Myanmar
- Thailand News
Crackdown on human trafficking as Thailand tries to upgrade its ranking
Thailand is to get tough on people smugglers, according to deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon in a Bangkok Post report today. The government aims to upgrade the country’s 2022 ranking in the US Trafficking in Persons Report, after being downgraded to the Tier 2 Watchlist in this year’s report. Being given a Tier 2 Watchlist ranking means a government is deemed…
- World News
Foreign Minister says visit to Myanmar was to oversee humanitarian aid delivery
The Foreign Minister has responded to questions about his visit to Myanmar by saying he was overseeing the delivery of humanitarian aid. Don Pramudwinai’s November 14 trip has been criticised by some as potentially legitimising the military leaders who overthrew the country’s democratically-elected government in February. Addressing the House of Representatives yesterday, Don said he went to the country purely…
- World News
Myanmar military will not attend Asia-Europe Meeting, sources say
Myanmar’s military has reportedly notified Cambodia that it will not attend the 13th ASEM Summit, where leaders from Asia and Europe meet (virtually) for two days, saying it would only send a technical team to watch the talks. The meeting, which starts today and ends tomorrow, will focus on the interaction of four main ideas: multilateralism, growth, sustainable development, and…
- Thailand News
60 more Burmese nationals arrested for illegal crossing of Thai border
A total of 60 Burmese nationals in three groups were detained yesterday after they reportedly crossed the Thailand border illegally through Muang and Sangkhla Buri districts, according to the police. In the morning, nine men and four women from Myanmar’s Dawei, Magway, Yangon, and Bago provinces, were arrested near Moo 15 village in tambon Ban Kao, who claimed to pay …
- World News
15 Burmese pilgrims drown while crossing flooded causeway to reach Buddhist temple
At least 15 pilgrims have drowned and at least 3 more are missing after trying to cross a flooded causeway in Myanmar. According to an AFP report, the incident occurred near the town of Thanbyuzayat in the state of Mon. The victims were among thousands of religious pilgrims who were attempting to reach the Kyeik Hne pagoda. The Buddhist temple…
- World News
Sea gypsies hope better livelihood ahead upcoming local elections
Local elections are coming up and it will be the first time many of Thailand’s Moken tribes, or also known as sea gypsies, will be voting in the Tambon Administration Organisation elections. The indigenous Moken tribes are known for their lifestyle of semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers for centuries in the Andaman Sea. They are known to be able to hold their breath…
- World News
China’s lobbying for Myanmar junta to join Xi Summit met with opposition
China’s Special Envoy of Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang has pressed Southeast Asian governments to allow Myanmar’s military ruler to attend a regional meeting hosted by China’s President next week, but has faced heavy opposition, diplomatic sources told Reuters reporters. He visited Singapore and Brunei last week, but was told that Myanmar military junta chief Ming Aung Hlaing would be unable…
- Crime News
11 inmates climb through hole in ceiling, escape from prison cell in Nakhon Sawan
Nearly a dozen inmates climbed through a hole in a holding cell and escape from the Khlong Pho Temporary Prison in the central province Nakhon Sawan where they were held as a isolation period before being sent to Nakhon Sawan Central Prison. Officers say the inmates have been found. Police Major-General Raphiphong Sukphaiboon from Nakhon Sawan police station said the…
- World News
Military eyes reopening Myanmar to tourists, shadow government says “stay away”
The State Administrative Council under the Myanmar military junta on Tuesday said it will reopen the country by next month, starting with border crossings with China and Thailand, ahead of a scheduled resumption of welcoming international tourists in the second quarter of 2022. It comes amid continued internal clashes between civilian and military troops in the aftermath of the military…
- World News
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi and ousted president to face another charge
Sixteen people, including Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and ousted President Win Myint, are set to face another charge of election fraud, the Union Election Commission under the military junta said on Monday. According to local media, Irrawaddy News, the former Chairman of the Union Election Commission and members Myint Naing and Than Htay, Cabinet Minister Min Thu,…
- World News
US journalist Danny Fenster released from Myanmar prison
Danny Fenster, American journalist who had been detained in Myanmar’s notorious Insein Prison for more than five months, was released and deported on Monday afternoon, according to his employer at Frontier Myanmar. The report was also confirmed by the US ex-diplomat Richardson, who recently visited Myanmar and talked with junta leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. He told Associated Press that Fenster “would…
- World News
Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister visits Myanmar capital to meet military junta
Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai, who also serves as deputy prime minister, met with the military junta’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and later with the coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing yesterday afternoon, according to a report by local media outlet Myanmar Now. It is unknown what topics the two parties discussed during this confidential day-trip made…
- Business News
Businesses call on government to accelerate return of migrant workers
Businesses in Thailand are urging the government to speed up the process that will allow for the legal return of migrant workers from neighbouring countries. The Labour Ministry recently confirmed its intention to sign MoUs with Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos that would permit workers from those countries to enter Thailand from December. However, according to a Bangkok Post report, Thailand’s…
- Covid-19 News
Half a million vaccine doses set aside for return of migrant workers
The Thai government has set aside up to half a million Covid-19 vaccine doses as it prepares for the return of much-needed migrant workers. The move comes following confirmation from Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin that Thailand will sign MoUs with neighbouring countries to allow workers to enter through legal channels. Officials have vowed to crack down on people smugglers and…
- World News
US journalist Fenster faces charges of terrorism and sedition
Danny Fenster, the American journalist that was taken into custody as he attempted to leave Myanmar in May, has had additional charges of terrorism and sedition levied against him today. He is now facing a maximum sentence of life in prison for those charges, a grave turn from the original 6 years he was facing for the accusation of promoting…
- World News
The UN says more than 3 million people in Myanmar need life-saving aid
The UN is urging Myanmar’s military leaders to allow unimpeded access to more than 3 million people who need life-saving aid. Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian chief, says since the February 1 coup, the numbers of those at-risk of losing their lives will only rise. The ongoing violence has not showed signs of slowing, and Griffiths says if a peaceful…
- Thailand News
Illegal border crossing on the rise along with tourism reopening
While Thailand is eager to see foreigners entering the country after Monday’s reopening, not all foreigners are as welcome as others. A crackdown on migrants crossing land borders illegally and entering the country without quarantine caught more than 3,000 people in this past week. A spokesperson for the Internal Security Operations Command correlated Thailand’s reopening to international tourism with the…
- World News
Burmese junta adds third charge for American journalist Fenster
The managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, American journalist Danny Fenster, has been held for months by the Burmese junta and has now been charged with a third criminal offence. He had originally been arrested in May when attempting to leave the country. After being held for nearly 6 months, Fenster is still on trial, accused of promoting dissent against the…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand renews crackdown on illegal migrants ahead of re-opening
Thailand is cracking down on illegal migrants and those who smuggle them into the country, as authorities try to prevent imported Covid-19 infections. The Defence Ministry says over 30,000 illegal migrants have been intercepted and deported since the beginning of the year. According to a Bangkok Post report, the number arrested continues to rise as the country prepares to re-open…
- World News
Myanmar no-show a focus as ASEAN summit gets underway
The exclusion of Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing from the ASEAN summit is looming over the annual regional meeting, with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha pointing to international focus on ASEAN’s response to the situation. As reported by Reuters, Prayut noted that the role of the regional association in addressing the matter is of “paramount importance”, with action taken to “have…
- World News
ASEAN snub of Myanmar junta praised by opposition government
Myanmar’s opposition government has commended the ASEAN announcement that they will not invite the junta leader to the regional summit. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations said that any envoy from Myanmar should be a legitimate representative. They have opted instead to invite a non-political representative from Myanmar, in what appears to be a clear snub of the country’s military…
- World News
Burmese junta leader not invited to ASEAN summit
After many members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed frustration at the Burmese junta seeming to brush off the actions agreed upon at a summit in April, the group is showing its ire by not inviting Burmese junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing to this month’s ASEAN summit. After an emergency meeting Friday, the decision was announced by…
- Thailand News
2 Thai women arrested transporting 7 Burmese migrants
At a checkpoint in Sangkhla Buri district in Kanchanaburi, 2 Thai women were arrested smuggling 7 Burmese migrants and a child, apparently attempting to transport them back to Myanmar. The stop took place at around 7 am this morning and the women were arrested in violation of provincial communicable disease committee orders to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Officials at…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | November 1 Thai tourism restarts, Samui removes quarantine, digital hub | Oct 12
November 1 is the D-day for fully vaccinated tourists from at least 10 “low-risk” countries to be able to travel to Thailand without quarantine. And Thailand’s digital hub is about to get some more government thrown at it. A plan to impose a 500 baht “tourism tax” on foreign arrivals from next year has divided opinion among tourism operators. Tourism officials…
- Thailand video news
Thailand Top Stories | Bangkok nightclub raided, Cambodia dogs sniff Covid | October 11
Thailand Top Stories | Bangkok nightclub raided, Cambodia dogs sniff Covid | October 11 | Caitlin gives us a quick update on the national Covid-19 situation as well as the top headlines in Thailand and Southeast Asia: Bangkok nightclub raided for a second time, Bangkok and 4 areas to reopen on November 1, Domestic flights to operate at full…
- World News
Burmese UN envoy calls for international support for democracy in Myanmar
The Burmese UN envoy says he’s intent on seeking international support for democracy in his country. Kyaw Moe Tun was speaking to Japanese news agency NHK at the UN offices in New York. He was made UN envoy by the former Burmese government, which was ousted in a military coup in February, despite having been democratically elected. According to a…
- Thailand video news
Phuket Vegetarian Festival kicks off, ASEAN talks on barring Myanmar from summit | Thailand Top Stories | October 7
Phuket Vegetarian Festival kicks off, ASEAN talks on barring Myanmar from summit | Thailand Top Stories | October 7 | Caitlin gives us a quick update on the national Covid-19 situation as well as the top headlines in Thailand and Southeast Asia: 45th anniversary of the 1976 massacre at Thammasat University, Phuket Vegetarian Festival kicks off, ASEAN discusses barring Myanmar…
- World News
Will Myanmar junta leader be given a seat at ASEAN summit?
A summit of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will take place later this month and delegates are debating whether to include Myanmar or not. The troubled nation is a member of the association, but other nations are debating whether to recognise and invite the military junta leader that overthrew the elected government in Myanmar in February…
- World News
US judge orders Facebook to disclose anti-Rohingya content as part of international case against Myanmar
A court in the US has ruled that Facebook must disclose posts it removed from its network on the grounds that they were inciting violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. The move comes as a number of countries take action against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice. The Bangkok Post reports that Judge Zia Faruqui has criticised Facebook for…
- Thailand video news
Morning Top Stories | CCSA says Nov 1 Re-opening possible, Joe Ferrari update | September 23
Caitlin gives us a covid update as well as all the morning headlines across Thailand and regional headlines around Asia: CCSA says Bangkok can reopen on November 1, “Joe Ferrari,” other officers face charges for disciplinary violations, Malaysia to allow interstate travel, tourism once 90% are vaccinated and a Covid-19 Update in Thailand.
