AJA Newsbites is a curated roundup of major news and developments from across Asia, brought to you by members of Asia Journalist Association (AJA)
Lee Sang-ki, THE AsiaN, Korea
A controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea has intensified after its May 18 “Tank Day” tumbler promotion triggered accusations of mocking South Korea’s May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. Critics objected to phrases such as “5/18,” “Tank Day,” and “Tak!” used in promotional materials, arguing they evoked painful historical memories. Parent company Shinsegae Group quickly apologized and replaced the Starbucks Korea chief executive, but the backlash continued to grow. President Lee Jae-myung condemned the campaign, while some government ministries and ruling party figures signaled support for boycott efforts.
Opposition politicians and some consumers argued that the issue was being excessively politicized and warned against pressuring private businesses. Online disputes have since escalated into broader ideological clashes, with some social media users linking Starbucks consumption to political identity and others criticizing what they call “political loyalty tests.”
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Two regulatory codes under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA) to better protect minors from harmful online content were unveiled by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on Friday, May 23.
The Child Protection Code (CPC) and the Risk Mitigation Code (RMC) were published following engagements with industry players, civil society organisations, and relevant stakeholders, including a public consultation held from February 12 to March 31. In a statement, MCMC said both codes will take effect on June 1, 2026, adding that a reasonable grace period will be provided for service providers to effectively complete the verification process.
“The codes set clear expectations for service providers to take greater responsibility in addressing online harms within their services, particularly in safeguarding children and vulnerable users. The implementation approach under the codes remains outcome-based, allowing service providers the flexibility to adopt appropriate solutions that meet safety, privacy and legal requirements,” said the statement.
According to the commission, the CPC focuses on ensuring a safer and more age-appropriate online experience for child users by requiring service providers to embed child safety by design principles into their services, including safeguards to limit account registration and ownership by users under the age of 16. “The measures under CPC provide age-appropriate protections and restrictions on high-risk features, while helping to reduce exposure to exploitative interactions and harmful content.”
As for the RMC, the commission said it requires service providers to implement proactive and systemic measures to mitigate harmful content risks, including risk assessments, stronger content governance, effective reporting and response mechanisms, advertiser verification measures, and the labelling of manipulated content where appropriate.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Chhea Keo, briefed the UN Security Council this week on the armed clashes with Thailand in July and December 2025, which caused severe humanitarian consequences, with approximately 649,000 Cambodian civilians displaced and much civilian infrastructure destroyed.
In his remarks on Thursday afternoon at the UN Security Council’s open debate on “Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict,” organized by the Mission of the People’s Republic of China as President of the UN Security Council for May 2026 at UN Headquarters in New York, Chhea Keo said that the unprovoked acts of aggression in July and December 2025 had caused serious humanitarian consequences. Approximately 649,000 Cambodian civilians were displaced, much civilian infrastructure was destroyed, and the Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was severely damaged, he added.
Bob Iskandar, Indonesia Global News, Indonesia
The sudden rollout of PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia directly targets the multi-layered trading structures that have historically dominated Indonesian coal, palm oil, and ferroalloys. To evaluate whether this policy will completely eliminate small trading houses or prompt the rise of local Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to manage domestic buying, the mechanics of the decree must be analyzed against the operational realities of Indonesian commodity supply chains.
The fate of small trading companies is likely grim. The classic “paper-shuffling” mid-tier or small independent exporter is facing structural extinction. Under the Phase 2 mandate taking effect on September 1, 2026, the law dictates a strict business-to-business (B2B) framework where domestic producers can only legally contract and transact with Danantara for export.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260523 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
