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South East Asia
Malaysian PM Razak boosts Election Commission’s independence
Malaysia’s leader said Saturday that the Election Commission would be placed under Parliament’s watch to boost confidence in its independence after recent national elections sparked allegations of fraud, but the opposition said the move did not go far enough. Prime Minister Najib Razak’s National Front coalition won May 5 polls,…
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East Asia
Vietnamese protest against China’s territorial claims in South China Sea
Police detained about 15 anti-China protestors Sunday during a march in the Vietnamese capital that showed the domestic pressure the government faces when dealing with Beijing’s muscular approach to territorial claims in the South China Sea. Scuffles broke out as police hauled ringleaders or especially vocal protesters into buses during…
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South East Asia
Myanmar’s gov’t and Kachin rebels edge toward cease-fire
Myanmar’s government and ethnic Kachin rebels have ended three days of peace talks with a tentative deal to de-escalate fighting and continue a political dialogue. The two sides signed a seven-point agreement Thursday in the Kachin state capital, Myitkyina, in an effort to end nearly two years of fighting. There…
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South East Asia
ASEAN prioritizes disaster management, emergency response
Disaster management and emergency response are among top priorities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s members and partners. The statement was made by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the opening ceremony of the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-2) to the ASEAN Agreement…
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South East Asia
Indian PM Singh visits Thailand to discuss economic, security issues
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with his Thai counterpart Thursday on a visit meant to strengthen bilateral ties and connect with the Southeast Asia region. After arriving in Bangkok, Singh held talks with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. They discussed a framework for a free trade agreement and cooperation in…
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East Asia
[Junior AJA Talk] What would you do for Asia if you were UN Sec-Gen?
The Asia Journalist Association(AJA) has created the Junior AJA program to allow for international students to experience journalism and expand their perspective of their country, Asia and the world through workshops, writing articles, networking and exchanges. 18 international students from 16 different countries are participating in the program from April…
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East Asia
[Asia Round-up] China’s princelings in high posts
Editor’s note: Followings are summaries of editorials from major Asian media on current issues. China’s princelings in high posts [Singapore, The Straits Times, 29-05-2013] News of newly retired Chinese president Hu Jintao’s son entering into politics is only the beginning of many princelings to come. Recently, Deng Xiaoping’s 28-year-old grandson,…
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South East Asia
Sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims reignited in Myanmar
Hundreds of Buddhist men on motorcycles, screaming and waving iron rods and sticks, roamed the streets. A crowd threw rocks at buildings. A movie theater reportedly burned. This town in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border is the latest region to fall prey to the country’s spreading violence and intimidation…
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East Asia
Taiwanese cancel trips to Philippines over row on killing of fisherman
Philippine tourism officials said they stand to lose $4.5 million monthly in canceled bookings and charter flights from Taiwan as a result of a diplomatic row over the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman. Most of the cancelations have hit the popular beach resort of Boracay in the central Philippines, where…
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South East Asia
A royal ox eats food during ancient royal plowing ceremony in Cambodia
Lun Limthai (3rd R), governor of Kampong Cham province, designated by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni as the King of the plowing ceremony, plows the rice field by using royal oxen during the ancient royal plowing ceremony in eastern Kampong Cham province of Cambodia, May 28, 2013. Cambodia on Tuesday observed…
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