Thailand's junta on Tuesday lifted a four-year ban on political campaigning ahead of 2019 elections, prompting Thaksin Shinawatra - the exiled billionaire who sits at the heart of the kingdom's political rupture - to hail a "new hope" for the nation.
China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) celebrates its fifth anniversary this month. The euphoria that initially followed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s announcement in Kazakhstan and Indonesia has somewhat faded.In its place is a West-driven narrative of a debt-trap; an “insidious plot” by China for global domination where the world’s second largest economy strikes opaque deals and inflates the value of projects, leaving poorer countries unable to repay their debts.
Iraq's premier on Monday marked a year since his country declared victory against the Islamic State (IS) group by pledging to fight corruption next, even as he faces a political crisis within his government.A year ago, his predecessor announced the conclusion of a three-year battle to oust IS, putting an end to the so-called jihadist "caliphate" straddling Syria and Iraq after they seized swathes of Iraq.
Fleeing Rohingya Muslims sold ration books to help pay hundreds of dollars to traffickers in order to flee squalid Myanmar camps by boat, only to be stopped at sea and forced back destitute, the refugees told AFP on Friday.Images of hungry and thirsty refugees huddled on boats have stirred memories of a 2015 crisis, when thousands of fleeing Rohingya were stuck at sea as a trafficking trail south collapsed.Some 120,000 of the stateless Muslim minority have languished in camps in central Rakhi
The recent massacre of civilian workers by separatist rebels in Indonesia's restive Papua province has cast a spotlight on one of the world's longest-running insurgencies, with no end to the bloody conflict in sight.The killings are a marked escalation from decades of mostly sporadic skirmishes between poorly armed and disorganised guerrillas and a powerful Indonesian military accused of gross human rights abuses against civilians.Some 16 employees of a state-owned contractor were m
Tens of thousands of banner-waving Muslims rallied in the Malaysian capital Saturday to defend their long-cherished privileges, at a time of growing racial tensions in the multi-ethnic country.About 55,000 people dressed in white flooded a historic square in downtown Kuala Lumpur, according to police, chanting "God is great" and brandishing banners that read "Long live the Malays".Large numbers of police were on the streets and major roads were closed for the event, which
Construction workers massacred at a remote jungle work camp in Papua were legitimate military targets, a rebel group said Friday, as authorities hunted for more bodies after the grisly weekend attack which killed at least 16.The National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) has claimed responsibility for the deadliest bout of violence in years to hit Papua, an Indonesian-controlled region wracked by a low-level independence insurgency."(We killed them) because they were members of the I
Today officially kicks off the campaigning period for the plebiscite on Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) scheduled to be held on 21 January, 2019.
The Trump administration arranged the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co.’s chief financial officer aware of potential blow-back in trade talks with Beijing but intent on showing resolve to crack down on Chinese companies accused of violating United States (US) law.The arrest happened about the same time that President Donald Trump dined with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires to discuss the trade war between the countries.White House National Security Adviser John Bolton, who sat at
Last week, The ASEAN Post held its inaugural forum, titled Reimagining Southeast Asia 2018. The half-day forum aimed to facilitate better understanding of the issues in the region and offer insights that affect decision-making processes and outcomes in relation to the many pressing issues and challenges within the region. Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia delivered an exclusive policy brief on Malaysia’s aspirations for ASEAN.
Thailand’s military junta, also known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) came into power after a coup in 2014. Since then, it – under the leadership of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha – has received both criticism and praise from people inside and outside the country.
Indonesian soldiers hunted Wednesday for rebels suspected of killing as many as two dozen construction workers in a restive Papua province, as an eyewitness account supplied by the military described a grisly mass execution.The survivor's account detailed the killing of at least 19 people, which if confirmed would mark the deadliest bout of violence in years to hit a region wracked by a low-level independence insurgency.A Facebook account purportedly run by the National Liberation Army o
