Asad Ullah, a 25-year-old Rohingya refugee who fled Myanmar and arrived in Indonesia’s Aceh Province in 2022, died on April 14 at Syafira Hospital in Pekanbaru, Riau Province. He had been suffering from Hepatitis C and edema (swelling) in his legs for several months, and his family believes that hisContinue Reading
On April 14, the defense website IHS Janes reported that Russia is seeking permission from Indonesia to station several long range aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) at the Manuhua Air Force Base on Biak island in the Indonesian province of West Papua. The news broke just as Russia’sContinue Reading
Kicking them while they are down: the phrase aptly illustrates what U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff bomb does, or is about to do, to Indonesia’s economy, which has been down for quite some time. In 2024, according to the Ministry of Manpower, as many as 77,965 workers were laid off.Continue Reading
China’s paramount leader Xi Jinping arrived in Malaysia on April 15 for talks with key leaders, once again attempting to capitalize on the negative regional reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s punitive tariff regime. Xi arrived in Malaysia yesterday evening from Vietnam, and was officially welcomed at the Istana NegaraContinue Reading
On April 17, 1975, tanks rolled into the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, to cheering crowds who believed that the country’s long civil war might finally be over. But what followed was one of the worst genocides of the 20th century. During a brutal four-year rule, the communist-nationalist ideologues of theContinue Reading
After Vietnam and the United States upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023, China swiftly responded to avoid losing strategic influence in Hanoi. Three months later, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Vietnam – and this week, he returned with what is arguably theContinue Reading
An idyllic island in the Gulf of Thailand has recently become a subject of contention between nationalists in Thailand and Cambodia, derailing negotiations over the joint exploitation of offshore gas reserves. Koh Kood (or Koh Kut) is a popular holiday hotspot for foreign tourists to Thailand, attracting hundreds of thousandsContinue Reading
The story of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 is a tale almost inconceivable were it not one of fact. The Boeing 777 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished without explanation in 2014 with 239 passengers and crew aboard. The final communication from the plane came just two hours afterContinue Reading
Singaporeans will head to the polls for their next general election on May 3, after President Tharman Shanmugaratnam dissolved parliament and issued a writ of election yesterday. In a statement, Wong’s office announced that April 23 has been set for Nomination Day, when prospective candidates will head to nine nominationContinue Reading
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will meet with the head of Myanmar’s military junta in Bangkok this week, to push for the extension of a ceasefire and discuss earthquake relief efforts. During a monthly meeting of the Finance Ministry yesterday, Anwar announced that he would meet Senior Gen. Min AungContinue Reading
