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☆ Malaysian Navy Helicopters Collide Midair, Killing All 10 People Aboard
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Two Malaysian Navy helicopters collided midair during a training session in the northwestern state of Perak on Tuesday, killing all 10 people on board, at least the second accident involving government aircraft in the Southeast Asian country in as many months. The two helicopters were rehearsing for Saturday’s 90th anniversary celebration of the Royal Malaysian Navy when they crashed into each other at 9:32 a.m., the navy said in a statement. The 10 people on board the two helicopters were all crew and died at the scene, at the naval base in Lumut, the navy said. Videos published by Malaysian news media showed the two helicopters crashing in midair and then various aircraft parts spiraling out of the sky.

Organizations: Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy, Malaysian Locations: Perak, Lumut

☆ Why This Presidential Front-Runner Is Stirring Fears of the ‘Death of Democracy’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even so, Prabowo Subianto has spent the past two decades trying his hand at democratic politics, donning different personas in multiple attempts to become Indonesia’s leader. Now, a month before the next election, nearly every poll shows Mr. Prabowo, 72, leading in the first round of voting. A victory for Mr. Prabowo, his critics warn, would revive a dark past. “What will happen is the death of democracy,” said Hendardi, the director of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace. “We have long been against Prabowo,” he added, “and with our limited power, we were still able to prevent him from moving forward.

Persons: Indonesia’s, Subianto, Prabowo, Joko Widodo, Suharto, Prabowo’s, ”, Hendardi Organizations: Setara Institute for Democracy Locations: East Timor

☆ Fireworks Factory Explosion in Thailand Kills at Least 20
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A fireworks factory exploded in central Thailand on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and injuring many others, according to the Thai police. After the blast, the factory, in the middle of a field in Suphan Buri Province, collapsed, leaving nothing but rubble, photographs posted online by Thai media outlets showed. “Nobody could get out. Nobody could get out,” said a distraught female resident, who was weeping as she spoke into her mobile phone, in a video posted by Channel 7, a Thai broadcaster. Another resident who was interviewed by Channel 7 said the blast was so loud that it could be heard almost a kilometer away.

Persons: ” Organizations: Thai, Channel Locations: Thailand, Suphan Buri Province, Thai

☆ Vietnam Relied on Environmentalists to Secure Billions. Then It Jailed Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The nine nations had announced in December that Vietnam would receive $15.5 billion in grants and loans in exchange for a commitment to renewable energy. Ms. Nhien, 48, never got the chance to see Vietnam present the plan. While two activists have since been released, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights said in September that the “prosecutions and the arbitrary application of restrictive legislation are having a chilling effect” on environmentalists in Vietnam. Activists and academics say that Vietnam appears to be emboldened by its growing importance to the West and has taken the opportunity to clamp down, knowing there will be few repercussions. President Biden visited Vietnam in September, elevating ties to a new strategic relationship that he said would “be a force for prosperity and security in one of the most consequential regions in the world.”

Persons: Nhien, Biden, ” Organizations: Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, United Nations Locations: United States, Japan, Vietnam, China

☆ A Dying Anticorruption Crusader Considers His Life’s Own Misdeeds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

His anticorruption crusade has made him a household name in Thailand, but Chuwit Kamolvisit would be the first to tell you that his own life has been neither admirable nor one others should emulate. A self-professed “super pimp” — and known to others as “the godfather of sex” — Mr. Chuwit, 62, once owned six massage parlors in Bangkok where 2,000 women worked for him. And he got his start as a whistle-blower, some two decades ago, by relying on his insider’s knowledge of bribery schemes. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, and to get the authorities to look the other way, he says he gave police officers cash delivered in black bags, as well as Rolex watches and free services in his establishments.

Persons: Chuwit, ” — Organizations: Rolex Locations: Thailand, Bangkok

Mr. Joko, who arrived in Washington fresh from a summit in Saudi Arabia where he condemned the war, has been vocal in criticizing Israel’s role. After Mr. Biden welcomed him to the Oval Office by celebrating a “new era of relations between the United States and Indonesia,” Mr. Joko ended his own set of remarks by calling for an end to the conflict. “Indonesia also wishes our partnership contributes to regional and global peace and prosperity,” Mr. Joko said. “So Indonesia appeals to the U.S. to do more to stop the atrocities in Gaza. On Monday, Mr. Biden and other officials called for the protection of hospitals in Gaza from attack.

Persons: Biden, Joko Widodo, Joko, Israel’s, Mr, ” Mr Organizations: White Locations: Indonesia, Gaza, United States, Washington, Saudi Arabia, “ Indonesia

She remains in limbo because divorce — and the possibility of a new marriage and a clean slate in life — is forbidden by her country’s laws. Thousands of people like Ms. Nepomuceno are trapped in long-dead marriages in the Philippines, the only country in the world, other than the Vatican, where divorce remains illegal. Partly because of their growing numbers and plight, attitudes in the country, where nearly 80 percent of the population is Catholic, have changed. Even the president has signaled openness to the idea, and the Philippines is the closest it has ever been to legalizing divorce. The powerful Catholic Church has deemed pro-divorce activism to be “irrational advocacy.” Conservative lawmakers remain steadfast in their opposition.

Persons: Mary Nepomuceno, —, Nepomuceno Organizations: Catholic, Conservative Locations: Philippines

☆ Vietnam and U.S. Forge Deeper Ties as Worries Rise About China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During his state visit to Vietnam on Sunday, Mr. Biden is expected to oversee the signing of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Hanoi, a symbolic but significant status long coveted by the United States. Vietnam has until now reserved this status for only four countries: China, Russia, India and South Korea. For years, it had resisted granting this distinction to the United States out of fear of offending China. But as Beijing continues to encroach on waters claimed by Vietnam and as the United States looks for more partners to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, the former enemies have found common ground. “Whenever they try to upgrade any significant bilateral relations, they normally tend to do it step by step because of the fear that it may cause some concern, especially from Beijing.”

Persons: Biden, ”, Nguyen Khac Giang, Yusof Organizations: Institute Locations: Vietnam, Washington, Hanoi, United States, China, Russia, India, South Korea, Beijing, Singapore

☆ From Rock Star to Bodyguard to Resisting Myanmar’s Coup in Film
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Long before he became an award-winning filmmaker, Lynn Lynn was already a star. His voice was ubiquitous on the radio, belting out rock songs, and he played sold-out shows in stadiums across the country. But all that fame was confined to Myanmar, a country he had to flee after a February 2021 military coup. He was also close to the country’s now-imprisoned civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, having once served as her bodyguard. Now living in the Thai city of Mae Sot, bordering Myanmar, the 39-year-old rocker has taken on a new identity: refugee.

Persons: Long, Lynn Lynn, selfies, Daw Aung, Suu Kyi Locations: Myanmar, Suu, Thai, Mae Sot

☆ A Global Cyber-Scam Industry Is Booming in Plain Sight in Cambodia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Around the world, reports of cyber-scam schemes targeting unsuspecting victims online have proliferated rapidly. Southeast Asia has become a center of gravity for those criminal syndicates, often in remote and war-torn corners. But in Cambodia, the scam industry has been flourishing well within the reach of officials. Instead, they were forced to work for online scam mills while under intense surveillance in nondescript compounds, part of a multibillion dollar industry that has entrapped victims on both sides. Despite the crackdown and well-documented evidence linking well-known Cambodian officials to the mills, the country has not arrested any major figure.

Organizations: New York Times Locations: Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Cambodian

☆ After Thais Vote to Move Forward, the Old Guard Just Shifts Its Grip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia and an ally of the United States, Thailand was once a powerful player in the region. More recently it has suffered from a period of prolonged economic stagnation, brought about by nine years of military rule under Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the general who seized power in a coup in 2014. For the first time, disaffected young Thais questioned publicly the relevance of the country’s powerful monarchy, a topic previously considered taboo. Move Forward capitalized on this anti-royalist, anti-military sentiment, which became the bedrock of the party’s progressive platform. It announced more than 300 policy proposals, including shrinking the military budget and breaking up big business.

Persons: Prayuth Chan, Prayuth, Thais, “, It’s, ” Organizations: University of Sydney Locations: Southeast Asia, United States, Thailand, Australia

Dozens of countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, a group encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that views itself as a counterweight to the West, and is meeting this week in Johannesburg. Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are thought to be among those most likely to be admitted. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India is said to be concerned about adding nations close to Beijing; India and China have border disputes and tend to consider each other potential adversaries. Here is a look at some of the nations vying to join. Saudi ArabiaThe addition to BRICS of Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s leading oil producers, would add economic clout to the group and bolster its chances of positioning itself as a rival to the U.S.-led financial order.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi Locations: BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Johannesburg, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Beijing, U.S

☆ Thai Ex-Prime Minister Returns From Exile, Adding to Political Chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Thaksin Shinawatra, the former premier who was ousted in a coup and has been living in exile since 2006, returned to Bangkok for the first time in 15 years on Tuesday, adding to the country’s political drama on a day that Parliament was to vote for a new prime minister. Mr. Thaksin was living in self-imposed exile in part to avoid facing corruption and abuse of power charges affiliated with his telecom business. While in exile, he shuttled between England, Hong Kong and Dubai, avoiding Thailand for fear of not receiving a fair trial. He was tried for most of these cases in absentia and found guilty of several charges. Mr. Thaksin’s private jet arrived Tuesday morning at the Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok.

Persons: Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin Organizations: Don Muang International Locations: Bangkok, England, Hong Kong, Dubai, Thailand

☆ After 38 Years, Cambodian Leader Hands Power to His Son
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the transition of power has significant implications for Cambodia’s future, Southeast Asia and for the United States and China, which are jockeying for influence in the region. When Mr. Hun Sen became prime minister 38 years ago, the country was emerging from the destruction of the Khmer Rouge movement. He ushered in an era of strongman rule that has included the eradication of opposition parties and independent media. claimed it had clinched a “landslide victory” in elections that international observers said were stage-managed and unfair. As leader, Mr. Hun Sen embraced China, which he described as Cambodia’s “most trustworthy friend.” Beijing, Cambodia’s largest trading partner, supplied loans to finance airports, roads and other infrastructure projects.

Persons: Hun Manet, Hun Sen, Mr, ” Organizations: West Locations: Southeast Asia, United States, China, England, Khmer, ” Beijing

The NewsThailand’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition to renominate Pita Limjaroenrat, a leading candidate, as the country’s next prime minister. Mr. Pita, 42, led the progressive Move Forward Party to a surprise victory in the general election in May. But last month, the military-appointed Senate voted against him when he was nominated as prime minister by a new coalition. Pheu Thai, a populist party co-founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said on Tuesday it would nominate Srettha Thavisin, a real estate tycoon, as its prime minister candidate. The next vote for prime minister will take place in Parliament on Aug. 22, the House speaker, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, said.

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita, Pita’s, Thaksin Shinawatra, Srettha, Mr, What’s, Sansiri, Pheu Thai’s, Phumtham Wechayachai, Wan, Matha Organizations: Party Locations: Thailand

☆ Aung San Suu Kyi’s Prison Sentence Reduced in Myanmar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The military government in Myanmar has reduced the prison sentence for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Southeast Asian nation’s ousted civilian leader, by six years, a military spokesman said on Tuesday. The announcement came as a surprise but would not significantly change the fate of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, who was deposed by Myanmar’s military in a February 2021 coup. Her lawyer said that Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, 78, still has to serve 25 more years in prison. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi has been serving a 33-year sentence on corruption and other charges since December 2021. Rights groups and supporters say the charges were trumped up and meant to keep the Nobel Peace laureate, who is extremely popular in Myanmar, from elected office.

Persons: Daw Aung, Suu Kyi, Aung Organizations: Myawaddy TV Locations: Myanmar, Suu

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