ASEAN IN FOCUS
5.9 magnitude quake strikes off Indonesia’s Sumatra: USGS
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — A 5.9 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island Monday, the United States Geological Survey said, but there was no tsunami warning or immediate reports of damage. The offshore quake hit at a shallow depth of six kilometres (3.7 miles), about 255 kilometres south of the town of Sinabang. Shallow quakes tend to do more damage than deep tremors. Indonesia experiences frequent quakes due to its position on […]
Biden, Indonesia’s Widodo tell Myanmar junta to release prisoners
GLASGOW, United Kingdom (AFP) — US President Joseph Biden and Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on Monday on the Myanmar military junta to release political prisoners, the White House said. Meeting on the sidelines of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Biden and Widodo also highlighted “freedom of the seas” in the Indo-Pacific region, the White House said, using language that typically refers to criticism of China’s increasingly muscular presence. According to the White House, […]
Biden denounces coup and ‘horrific violence’ in Myanmar
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden on Tuesday denounced the military coup and “horrific violence” in Myanmar at a summit with ASEAN leaders, the White House said. Addressing the virtual summit, Biden “expressed grave concerns about the military coup and horrific violence in Burma and called on the country’s military regime to immediately end the violence, release those unjustly detained, and restore Burma’s path to democracy,” a statement said. Myanmar’s military […]
Pres. Duterte calls on ASEAN to help Myanmar attain peace; says PHL ready to accept Myanmar refugees
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte urged member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help Myanmar in resolving its domestic issues, and expressed the country’s commitment to accept refugees from Myanmar. The 76-year old Philippine leader, participated in his last ASEAN Summit, and said that the ASEAN should collectively address the Myanmar issue “as a responsible community”. “The lack of progress in Myanmar has put ASEAN’s credibility into question. How […]
Which Asia-Pacific countries are re-opening to foreign visitors?
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Thailand’s re-opening to vaccinated foreign tourists marks a major easing of border controls for Asia, where governments have been far slower to roll back coronavirus travel curbs than in much of the West. Here is a look at which countries are opening up across the Asia-Pacific region and those staying sealed off from the world. – Southeast Asia – Thailand will allow vaccinated travellers from 46 countries and territories […]
Pres. Duterte calls for ASEAN unity in pressing South China Sea stability
(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte called for member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to remain united in pursuing peace, stability and prosperity in the South China Sea. In his participation at the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits via video conference, President Duterte said the regional bloc should pursue initiatives in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 […]
Thailand prepares to welcome back tourists after devastating shutdown
by Sophie Deviller and Pitcha Dangprasith BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Hotels, street food carts and tuk-tuks are gearing up for the return of tourists to Bangkok as Thailand prepares to re-open on November 1 to fully vaccinated visitors after 18 months of Covid travel curbs. But the steamy metropolis, the world’s most-visited city before the pandemic, will take some time to get back to its pulsating, intoxicating old self, industry experts say. The coronavirus pandemic […]
Myanmar junta boycotts summit in protest at snub
by Hakim S. Hayat BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei (AFP) — Myanmar’s junta boycotted a Southeast Asian summit Tuesday after its chief was banned from the event, deepening the regime’s isolation nine months after it took power in a bloody coup. The virtual gathering kicked off three days of meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with US President Joe Biden as well as Chinese and Russian leaders set to attend. Myanmar topped […]
Myanmar threatens to skip ASEAN summit over junta chief’s exclusion
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s junta threatened on Monday to skip an ASEAN summit after the bloc said the country’s military chief could not attend over doubts about the government’s commitment to defusing a bloody crisis. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the generals ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February coup, triggering nationwide protests and a violent crackdown on dissent. Earlier this month the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — under […]
Myanmar junta re-arrests more than 100 released in amnesty: monitoring group
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Myanmar’s junta has re-arrested more than 100 anti-coup protesters freed in a recent amnesty, according to a local monitoring group that tracks detentions and killings in the country. The Southeast Asian nation has been in chaos since the February coup, with more than 1,100 killed in a crackdown on dissent and over 8,000 arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). On Monday, the military announced it would free […]
Singapore expands quarantine-free travel for vaccinated passengers
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore on Tuesday began quarantine-free entry for fully vaccinated passengers from eight countries, part of a plan to ease restrictions as the business hub gears up to live with the coronavirus. The latest easing expanded a programme that began with vaccinated air travel lanes with Germany and Brunei last month, and is now open to passengers from the United States, Canada, Britain, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. Singapore Airlines […]
