Cambodian police on Friday ruled out a probe into the alleged disappearance of a self-exiled Thai democracy activist after a rights group said he had been abducted in broad daylight from outside his Phnom Penh apartment.Wanchalearm Satsaksit, a sharp critic of the Thai government led by ex-general Prayut Chan-o-cha, was dragged into a black car on Thursday evening, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).Citing several witnesses and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from security cameras

A stridently anti-military Thai party was dissolved Friday and its key members banned from politics for a decade over a US$6 million loan by its billionaire founder, a withering blow to the kingdom's pro-democracy movement.The ruling could edge the politically febrile kingdom – whose economy is shrinking – closer to the street protests that have scored much of the last 15 years of Thai history.The Future Forward Party (FFP), fronted by the charismatic auto-parts scion, Thanathorn Juangro

At the beginning of his satirical novel China Dream, which has a cover designed by the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, Ma Jian expresses his gratitude to George Orwell, author of 1984 and Animal Farm. Orwell, he says, “foretold it all.”Ma, whose work is banned in China and who lives in exile in London, is of course reflecting on Orwell’s warnings about the threat of a totalitarian future in which dictatorships brainwash people.

Hong Kong democracy activists kicked off a weekend of fresh rallies on Saturday in a major test for the movement following criticism over an airport protest earlier this week – and as concerns mount over Beijing's next move.The new marches came as thousands of pro-government supporters – many waving Chinese flags –gathered in a park to condemn their opponents and support the police, a stark illustration of the polarisation now coursing through the city.10 weeks of demonstrations have plu

China warned Thursday that it will not "sit by and watch" the unrest unfolding in Hong Kong, as US President Donald Trump expressed concern over the risk of a violent response to pro-democracy protests.Trump urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to meet with demonstrators, while US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned Beijing against creating a "new" Tiananmen Square in Hong Kong, referring to the deadly 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing.The weeks-long Hon

Beijing on Wednesday slammed "terrorist-like" attacks on its citizens by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong during a second day of chaos at the city's airport, as the United States (US) expressed concern over apparent Chinese troop movements at the border.The rallies, which had paralysed one of the world's busiest travel hubs, ended with ugly clashes on Tuesday night that included protesters beating two men.The Chinese government immediately seized on the attacks to int

Hong Kong's unrest spread more widely throughout the financial hub Monday as riot police clashed with pro-democracy protesters at multiple locations and the city's leader warned of a "very dangerous situation".The third consecutive night of police-protester confrontations occurred after a rare strike caused transport chaos.Activists disrupted vital rush-hour commuter train service, held multiple rallies, besieged police stations and launched projectiles at the legislature,

Thailand’s economy may be in for far more turbulence than anticipated after the March elections. Social unrest has risen and consumer confidence has sagged since the poll, which this month saw parliament return junta leader General Prayut Chan-o-cha to power. Critics have denounced the election as rigged in favour of the pro-military camp, and foreign investors are holding back.

China on Sunday defended the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on student protesters in a rare public acknowledgement of the event, days before its 30th anniversary, saying it was the "correct" policy.After seven weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic change and the end of corruption, soldiers and tanks chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to Beijing's Tiananmen Square on 4 June, 1989.Hundreds, or possibly more than 1,000, were k