According to the UNHCR, last year was the deadliest for Rohingya refugees, who continue to make the journey from Bangladesh and Myanmar to Malaysia and Indonesia due to fresh fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine State, and continued persecution, worsening conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh.
To mark the New Year, Min Aung Hlaing has granted pardons to over 4,500 prisoners, including former President Win Myint and documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe. Only a minor reduction in sentence for Aung San Suu Kyi. A political charade to legitimise the junta following the sham elections. Whilst Yangon celebrates, the army continues to target civilians with air raids.
In light of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Singapore has drawn attention to ‘chokepoints’, starting with the Strait of Malacca, through which nearly a third of the world’s oil and the majority of global trade passes. The “Malacca dilemma” has prompted China to diversify its routes and infrastructure to reduce its strategic vulnerability.
The nun, winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, passed away on 14 April at the age of 85. In 1986, she founded the Mission of Our Lady of Peace and established free health clinics, which have treated tens of thousands of people in need free of charge. Her compassion is celebrated as one of the pillars upon which to ‘build the nation’.
“Highway to Somewhere” is a TV series produced in Singapore but set in Malaysia, centred on an online scam network. It has drawn criticism from groups concerned about its impact on Malaysia’s image. The broadcaster that aired the series has dismissed the accusations, saying its goal was to raise awareness about the phenomenon of online scam centres in Southeast Asia.
A military-dominated government was approved today following elections deemed a sham by the international community. But while General Min Aung Hlaing consolidates his power by merely changing his clothing, the exiled opposition and the ethnic groups fighting on the ground are uniting in a common political structure.
