A Thai Muslim student group Wednesday called for police to drop an order requesting universities to provide "intelligence" on Muslim students and their activities in the Buddhist-majority state.Muslims make up Thailand's second largest religious group, with the majority residing in its three southernmost states, which since 2004 have been in the grip of a conflict between Malay-Muslim separatist rebels and Thai authorities.Rights groups have long accused the state of heavy-hand

Philippine police pledged on Thursday to track down nearly 2,000 ex-prisoners including convicted murderers and rapists who were let out early for good behaviour, in some cases years ago.Revelations in recent weeks about the inmates’ release have sparked outrage in the Philippines, with critics accusing authorities of gross incompetence and possibly corruption.“I have immediately directed all police units nationwide to receive and account for (the ex-prisoners),” national police chief Oscar A

Shamans conducted rituals in the Malaysian jungle Monday in the latest bid to find a missing Franco-Irish teen, as her family offered a reward for information leading to the girl’s return.Nora Quoirin, a 15-year-old with learning difficulties, disappeared on August 4, a day after checking into resort by a rainforest with her London-based family.They believe she was abducted, but Malaysian police have classified it as a missing person case.About 350 people are searching through dense jungle ne

Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, was returning to normal Friday as traffic returned to the centre following two nights of deadly clashes between protesters and police that left seven dead and hundreds injured.The subdued mood in what is normally a frenetic and noisy urban sprawl of more than 30 million people belies a polarisation in the country that has been building steam for years.