Zsombor Peter

In Thailand, Aerospace Engineers Turn Their Skills to COVID-19

Since going live in mid-July, jitasa.care has seen well over 10,000 households sign on, seeking assistance for everything from food to oxygen to an urgent ride to the hospital, most of them in the capital, Bangkok.

Myanmar’s Junta Woos Moscow to Balance Beijing 

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing’s choice of Russia for his first trip outside the region since leading a coup highlights his rocky relations with Beijing, analysts say.

Myanmar’s Economic Meltdown Likely to Push Opium Output Up, Says UN

Experts say more people are likely to turn to illegal poppy farming as pandemic and coup drag legal economy down.

Malaysia Ramps Up Harassment of Government Critics, Rights Groups Say

Rights groups say police investigations into journalists, protesters and opposition lawmakers have picked up since the country entered a state of emergency in January

Rights Groups See 'Existential Threat' in Draft Thai NGO Law

Government says law will rein in wayward nonprofits; rights groups say it would give authorities unchecked powers to stifle critics.

Myanmar’s Junta Cool on Commitment to ASEAN’s Plan for Stabilizing Country

Analysts say Myanmar’s military regime will exploit the plan's lack of detail to set the terms and stick to its own agenda.

Myanmar’s Anti-Junta Protesters Turning to Rebel Armies for Military Training

One of oldest and largest ethnic armed groups, Karen National Union, says protesters coming from lowlands of central Myanmar have been trekking to rebels’ hilly jungle redouts for training since late March.

Aid Groups Fear COVID Third Wave in Post-Coup Myanmar 

World Bank, Asian Development Bank Freeze Funds to Myanmar to Shun Junta

Moves by World Bank and Asian Development Bank to freeze funds to post-coup Myanmar could make many vulnerable communities worse off even as lenders look for ways to keep some projects going without government, analysts and experts say.

Scientists Chasing Origins of COVID-19 Add Southeast Asia to Search

Close relatives of the virus causing the pandemic have cropped up in Thailand and Cambodia, raising the odds of an origin outside of China.

Malaysia Uses Emergency Powers to Impose 'Fake News' Law

Malaysians convicted of spreading fake news about the pandemic or the country’s state of emergency could face jail for up to six years.

Myanmar Detainees Get Deportation Reprieve from Malaysia

The UN and rights groups say refugees and asylum-seekers may be among those being held in Malaysia.

Laos Braces for Promise, Peril of China’s High-Speed Railway

'The rail is definitely going to bring economic benefits. It’s basically economic benefits for … greater political influence,' says an analyst.

Myanmar Coup Puts French, US Oil Majors Back in Spotlight

Some activists say foreign firms operating and investing in the country’s multibillion-dollar gas fields will be propping up a junta unless they pull out.

Myanmar Coup Piles Pressure on Military’s Business Empire

Firms from Japan and Singapore say they’re cutting ties; experts expect more to follow.

Myanmar Democracy, Economy Expected to Suffer After Military Power Grab

Generals could draw country closer to China and Russia, some analysts believe.

China Seen as Pressing Advantage in Myanmar with High-Level Visit, Deals

China and Myanmar agreed to push ahead with a controversial Belt and Road project and lock in a five-year pact on trade and economic cooperation.

Malaysia to Cite Glove Maker for Staff Housing Akin to ‘Modern Slavery’

The government is drawing up 30 charges against Brightway Holdings and its subsidiaries after inspectors find hundreds of migrant workers living in squalid conditions.

Thailand's Prime Minister Orders Crackdown on Officials Abetting Human Traffickers

Rights groups say the campaign may net some arrests but believe the corruption is seeded too deep for the prime minister's plan to root it out.

Thai Firm Joins with AstraZeneca to Make COVID-19 Vaccine for Southeast Asia

Thailand says most of the 200 million doses the British pharmaceutical firm plans to churn out of a local lab will go to neighboring countries.