Authorities in Thailand seize more than a ton of crystal methamphetamine thought bound for Australia
May 29, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Law enforcement officials in Thailand said Monday they seized more than a ton of crystal methamphetamine in a southern province last week that they believed was bound for Australia.
Officials from police and the Narcotics Control Board announced that the 1.2 metric tons (2,646 pounds) of the drug, also known as “ice,” likely came from Thailand’s northern border region, which is part of the Golden Triangle where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet.
Concern rising in Myanmar that supplies needed for recovery from Cyclone Mocha are coming too slowly
May 22, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — As residents of Myanmar’s Rakhine and Chin states worked Monday to repair the devastation from last week’s Cyclone Mocha, concern is rising about whether the urgent needs for shelter, food, drinking water and medical assistance can be met before the onset of seasonal monsoon rains.
Myanmar says official death toll from Cyclone Mocha at least 145, says aid is being provided
May 19, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — The official death toll from the powerful cyclone that struck Myanmar has burgeoned to at least 145, including 117 members of the Muslim Rohingya minority, state television reported Friday.
Myanmar raises death toll from Cyclone Mocha to 54, but full extent of damage still unknown
May 19, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — At least 54 people were killed and more than 185,000 buildings damaged in Myanmar by a powerful cyclone last weekend, state television MRTV reported Thursday.
Communication difficulties in the affected areas, where infrastructure was already poor, and the military government’s tight control over information leave the actual extent of casualties and destruction unclear.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Myanmar’s military has imported at least $1 billion worth of weapons and related material from Russia, China and other countries since its February 2021 coup, some of which it has used to carry out atrocities against civilians, according to a U.N.
Myanmar and Bangladesh begin cleaning up, counting casualties after devastating Cyclone Mocha
May 17, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Recovery efforts were underway Tuesday in Myanmar and Bangladesh after a powerful cyclone smashed into their coastlines, causing widespread destruction and at least 21 deaths, with hundreds of others believed missing.
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Early warnings from weather agencies and better preparedness by local governments and aid agencies likely saved thousands of lives during a powerful cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh and Myanmar over the weekend.
Powerful Cyclone Mocha makes landfall in Myanmar, tearing off roofs and killing at least 3
May 15, 2023 GMTDHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Thousands of people hunkered down Sunday in monasteries, pagodas and schools, seeking shelter from a powerful storm that slammed into the coast of Myanmar, tearing roofs off buildings and killing at least three people.
Thousands along Bangladesh, Myanmar coast told to seek shelter as powerful Cyclone Mocha approaches
May 13, 2023 GMTDHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Volunteers in Bangladesh’s coastal districts were using loudspeakers to urge people to seek shelter on Saturday as the delta nation braced for an extremely severe cyclone, which is expected to slam ashore in Bangladesh and Myanmar in the next 24 hours.
Reports: Myanmar soldiers kill and burn bodies of 19 villagers, including 4 children
May 12, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Soldiers from Myanmar's military government raided a village in the country's central region, killing 19 villagers including four children and burning their bodies, independent media and a resident said Friday.
Hundreds of thousands to be evacuated as Bangladesh and Myanmar brace for severe cyclone
May 12, 2023 GMTDHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Authorities in Bangladesh and Myanmar prepared to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people Friday, warning them to stay away from coastal areas as a severe cyclone churned in the Bay of Bengal.
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo somberly acknowledged to fellow Southeast Asian leaders Thursday that no progress has been made to end the civil strife gripping Myanmar and renewed a call for an end to the violence, including a recent airstrike a rights group called an “apparent war crime."
ASEAN leaders to agree to cooperate in fighting cyber scams
May 10, 2023 GMTLABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP) — Southeast Asian leaders have agreed to tighten border controls and law enforcement and improve public education to fight criminal syndicates that are trafficking workers to other nations, where they are forced to participate in online fraud, according to a draft statement to be issued Thursday at the end of a regional summit.
Myanmar military government offers cash rewards to defectors
May 10, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government is urging people fighting against its rule to surrender their weapons, offering a cash reward if they do so along with the possibility of reduced sentences if they broke the law.
ASEAN leaders condemn attack on aid convoy in Myanmar
May 10, 2023 GMTLABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP) — Southeast Asian leaders condemned an attack on an aid convoy that the regional group had arranged for displaced people in Myanmar, calling Wednesday for an immediate stop to violence and for the military government to comply with a peace plan.
Rights group accuses Myanmar of using fuel-air explosive
May 9, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military used an "enhanced blast" munition known as a fuel-air explosive in an airstrike that killed more than 160 people, including many children, at a ceremony held last month by opponents of army rule, a human rights monitoring group charged in a report Tuesday.
Myanmar violence, sea feud are tough challenges for ASEAN
May 9, 2023 GMTLABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP) — Alarm over Myanmar’s still-unfolding deadly civil strife, including an armed attack on an aid convoy, and China’s aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea are expected to challenge Southeast Asian leaders' commitments to non-interference and consensus decision-making as they meet in Indonesia this week.
ASEAN relief convoy attacked in Myanmar; no casualties
May 8, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — A convoy including diplomats representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on a mission to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people in strife-torn Myanmar has been ambushed, state media and a member of an ethnic minority militia said Monday.
ASEAN leaders to tackle regional crises at tropical resort
May 8, 2023 GMTLABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP) — A picturesque tourist destination will host crisis-weary Southeast Asian leaders with sun-splashed tropical islands, turquoise waters brimming with corals and manta rays, seafood feasts, and a hillside savannah crawling with Komodo dragons.
20 Indonesian trafficking victims freed in Myanmar
May 7, 2023 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian officials said Sunday they freed 20 of their nationals who were trafficked to Myanmar as part of a cyber scam, amid an increase in human trafficking cases in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia works to rescue 20 trafficking victims in Myanmar
May 5, 2023 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian officials said Friday they were working to rescue dozens of their nationals who were trafficked to Myanmar to work as cyber scammers, amid an increase in human trafficking cases in Southeast Asia.
India army patrols streets to defuse clashes in remote state
May 4, 2023 GMTGUWAHATI, India (AP) — The governor of a remote Indian state issued orders allowing district magistrates to shoot protesters, as soldiers patrolled the streets and enforced a curfew after thousands of people clashed, causing deaths and damage to homes and vehicles, officials said Thursday.
Pardon frees more than 2,100 political prisoners in Myanmar
May 3, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s ruling military council on Wednesday said it was releasing more than 2,100 political prisoners as a humanitarian gesture. Thousands more remain imprisoned on charges generally involving nonviolent protests or criticism of military rule, which began when the army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar leader welcomes foreign minister of key ally China
May 2, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — The head of Myanmar’s military-controlled government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, met Tuesday with the visiting foreign minister of China, which has provided key support to his regime since it seized power two years ago.
Camera surfaces 15 years after journalist killed in Myanmar
April 27, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — A video camera that had been missing for more than 15 years after it was dropped by a Japanese journalist who was fatally shot during a street protest in Myanmar was handed over Wednesday to his sister at a ceremony in Bangkok.
Ex-UN head Ban Ki-moon urges army to end Myanmar violence
April 25, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged Myanmar’s ruling military to take the initiative in finding a way out of the country’s violent political crisis, including releasing political detainees, after a surprise meeting with the army leader who seized power two years ago.
Ex-UN Secretary-General Ban makes surprise visit to Myanmar
April 25, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made a surprise visit to military-run Myanmar on behalf of a group of elder statesmen that engages in peacemaking and human rights initiatives around the world, local media and a South Korean diplomat said Monday.
Top election official in Myanmar assassinated by guerrillas
April 23, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — A top election official in Myanmar was fatally shot in his car in Yangon, the country’s commercial capital, in the latest attack attributed to militants opposed to military rule.
Rare big tornado near Myanmar capital kills 8
April 22, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — A tornado that tore through two villages in central Myanmar near the capital Naypyitaw killed eight people and destroyed more than 200 houses, a rescue worker said Saturday.
The tornado hit Aung Myin Kone and Tadau villages on Naypyitaw’s southern outskirts at around 6:10 p.m.
Myanmar Supreme Court agrees to hear some Suu Kyi appeals
April 19, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear appeals of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi's convictions and requests for reduced sentences in several cases in which she was charged with corruption, election fraud and violating the official secrets act, a legal official said.
Myanmar army rulers free 3,000 prisoners in holiday gesture
April 17, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government on Monday granted amnesty to more than 3,000 prisoners to mark the traditional lunar New Year holiday, but it wasn’t immediately clear if those released included the thousands of political detainees locked up for opposing army rule.
Airstrikes on Myanmar village feared to have killed 100
April 12, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Airstrikes by Myanmar’s military on Tuesday killed as many as 100 people, including many children, who were attending a ceremony held by opponents of army rule, said a witness, a member of a local pro-democracy group and independent media.
Thailand criticized for returning Myanmar resistance members
April 11, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Human rights groups and opposition politicians in Thailand are criticizing the government for forcibly repatriating three men who were reportedly members of an anti-government resistance movement in military-ruled Myanmar.
Fighting in Myanmar sends thousands fleeing to Thailand
April 6, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — More than 5,000 people have fled from eastern Myanmar into Thailand in recent days as fighting between Myanmar’s army and armed resistance groups has intensified in the border area, Thai media and officials said Thursday.
Myanmar resistance says military bombing kills 8 civilians
March 30, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Air strikes by Myanmar’s military on a village in the country’s northwest on Thursday killed at least eight civilians, including two children, according to members of a rebel ethnic minority group and independent media reports.
Myanmar junta dissolves Suu Kyi’s party, much of opposition
March 29, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government took another major step in its ongoing campaign to cripple its political opponents on Wednesday, dissolving dozens of opposition parties including that of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to meet a registration deadline ahead of elections.
Myanmar army leader calls for decisive action to crush foes
March 27, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — As Myanmar’s military put on an annual show of strength Monday, its top leader told its assembled ranks they need to take decisive action against those fighting army rule of the country.
Myanmar lawyer accused of helping army slain by guerrillas
March 25, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — A veteran corporate lawyer has been shot dead in Myanmar’s biggest city by self-proclaimed urban guerrillas, highlighting the bloody struggle between the military government and its foes in the country’s cities as well as the remote countryside.
UN envoy: Wide resistance to Myanmar military’s repression
March 16, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Widespread popular resistance to brutal repression by Myanmar’s military shows no sign of abating across much of the country, and with both sides intent on winning by force “there is no prospect for a negotiated settlement,” the U.N.
Army, resistance trade accusations over Myanmar killings
March 14, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government has denied reports of a new mass killing of civilians by its troops, instead blaming pro-democracy resistance groups for the deaths of more than 20 people, including three Buddhist monks and a woman.
Activists urge UN Security Council to refer Myanmar to court
March 14, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Human rights activists urged the U.N. Security Council on Monday to refer Myanmar's military rulers to the International Criminal Court and urged neighboring Southeast Asian countries to support the opposition pro-democracy movement.
Governments criticized for keeping women from peace talks
March 8, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — On the eve of International Women’s Day, leading women’s rights campaigners at the United Nations and the African Union and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate criticized male-dominated governments Tuesday for excluding women from peace negotiations.
EU hits Taliban, Russian officers over women’s rights abuses
March 7, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Tuesday imposed sanctions on nine people, including two senior Taliban government members, Russian military officers and police, as well as an Iranian prison facility, accusing them all of links to rights violations and the sexual abuse of women.
Myanmar army killed 17 people in 2 villages, residents say
March 7, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Soldiers in Myanmar rampaged through several villages, raping, beheading and killing at least 17 people, residents said, in the latest of what critics of the ruling military say are a series of war crimes since the army seized power two years ago.
Ashes of Thailand ‘cave boy’ released on Mekong River
March 6, 2023 GMTCHIANG SAEN, Thailand (AP) — Family members, monks and friends watched from a boat Monday as the ashes of one of the 12 boys rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand in 2018 were released into the Mekong River.
Fire at Rohingya camp in Bangladesh leaves refugees homeless
March 6, 2023 GMTCOX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) — A massive fire at a crammed camp for Rohingya Muslims in southern Bangladesh left thousands of the refugees homeless Sunday, a fire official and the United Nations said.
Malaysia’s Anwar urges ASEAN to speak up on Myanmar violence
March 2, 2023 GMTMANILA, Philippines (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to speak up and hold Myanmar's military leaders accountable for blatant human rights violations, but said the country should remain in the regional bloc.
Suu Kyi’s lawyers unable to meet with her to plan appeals
March 1, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Lawyers for ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is serving a 33-year prison sentence on what are widely seen as contrived charges, have been denied meetings with her as they prepare her appeals, legal officials familiar with her situation said.
Malaysia leader alarmed by Myanmar’s refugee crisis
March 1, 2023 GMTMANILA, Philippines (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday that more than 200,000 refugees have fled Myanmar to his country and urgently called for new ways to persuade Myanmar's ruling generals to resolve the civil conflict.
EU slaps sanctions on 9 more top Myanmar officials
February 20, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union announced Monday that it has imposed sanctions on nine officials in Myanmar and seven entities, including government departments and companies, linked to rising violence, human rights abuses and security threats.
‘I just want my legs back’: Myanmar landmine casualties soar
February 19, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — The 3-year-old boy had taken only two steps from his mother’s lap when a deafening explosion rang out. The blast caught the woman in the face, blurring her vision. She forced her eyes open and searched for her son around the busy jetty where they’d been waiting for a ferry, near their small village in south-central Myanmar.
Myanmar’s military rulers to let ‘loyal’ citizens carry guns
February 14, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar's military government plans to allow people who are “loyal to the nation,” including government employees and retired military personnel, to carry licensed firearms, but they must comply with orders from local authorities to participate in security and law enforcement actions, the military and media reports said.
Malaysian leader wants tougher ASEAN pressure on Myanmar
February 10, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday issued a strong call for fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to take new measures to pressure the government of military-ruled Myanmar to end what he called “atrocities” against its own people.
UN experts: North Korean hackers stole record virtual assets
February 8, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — North Korean hackers working for the government stole record-breaking virtual assets last year estimated to be worth between $630 million and more than $1 billion, U.N.
Myanmar, Russia sign pact on developing nuclear power
February 8, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military-led government, working with Russia’s state atomic energy company, has inaugurated a nuclear power information center as a step toward developing atomic power to fill energy shortages in the strife-torn Southeast Asian nation.
Overnight rescue dig saves toddler trapped in Thai well
February 7, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — An overnight rescue operation successfully retrieved a 19-month-old girl from a dry artesian well shaft Tuesday — 18 hours after she fell into the hole at a cassava farm in northern Thailand.
ASEAN vows to conclude pact with China on disputed territory
February 5, 2023 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Southeast Asian foreign ministers vowed to finalize negotiations with China over a proposed pact aimed at preventing conflicts in the disputed South China Sea in their annual retreat on Saturday in Indonesia’s capital.
ASEAN ministers urge reduced violence, dialogue in Myanmar
February 3, 2023 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged Myanmar's military rulers on Friday to reduce violence and allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to pave the way for a national dialogue aimed at ending the country's worsening crisis.
Military places restive areas of Myanmar under martial law
February 3, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Martial law was declared in several areas of military-run Myanmar on Thursday, a day after authorities extended a state of emergency throughout the country wracked by violence that some U.N.
Myanmar extends state of emergency, delaying expected polls
February 1, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government announced Wednesday that is extending a state of emergency it imposed when it seized power two years ago, a move that appears to set back its plans for an election that had been expected in August.