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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 damaged building after a blast at an explosives depot in Kaung Tat village, Namkham, northern Shan State, Myanmar on Sunday. Photo: EPA

War and conflict

Rescuers dig for bodies after Myanmar explosives blast kills at least 38

The incident has cast a spotlight on Myanmar’s largely unregulated mineral industry and Chinese investment in the country’s extractive industries.

1 Jun 2026 - 7:57PMvideocam

India

Why India is rolling out welcome mat for Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing

2 Jun 2026 - 8:12AM

Myanmar’s changing ties with China

Myanmar’s China-backed mega dam revival risks Kachin rebel backlash

1 Jun 2026 - 8:00AM

Hong Kong

45 killed in Myanmar’s Shan state after blast at mining explosive storage facility

The village in Namhkam township is under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an ethnic armed group opposed to the junta.

31 May 2026 - 11:09PMvideocam

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army opposes the junta in Naypyidaw and oversees the area where the explosion took place in Namhkam township, Shan State, Myanmar. Photo: AP

Asean

Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.

31 May 2026 - 10:00AM

Singapore

Sustained security can’t come from ‘barrel of a gun’: East Timor’s Ramos-Horta

At the Shangri-La Dialogue, the East Timor president cites Asean as an example of how communication can prevent conflict and yield dividends.

30 May 2026 - 10:27PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

30 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

China-India relations

What India’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ near Malacca means for its China ties

Uncertainty over Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran conflict has New Delhi moving on US$10 billion plan to transform Great Nicobar Island.

28 May 2026 - 5:21PMvideocam

India

India orders new deportation centres days after BJP election victory

The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has ordered detention centres for undocumented migrants in West Bengal state, sparking fear of arbitrary expulsions.

25 May 2026 - 7:37PM

Thailand

Budget cuts leave Thailand’s twin-sea navy at risk of falling behind

With submarine projects stalled and frigate funding cut, Thailand’s fleet risks being outpaced by regional rivals.

24 May 2026 - 8:00AM

Thai aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet (rear) accompanies transport ship HTMS Chang (front) before entering a naval base. Photo: Royal Thai Navy

Southeast Asia forced-labour scams

Myanmar’s Wei family go on trial in latest phase of China’s scam farm crackdown

The clan, one of Kokang’s ‘four families’, is accused of a range of crimes including murder, fraud and extortion.

22 May 2026 - 6:57PMvideocam

Wei Huairen pictured at the time of his arrest in January 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Asean

Over 4,300 Southeast Asian species face extinction threat

Tigers, giant catfish, gibbons and pangolins are among the thousands of ‘critically endangered’ or ‘endangered’ species in the region.

23 May 2026 - 3:23PM

Chen Zhi

Cambodia raids sites linked to Chen Zhi, Chinese tycoon accused of scam empire

82 Chinese nationals among 104 people detained in Phnom Penh raids as governments around the world crack down on Chen’s scam business.

21 May 2026 - 5:39PMvideocam

Singapore

Final report reveals truth behind deadly Singapore Airlines turbulence

Investigators concluded it was ‘likely’ the jet’s radar failed to detect bad weather before the turbulence hit in 2024.

20 May 2026 - 3:51PMvideocam

The interior of Singapore Airlines flight 321 after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport on May 21, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong courts

4 plead guilty to rioting during 2019 PolyU siege in Hong Kong

Cheung Chung-yiu, Cheung Chin-ming, Chan Chun-hei and Chan Yuen-ming were aged between 16 and 27 at the time of the November 2019 riots.

18 May 2026 - 10:04PM

The four defendants will be sentenced on June 8. Photo: Jelly Tse

Sri Lanka

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

18 May 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

Indonesia

Police raids reveal Indonesia as new hub for scam, gambling syndicates

Hundreds of foreigners have been arrested in Indonesia recently following crackdowns against crime groups in Cambodia and Myanmar.

12 May 2026 - 8:11PMvideocam

Asean

‘Tentative step’: Asean weighs bringing Myanmar back into the fold

Virtual talks may offer a ‘sensible middle ground’ for reconciliation after Myanmar’s years in the political wilderness, analysts say.

12 May 2026 - 5:07PMvideocam

Myanmar’s newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing waves as he leaves after a swearing-in ceremony in Naypyidaw on April 10. Photo: AP

Indonesia

321 foreigners arrested in Indonesia online gambling crackdown

The foreigners, mainly from Vietnam, were arrested near Jakarta’s Chinatown section that investigators described as a hub for more than 70 online gambling websites.

11 May 2026 - 11:13AMvideocam

Asean

Asean to step up push for South China Sea code, energy security

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr says the code of conduct is key to unlocking deeper China-Asean economic cooperation.

8 May 2026 - 10:28PMvideocam

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Leapmotor taps Stellantis’ Spanish plant for EU production

Hangzhou carmaker’s overseas strategy highlights how Chinese brands are leveraging idle plants to scale globally while easing trade barriers.

8 May 2026 - 9:40PM

A Leapmotor Lafa5 Ultra is on display at the Beijing Auto Show on April 24. Photo: AFP

Asean

Asean’s pivot to energy security leaves long-standing issues on summit sidelines

Southeast Asia is one of the worst affected by the global fuel crisis due to its high imports of oil and gas coming from the Gulf.

8 May 2026 - 1:17PMvideocam

Asean

Myanmar could come in from the cold as Asean members warm towards nation

Myanmar has been largely sidelined from top-level Asean meetings since a 2021 military coup that sparked a nationwide civil conflict.

8 May 2026 - 10:18AMvideocam

Mainland China

Myanmar’s military rulers hire Trump ally for US$50,000 a month to lobby Washington

Roger Stone has been commissioned to rebuild relations with the US, though analysts doubt Myanmar can escape its pariah status.

7 May 2026 - 4:13PM

Indonesia

‘I started crying’: Indonesian captain’s wife in agony over pirate attack

Captain Ashari Samadikun had sent a chilling warning to his wife before his fuel tanker was hijacked by pirates last month.

6 May 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

An armed Somali pirate along the coastline in northeastern Somalia. Photo: AFP

Asean

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

6 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

A farm worker sprays fertiliser on a paddy field at Sabak Bernam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 1. Conflict in the Middle East has driven up prices of energy, fertiliser and food production. Photo: EPA

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi’s son asks France to help him locate mother in Myanmar

Kim Aris says he has still not heard from his mother after she was transferred to house arrest last week.

6 May 2026 - 9:27AMvideocam

Thailand

‘Phantom birth’ scam spooks Thailand as hundreds of babies get fake citizenship

Police believe that some Chinese cyber scammers are using these false registrations to launder money through firms they can fully control.

5 May 2026 - 3:47PMvideocam

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Myanmar

Rescuers dig for bodies after Myanmar explosives blast kills at least 38

The incident has cast a spotlight on Myanmar’s largely unregulated mineral industry and Chinese investment in the country’s extractive industries.

Why India is rolling out welcome mat for Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing

Myanmar’s China-backed mega dam revival risks Kachin rebel backlash

45 killed in Myanmar’s Shan state after blast at mining explosive storage facility

The village in Namhkam township is under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an ethnic armed group opposed to the junta.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.

Sustained security can’t come from ‘barrel of a gun’: East Timor’s Ramos-Horta

At the Shangri-La Dialogue, the East Timor president cites Asean as an example of how communication can prevent conflict and yield dividends.

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

What India’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ near Malacca means for its China ties

Uncertainty over Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran conflict has New Delhi moving on US$10 billion plan to transform Great Nicobar Island.

India orders new deportation centres days after BJP election victory

The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has ordered detention centres for undocumented migrants in West Bengal state, sparking fear of arbitrary expulsions.

Budget cuts leave Thailand’s twin-sea navy at risk of falling behind

With submarine projects stalled and frigate funding cut, Thailand’s fleet risks being outpaced by regional rivals.

Myanmar’s Wei family go on trial in latest phase of China’s scam farm crackdown

The clan, one of Kokang’s ‘four families’, is accused of a range of crimes including murder, fraud and extortion.

Over 4,300 Southeast Asian species face extinction threat

Tigers, giant catfish, gibbons and pangolins are among the thousands of ‘critically endangered’ or ‘endangered’ species in the region.

Cambodia raids sites linked to Chen Zhi, Chinese tycoon accused of scam empire

82 Chinese nationals among 104 people detained in Phnom Penh raids as governments around the world crack down on Chen’s scam business.

Final report reveals truth behind deadly Singapore Airlines turbulence

Investigators concluded it was ‘likely’ the jet’s radar failed to detect bad weather before the turbulence hit in 2024.

4 plead guilty to rioting during 2019 PolyU siege in Hong Kong

Cheung Chung-yiu, Cheung Chin-ming, Chan Chun-hei and Chan Yuen-ming were aged between 16 and 27 at the time of the November 2019 riots.

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

Police raids reveal Indonesia as new hub for scam, gambling syndicates

Hundreds of foreigners have been arrested in Indonesia recently following crackdowns against crime groups in Cambodia and Myanmar.

‘Tentative step’: Asean weighs bringing Myanmar back into the fold

Virtual talks may offer a ‘sensible middle ground’ for reconciliation after Myanmar’s years in the political wilderness, analysts say.

321 foreigners arrested in Indonesia online gambling crackdown

The foreigners, mainly from Vietnam, were arrested near Jakarta’s Chinatown section that investigators described as a hub for more than 70 online gambling websites.

Asean to step up push for South China Sea code, energy security

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr says the code of conduct is key to unlocking deeper China-Asean economic cooperation.

Chinese EV maker Leapmotor taps Stellantis’ Spanish plant for EU production

Hangzhou carmaker’s overseas strategy highlights how Chinese brands are leveraging idle plants to scale globally while easing trade barriers.

Asean’s pivot to energy security leaves long-standing issues on summit sidelines

Southeast Asia is one of the worst affected by the global fuel crisis due to its high imports of oil and gas coming from the Gulf.

Myanmar could come in from the cold as Asean members warm towards nation

Myanmar has been largely sidelined from top-level Asean meetings since a 2021 military coup that sparked a nationwide civil conflict.

Myanmar’s military rulers hire Trump ally for US$50,000 a month to lobby Washington

Roger Stone has been commissioned to rebuild relations with the US, though analysts doubt Myanmar can escape its pariah status.

‘I started crying’: Indonesian captain’s wife in agony over pirate attack

Captain Ashari Samadikun had sent a chilling warning to his wife before his fuel tanker was hijacked by pirates last month.

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s son asks France to help him locate mother in Myanmar

Kim Aris says he has still not heard from his mother after she was transferred to house arrest last week.

‘Phantom birth’ scam spooks Thailand as hundreds of babies get fake citizenship

Police believe that some Chinese cyber scammers are using these false registrations to launder money through firms they can fully control.

Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel