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☆ Japan calls on China to approach Fukushima water release in 'scientific manner'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - Japan called on China to approach the release of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in a scientific manner at a meeting held between Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi on Friday. China has criticised Japan's plan to release over one million tonnes of water from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant starting this summer. Hayashi said that Japan was ready to communicate with China about the water discharge from a scientific perspective, according to the statement. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific. Hayashi also defended the plan at an ASEAN meeting on Thursday and claimed China was making "claims not rooted in scientific evidence", according to Japan's foreign ministry.

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Wang Yi, Hayashi, Wang, Sakura Murakami, Himani Sarkar, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan Foreign, ichi, Plant, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Indonesia, Russia

☆ Top diplomat says China, ASEAN pushing ahead with free trade area talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar UlfianaBEIJING, July 13 (Reuters) - China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are pushing ahead with talks on a third version of a free trade agreement at an ASEAN summit in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Thursday. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world's largest trade bloc backed by China. "We will continue to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN," Wang said. According to customs data on Thursday, the value of China-ASEAN two-way trade hit $447.3 billion in January-June, down 1.5% year-on-year.

Persons: Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Retno Marsudi, Sergei Lavrov, Wang Yi, Wang, Lv Daliang, Liz Lee, Ellen Zhang, Bernard Orr, Clarence Fernandez, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Russia's, REUTERS, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Economic, Trans, Pacific, Thomson Locations: Indonesian, Jakarta, Indonesia, BEIJING, China, China's, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Japan, U.S, ASEAN

☆ Blinken to meet China's Wang Yi in Jakarta -State Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi attends during a trilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar UlfianaJuly 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Thursday as officials gather in Indonesia for ASEAN meetings, the State Department said in announcing the latest in series of interactions between the rival superpowers. Wang is representing China at the Jakarta meetings involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and partner countries after Beijing said Foreign Minister Qin Gang would not attend due to health reasons. Blinken met Qin and Wang in Beijing last month, marking the first visit to China by a U.S. secretary of state in five years. Wang, who is the foreign policy chief for the Chinese Communist Party, ranks above Qin, who as the foreign minister is the government's foreign policy chief.

Persons: Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Retno Marsudi, Sergei Lavrov, Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Wang, Qin Gang, Blinken, Qin, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Daniel Kritenbrink, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Perry Organizations: Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Indonesian Foreign, Russia's, REUTERS, ASEAN, State Department, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Foreign, U.S, Treasury, Chinese Communist Party, Pentagon, NATO, senior State Department, East, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, China, Beijing, United States, Asia, U.S, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Pacific, East Asia

☆ Blinken to meet China's Wang Yi in Jakarta - State Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivers her opening remarks during a retreat session of the 56th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Minister's Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/PoolJAKARTA, July 12 (Reuters) - ASEAN foreign ministers on Wednesday called for regional unity in addressing an intensifying conflict in Myanmar, amid doubts over the bloc's capability to implement a two-year-old peace process that has yet to get off the ground. Retno's remarks come after a Thai-led meeting last month attended by Myanmar's military leaders who have been barred from high-level ASEAN meetings. Most ASEAN members shunned that meeting, which Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai defended, saying Thailand was suffering in terms of its border, trade and refugee problems. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Wednesday said the agreed peace plan should remain ASEAN's focus.

Persons: Retno Marsudi, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Suu Kyi, Rizal Sukma, Sukma, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty, Michael Perry Organizations: Indonesian, 56th Association of Southeast Asian Nations, REUTERS, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesia's, United Nations, Thai Foreign, Centre, Strategic, International Studies, Friday's East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, JAKARTA, Myanmar, ASEAN, Thai, Thailand, Aung San Suu, China, Philippines, Vietnam, South China, Friday's, United States, Russia

☆ ASEAN chair Indonesia has little to show for Myanmar peace drive, diplomats say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JAKARTA, July 12 (Reuters) - Indonesia, working on behalf of southeast Asian nations, has little to show so far for its intense behind-the-scenes efforts to bridge gaps between factions in Myanmar's conflict, diplomatic sources say. Myanmar has been racked by violence since 2021, when the military seized power from a largely elected government and unleashed a deadly crackdown on opponents. But the junta, an opposition "shadow government" and rebel militias all refuse to compromise on their respective conditions to start even informal talks, said three sources, including two diplomats, familiar with the matter. Sasa said he could not confirm if the Bali meetings had taken place, but called for even deeper engagement with ASEAN. The sources said Indonesia had drawn inspiration from its "cocktail diplomacy" of the late 1980s, when it convinced Cambodia's four opposing factions to meet for informal talks near Jakarta.

Persons: Sasa, Bali, Cambodia's, Lina Alexandra, Retno Marsudi, Kanupriya Kapoor, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, National Unity Government, Centre, Strategic, International Studies, Indonesian, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Myanmar, Indonesia's, Bali, Jakarta

July 11 (Reuters) - China's foreign minister Qin Gang will not attend a diplomatic gathering in Indonesia this week for health reasons, a spokesman for his ministry said on Tuesday. Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China are scheduled to meet on Thursday, before Friday's East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum. "State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang cannot attend this ASEAN ministerial meeting because of health reasons," spokesman Wang Wenbin said. Qin, 57, took over from Wang as foreign minister in December and was last seen in public on June 25 in Beijing after meeting officials from Sri Lanka, Russia and Vietnam. Wang Yi, who is the foreign policy chief for the Chinese Communist Party, ranks above Qin, who as the foreign minister is the government's foreign policy chief.

Persons: Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Wang Wenbin, Wang, Qin, Josep Borrell, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Yew Lun Tian, Karen Lema, Stanley Widianto, Martin Petty, John Geddie, Robert Birsel Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Friday's East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional, Politico, European Union, EU, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Indonesia, China, Jakarta, Wang, Beijing, Sri Lanka, Russia, Vietnam, Washington, Manila

☆ Myanmar crisis, South China Sea tensions loom over ASEAN meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, July 11 (Reuters) - Southeast Asia's top diplomats will gather in Indonesia on Tuesday amid pressure to address a bloody political crisis in Myanmar and resolve tensions in the South China Sea where some ASEAN members have overlapping territorial claims with China. The meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comes as doubts mount over the credibility and unity of the bloc in dealing with the region's thorniest challenges. Indonesia is also seeking during this week's forum to accelerate talks on a long-stalled code of conduct on the South China Sea. More than $3 trillion in trade passes through the South China Sea each year, and overlapping territorial claims by China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have led to a spate of confrontations. ASEAN will also hold the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum later this week, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov both slated to attend.

Persons: Human Rights Volker Turk, Retno Marsudi, Antony Blinken, Sergei Lavrov, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, United, United Nations, Human Rights, . Security, International Criminal Court, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, U.S, Russia's, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Myanmar, South China, China, ASEAN, United Nations, Jakarta, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei

☆ How Singapore has become a leading force in tech innovation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Edb Singapore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Over 13 years ago, AvePoint, a SaaS solutions provider based in New Jersey, recognized the potential of Southeast Asia and found its entry point in Singapore. "While Singapore is a very small country, the country's focus on talent development and productivity results in it leading the forefront of innovation with a strong tech ecosystem for talent and corporate success," he said. In Singapore, ServiceNow was able to access a unique business partnership with Singapore Airlines, the world's most-awarded airline and one of the region's largest customers, developing a system called SQNow, which streamlines and manages IT workflows. "Being successful in Singapore is often a gateway into other markets around Southeast Asia," Nehammer added. Why Singapore's brand continues to thriveSingapore's ascent as a global tech powerhouse is anchored on the pillars of innovation, business networks, and robust tech infrastructure.

Persons: Tianyi Jiang, ServiceNow, it's, Jiang, Nehammer, AvePoint Organizations: ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Singapore government's Smart, Smart, Singapore, Singapore Airlines, NCS, Tech, Monetary Authority of Singapore, MAS, Higher, Insider Studios, Singapore Economic Development Board Locations: Singapore, New Jersey, Southeast Asia, Asia, Rhode

☆ Indonesia moves site of ASEAN military drills away from South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, June 22 (Reuters) - Indonesia has changed where it will host ASEAN's first-ever joint military exercise to a location away from the South China Sea where several countries including China have overlapping territorial claims, its military said on Thursday. The non-combat drills for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were originally set to take place in the southernmost waters of the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Beijing. But the September 18-25 exercise will now be moved out of the strategic waterway altogether to the South Natuna Sea in Indonesian waters, said military spokesperson Julius Widjojono. ASEAN's unity has for years been tested by a rivalry between the United States and China that is being played out in the South China Sea, a conduit for about $3.5 trillion of annual ship-borne trade. China claims sovereignty over the area via an expansive 'nine-dash line' based on its historic maps, which an international arbitration court in 2016 ruled had no legal basis.

Persons: ASEAN's, Julius Widjojono, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Beijing, Myanmar's, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, South China, China, Beijing, Batam, Malacca Strait, United States, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar

JAKARTA, June 21 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian neighbours of conflict-riven Myanmar must consider imposing measures to hold its military rulers accountable, a United Nations expert said on Wednesday, adding the bloc is "deadlocked" over how to resolve the ongoing crisis. "It is time to consider alternative options to break what has become a deadly stalemate," he said at a press conference in Jakarta. "ASEAN must consider measures to impose accountability on the junta for its grave human rights violations and blatant disregard for implementation of the Five-Point Consensus." In November, an ASEAN leaders' summit issued a warning to Myanmar's junta and concluded a need for "concrete, practical and measurable indicators with a specific timeline." Andrews said the meeting in Thailand "can have the dangerous effect of legitimising the junta and undermining ASEAN unity".

Persons: Thomas Andrews, Andrews, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor, Lincoln Organizations: United, United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Myanmar, United Nations, Jakarta, U.S, Indonesia, Thailand

Only Cambodia has so far officially confirmed it intended to attend the talks. Myanmar's junta spokesman could not be reached for comment on Sunday. Thailand's foreign ministry was tight-lipped about exactly who was attending the two-day gathering in the resort town of Pattaya, for which outgoing Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai sent invitation letters just four days before its start. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn was to attend the meeting, his government said in a statement on Friday. Vietnam's government said its foreign minister would not attend "due to a prior engagement".

Persons: Nobel, Aung, Myanmar's, Swe, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Prak Sokhonn, Vivian Balakrishnan, Nantiwat Samart, Suu Kyi's, Panu, Phuong Nguyen, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Poppy McPherson, Devjyot, Kay Johnson, William Mallard Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Reuters, Cambodian, Nation TV, National Unity Government, Thai, Ananda, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Cambodia, Suu, Thailand, Pattaya, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thai, ASEAN, Malaysia, Philippines, Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Shoon

Senior Southeast Asian officials said the so-called ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics was taking shape and would try to balance the economic benefits of the technology with its many risks. The other ASEAN countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The sources declined to comment further on what the AI guide would look like, given the early stage of the discussions and confidentiality of the ASEAN process. The sources, who included officials in three Southeast Asian countries, declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media. The island city-state has been at the forefront of AI strategy in the region and is leading the talks to draw up the AI guide, according to three sources.

Persons: Fanny Potkin, Panu, Stephen Coates, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Regulators, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Senior Southeast, ASEAN Digital Ministers, Singapore’s Ministry for Communications, Information, European Union, Media Development Authority, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, BANGKOK, ASEAN, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, United States, Europe, U.S

Two sources with knowledge of Sunday's meeting told Reuters that Myanmar's junta-appointed foreign minister had been invited. Myanmar's military spokesman did not respond to phone calls on Friday night. ASEAN chair Indonesia has declined to attend the proposed meeting, according to three sources. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said the Thai foreign minister had shown "arrogance" by inviting his junta counterpart who other regional neighbours have shunned. Indonesia last month cited progress in its own behind-the-scenes efforts to engage multiple parties in Myanmar's conflict in a bid to advance a peace process agreed by ASEAN leaders and Myanmar's military in April 2021.

Persons: Don Pramudwinai, Nobel, Aung, hasn't, Myanmar's, Prayuth Chan, ocha, Don's, Don, Phil Robertson, Ananda Teresia, Devjyot Ghoshal, Kay Johnson, Stanley Widianto, Martin Petty, Devjyot, Angus MacSwan Organizations: ASEAN, of Southeast Asian Nations, Thailand's Foreign, Reuters, Myanmar's, Foreign Ministry, Human Rights, Party, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Thailand BANGKOK, Suu, Jakarta, Asia, Bangkok, Shoon

SINGAPORE/BANGKOK, June 16 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian countries are drawing up governance and ethics guidelines for artificial intelligence (AI) that will impose "guardrails" on the booming technology, five officials with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Senior Southeast Asian officials said the so-called ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics was taking shape and would try to balance the economic benefits of the technology with its many risks. The other ASEAN countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The sources, who included officials in three Southeast Asian countries, declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media. The island city-state has been at the forefront of AI strategy in the region and is leading the talks to draw up the AI guide, according to three sources.

☆ ASEAN to hold first joint military exercise in the South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN will hold its first-ever joint military exercise in the South China Sea, its chair Indonesia said on Thursday, the latest multilateral security drills at a time of rising tension and uncertainty in the region. The decision was taken at a meeting of military commanders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Indonesia, which will host the exercise in the North Natuna Sea, the southernmost waters of the South China Sea. The purpose, Margono said, was strengthening “ASEAN centrality.”ASEAN’s unity has for years been tested by a rivalry between the United States and China that is being played out in the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty via an expansive “nine-dash line” based on its historic maps, which an international arbitration court in 2016 ruled had no legal basis. The Philippines chided China’s coast guard for “dangerous manoeuvres” and “aggressive tactics” and plans to hold joint patrols with the United States, on top of an inaugural trilateral coast guard exercise they held with Japan this week.

Persons: Admiral Yudo Margono, Margono, Julius Widjojono Organizations: ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Beijing, South China Locations: South China, Indonesia, North, United States, China, ASEAN, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesian, Asia, Southeast Asia, South, Beijing, India, China’s, Japan

☆ U.S.-China ties weigh on security summit as defense chiefs meet in Singapore
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Regional concerns were underscored recently with the Pentagon saying that a Chinese fighter jet made an "unnecessarily aggressive maneuver" against an American reconnaissance plane in the South China Sea late last week. Under President Xi Jinping's leadership, China has grown more hawkish on the global stage, particularly in its historic claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea. "What you are seeing is the emergence of a regional security architecture," said Thompson of the LKY School. "The region is really coming together with a common interest in regional security and stability." Singapore is Austin's second stop on a whirlwind tour that will also take him to Japan, India and France.

Persons: Li, Xi Jinping's, We're, Chin, Hao Huang, Wang Wenbin, Huang, What's, Anthony Albanese, Thompson, Li —, Donald Trump, Austin, Joe Biden Organizations: Yale, NUS College, CNBC, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Australian, LKY, Pentagon, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Observers Locations: Austin, American, South, China, Taiwan, South China, Asia, Pacific, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Beijing, Korea, France, U.S

☆ Southeast Asia's digital economy may be set to hit $1 trillion, but roadblocks remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A woman (R) adjusts the Philippines flag before the 51st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)- Republic of Korea Ministerial Meeting in Singapore on August 3, 2018. Southeast Asia's digital economy has plenty of growth potential, backed by strong fundamentals including over 460 million digital consumers, young and tech-savvy populations, as well as rising internet penetration. The digital economy across six countries within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc — known as ASEAN-6 and comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — is projected to grow 6% annually. From the urban-rural divide to low digital literacy, the region continues to grapple with challenges that could hold back that growth. "ASEAN's digital economy is expanding, but there is the digital divide," said Anthony Toh, research analyst at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, a think-tank within Nanyang Technological University.

Persons: Anthony Toh, Toh Organizations: 51st Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Google, Temasek, Bain & Company, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, & $ Locations: Philippines, Republic, Korea, Singapore, ASEAN, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nanyang, Brunei, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia

☆ Metals-rich Indonesia’s IPO market is so red-hot it’s thrashing Hong Kong and India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It has overtaken Hong Kong — long one of the top IPO markets — for the first time since 1995, and is outpacing economic powerhouses India, South Korea and Japan. Global IPO slowdownPart of Indonesia’s IPO success this year can be explained by lackluster performances elsewhere. The US IPO market, usually the world’s largest, has suffered given its reliance on particularly rate-sensitive tech companies, Lee said. Mining company Harita Nickel raised $660 million in its market debut last month, Indonesia’s biggest listing so far this year. “Our increasing conviction in [Indonesian companies] comes from how its government maximizes the potential of its bountiful raw materials,” he wrote.

☆ G7 leaders reckon with Ukraine, haunted by Hiroshima nuclear legacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Reuters) - Leaders of the world's advanced democracies start their Group of Seven (G7) summit on Friday in Hiroshima with a sombre remembrance of the costs of war as they grapple with the conflict in Ukraine. Moscow has said it is ready to use its nuclear arsenal to defend its "territorial integrity" if necessary. As part of the efforts, each of the G7 members will be unveiling new sanctions, according to the U.S. official. G7 finance leaders warned in Japan last weekend of mounting economic uncertainty, in a subdued end to a meeting overshadowed in part by concerns about the U.S. debt stalemate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to address the G7 leaders, though he may do so by video rather than in person.

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia May 11 (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling military has made no significant progress on implementing a peace plan agreed with ASEAN two years ago and the bloc must show unity in deciding how to address the escalating crisis, Indonesia's president said on Thursday. On (the) implementation of the 5PC, there has not been significant progress," he said. "Therefore, ASEAN unity is required to decide on the next steps." The army has been fighting on multiple fronts against ethnic minority rebels and militias in a growing, pro-democracy resistance movement. Reporting by Kate Lamb; Writing by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Southeast Asian leaders pledge crackdown on human traffickers online scams
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia, May 10 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian leaders pledged on Wednesday to crack down ononline scams operated by human traffickers to prey on vulnerable job seekers, particularly in the poorest countries of the region. Meeting in Indonesia for a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the leaders called for a regional approach to combat human trafficking. Issuing the first declaration by ASEAN on the danger of traffickers' cyber scams, the leaders noted "the increasing abuse of technology in facilitating trafficking in persons in Southeast Asia and globally, proliferated through the use and abuse of social media and other online platforms". There has been a spike in cases of people enslaved in cyber scams, and more than 1,000 victims have been rescued just in recent days. ASEAN's efforts to combat human trafficking will include enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies to investigate, collect data, exchange information and conduct joint exercises, the declaration said.

☆ Myanmar conflict centre stage as Southeast Asian leaders hold summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Will ASEAN only be silent or will ASEAN be able to become the driver or peace or growth? The prime minister of East Timor, a former Portuguese colony bordering Indonesia that is seeking ASEAN membership, stressed the need to restore order in Myanmar. "We also have the obligation to push ASEAN and the international community to create peace in Myanmar," Taur Matan Ruak said. Indonesia has also been quietly engaging Myanmar's military, its shadow government and armed ethnic groups to try to kick-start peace talks. But some have called on ASEAN to take a harder line with Myanmar's junta.

☆ Indonesia president condemns attack on ASEAN officials delivering aid in Myanmar
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, May 8 (Reuters) - Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on Monday condemned an attack in Myanmar on ASEAN officials delivering humanitarian aid, and called for an end to violence in the strife-torn country. Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, did not provide details of the incident but said it would not deter efforts by Indonesia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to push for peace in Myanmar. This condition will not make anybody win," he said, adding that Indonesia encourages all stakeholders to have a dialogue and find solutions. Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government, which is allied with the anti-junta militias, the People's Defence Forces (PDF), said it was not aware of any attack. A spokesperson for the Myanmar junta did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Indonesia held multiple engagements on Myanmar, urges end to violence, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

JAKARTA, May 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia's foreign minister on Friday confirmed her country had engaged with Thailand, China, India and the United Nations on the crisis in Myanmar, as well as Myanmar's key stakeholders, during which it called for an immediate halt to violence. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a press conference it was crucial to build trust and not use megaphone diplomacy. Retno earlier on Friday told Reuters exclusively that Indonesia, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), had been communicating with key stakeholders in Myanmar's crisis, with its diplomats involved in more than 60 engagements in the past four months. Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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