Strung across remote mountain settlements, a secret network of activists and volunteers is helping spirit hundreds of defecting Myanmar policemen away from the military’s brutal crackdown on dissent and into relative safety in a small north-eastern Indian state.Their escape – by car, motorcycle and on foot through densely forested terrain – is often guided by volunteer-led groups on both sides of the border, according to accounts from at least 10 people who are involved in the loose-knit netw

Myanmar's junta on Tuesday defended its seven-week crackdown that has left more than 260 democracy protesters dead, insisting it would not tolerate "anarchy".The junta has unleashed deadly violence as it struggles to quell nationwide protests against the 1 February ousting of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.In a news conference in the capital Naypyidaw, junta spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun put the death toll lower at 164."I am sad because these violent terrorist

A Burmese journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Myanmar language news service went "missing" on Friday, as civilians fled the coup-hit country's largest city after the junta's deadly crackdown on dissent. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on 1 February, triggering a mass uprising that security forces have sought to crush with a campaign of violence and fear. The junta has also gon

Malaysia's government introduced a law Thursday that punishes spreading coronavirus misinformation with jail time and hefty fines, sparking fury at what critics labelled an "appalling" attack on free speech.The shock move comes amid growing concerns about worsening freedom of expression in Malaysia since a scandal-plagued administration seized power last year.The emergency ordinance comes into effect Friday, and does not need parliamentary approval as the country is currently u

The year of the ox has begun darkly for the people of Hong Kong.

Myanmar security forces opened fire on protestors Sunday, killing at least eight in the bloodiest action so far to smother opposition to the military coup four weeks ago.The junta is battling to contain a massive street movement demanding it yield power and release ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with top political allies at the start of the month.Sunday brought a significant escalation in force, with fatal shootings of protesters in at least four cities around

Bangkok has been gripped by a rubber duck frenzy since pro-democracy protesters used giant inflatables to shield themselves from water cannon spray last month.When police mounted a crackdown on a November rally, deploying tear gas and water cannons outside parliament, footage of demonstrators hiding behind giant ducks went viral.Within days, duck-themed paraphernalia became a staple among street vendors at protests, the birds featuring on everything from hats to hair clips.Protesters are call

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered security agencies Thursday to crack down on pro-democracy protesters, as rights groups condemned police for using tear gas and water cannon at a Bangkok rally. The country has been rocked since July by youth-led protests demanding a new constitution, unprecedented calls to reform the untouchable monarchy, and for Prayut to resign.Clashes outside parliament Tuesday between pro-democracy protesters and hardline royalists marked a steep rise

Philippine authorities ordered a crackdown Monday on evacuees' daily visits to their homes in the danger zone around Taal volcano as scientists warned it could be "recharging" for a more powerful explosion.More than 110,000 people have taken refuge in evacuation centres since Taal burst to life a week ago, but many hard-hit towns have let residents back for hours each day to fetch items, feed livestock and clean up their houses."We are directing DRRMCs (civil defence offic

Syed Mohamad was celebrating a key date in the Muslim Shiite calendar in secret when officials burst in and detained him, one of several raids in Malaysia that have set the long-persecuted community on edge.Dozens of Shiites have been rounded up recently in the Sunni Muslim-majority country, including several foreigners, fuelling fears that religious authorities are stepping up a crackdown on adherents of the minority sect.Around the world, Shiite Muslims – who are far outnumbered by Sunnis,