities and locals’, an activist says.

24 Jul 2026 - 5:12PM

A boat with Rohingya refugees attempts to enter Malaysia on the northeastern resort island of Langkawi in January last year. Photo: AP

Cambodia

Hun Manet vows to make Cambodia ‘not worth staying’ for scammers

Cambodia has come under significant international pressure over scam compounds, including from both the US and China.

24 Jul 2026 - 11:37AMvideocam

A soldier stands guard inside a compound that is believed to have been used for scam operations in O’Smach, near the Thai-Cambodian border, on March 6. Photo: Reuters

Laos

Myanmar and Laos plan downstream Mekong’s biggest dam yet

A joint study for a 2,790MW hydropower project is more political stunt than power plan, critics say.

22 Jul 2026 - 4:40PM

Indonesia

Indonesia’s AI ambitions test US-China balancing act

Analysts warn joining the new body could limit Indonesia’s access to US-made AI models and proprietary technology.

21 Jul 2026 - 6:41PMvideocam

Cambodia

Asia-Pacific cyberscam victims lost up to US$114 billion last year: UN

The losses from online scams, mostly investment fraud, are at least triple that from 2023, reflecting a ‘dramatic scaling’, the report says.

21 Jul 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

A Thai soldier walks near small booths lined with acoustic foam used to make scam calls inside a compound in Cambodia’s O’Smach border town on February 2. Photo: Reuters

Asean

Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’

As Chinese manufacturers migrate south, Asean has the leverage to dictate terms on local sourcing and skills training.

18 Jul 2026 - 12:00PM

A worker inspects fruit at a Chinese-financed mango processing factory in Cambodia’s Kampong Speu province last year. Photo: Xinhua

Rohingya Muslims

Rohingya refugees among over 500 feared dead after Myanmar boats capsize

The UN said the incidents highlighted the plight of Rohingya, calling for enhanced rescue and anti-trafficking efforts.

25 Jul 2026 - 6:36AMvideocam

Crime

Don’t buy brides, China’s Bangladesh embassy warns as trafficking surges

Officials warn Chinese citizens of a spike in international marriage scams and the risk of prosecution.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:42PMvideocam

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Myanmar

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

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

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.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}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.

Justice beyond borders: East Timor’s Myanmar case tests Asean diplomacy

The case, which alleges abuses in Myanmar’s northwestern Chin state, is now under consideration by the courts in Dili.

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

Malaysian police raid online scam centres in Johor, arrest 335 people

Those arrested include 309 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesians and ⁠three Malaysians, with assets worth about US$245,000 also seized.

Myanmar approves death sentence in crackdown on scam centres

Junta-backed bill targets syndicate bosses with life in prison and capital punishment.

Myanmar military escalates civilian killings under new command, monitor reports

A conflict monitor records more than a dozen ⁠mass killings in 2026, over 450 civilians ⁠dead.

Thailand monastery added to Unesco heritage list, boosting tourism hopes

The Phra Mahathat monastery, the site has served as a regional Buddhist centre since its founding in the 8th century, according to Unesco.

‘Defanging’ Aung San: Myanmar’s generals wage war on memory

Removing statues of the country’s founding father appears aimed at stripping democratic legitimacy from his daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Video | Rohingyas risk deadly voyages as trafficking surges

One in seven of the Rohingya people who headed to sea hoping to escape poor conditions of the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh was reported missing or dead in 2025.

Video | 500 feared dead in Myanmar smuggler boat tragedy

The UN confirmed many passengers were Rohingya refugees fleeing camps in Bangladesh.

Malaysia’s refugee registration halt risks ‘ultimate disaster’ for new arrivals

The asylum seekers would be ‘susceptible to enforcement raids’ and ‘extortion by both authorities and locals’, an activist says.

Hun Manet vows to make Cambodia ‘not worth staying’ for scammers

Cambodia has come under significant international pressure over scam compounds, including from both the US and China.

Myanmar and Laos plan downstream Mekong’s biggest dam yet

A joint study for a 2,790MW hydropower project is more political stunt than power plan, critics say.

Indonesia’s AI ambitions test US-China balancing act

Analysts warn joining the new body could limit Indonesia’s access to US-made AI models and proprietary technology.

Asia-Pacific cyberscam victims lost up to US$114 billion last year: UN

The losses from online scams, mostly investment fraud, are at least triple that from 2023, reflecting a ‘dramatic scaling’, the report says.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’

As Chinese manufacturers migrate south, Asean has the leverage to dictate terms on local sourcing and skills training.

Rohingya refugees among over 500 feared dead after Myanmar boats capsize

The UN said the incidents highlighted the plight of Rohingya, calling for enhanced rescue and anti-trafficking efforts.

Don’t buy brides, China’s Bangladesh embassy warns as trafficking surges

Officials warn Chinese citizens of a spike in international marriage scams and the risk of prosecution.

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

Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’