Top News Headlines In Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam: July 29, 2025
Former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen thanked United States President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the successful mediation talks in Putrajaya. He said their efforts saved thousands of lives in Cambodia and Thailand.
INDONESIA
1.GOVT REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO NUSANTARA PROJECT AMID MORATORIUM CALLS -- THE JAKARTA POST
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi has dismissed growing concerns over President Prabowo Subianto's commitment to the Nusantara capital city project, asserting that the President has no plans for a moratorium and remains fully committed to completing the relocation within three years.
2.EU TO LET INDONESIAN PALM OIL ENTER ITS MARKET AT 0 PCT TARIFF --JAKARTA GLOBE
Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said Monday that Europe would let Indonesia sell its palm oil at 0 percent tariff as part of a last-minute trade deal negotiation.
LAOS
1.CELEBRATING UNESCO'S TRANSBOUNDARY HERITAGE SITE -- VIENTIANE TIMES
Authorities plan to celebrate the inscription of Hin Nam No National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO approved the inclusion of Hin Nam No National Park alongside Vietnam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park on July 13.
2.SUCCESSFUL JOINT BORDER DEMARCATION EFFORTS -- VIENTIANE TIMES
Lao and Cambodia have identified 75 boundary points and installed 134 new permanent markers over the last year. The progress was announced at the 8th Meeting of the Laos-Cambodia and Cambodia-Laos Joint Boundary Commissions in Phnom Penh.
MYANMAR
1.HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS TO BE EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
The government directed that high-quality construction materials and advanced technology should be included in the construction of skyscrapers or high-rise buildings, as in Japan or China. This is to ensure the safety of lives and properties during earthquakes.
2.RURAL ELECTRIFICATION FOR 30,000 HOMES -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
The government's rural electrification programme aims to cover over 30,000 households in remote areas where the national grid is difficult to reach. A small-scale solar system for a single house and a mini-grid will be deployed.
SINGAPORE
1.THIRTY DEAD, OVER 80,000 EVACUATED, FOLLOWING HEAVY RAIN IN BEIJING, XINHUA REPORTS -- THE STRAITS TIMES
Thirty people have been killed in Beijing and over 80,000 people have been evacuated as at midnight on July 28 as rain hit the Chinese capital, the official Xinhua news agency reported on July 29.
2.AS SINGAPORE GROWS IN POPULARITY WITH CHINESE STUDENTS, UNIVERSITIES ROLL OUT MANDARIN-TAUGHT PROGRAMMES -- CNA
After nearly a decade in the workforce, Ms Jin Qi decided in 2020 that it was time to pursue a master's degree to advance her career.
THAILAND
1. SAI RIVER OVERFLOWS IN MAE SAI AFTER HEAVY DOWNPOURS TRIGGER FLASH FLOODING -- THE NATION Sai River overflowed early Monday in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district after 118.8mm of rain, prompting evacuations and flash flooding in several villages.
2. THAILAND AND CAMBODIA TRUCE AGREEMENT COMES INTO EFFECT -- BANGKOK POST SURIN - A truce agreement between Thailand and Cambodia came into effect in the early hours of Tuesday, testing whether it will halt five days of open combat that have engulfed their jungle-clad frontier.
VIETNAM
1.VIETNAM MARKS 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN ASEAN -- VIETNAM NEWS
Vietnam says ASEAN is a vital gateway to the country's regional integration and national development, and both share the same aspirations to promote peace. Vietnam commemorated the 30th anniversary of its accession to the bloc on July 28.
2.VIETNAM TO WORK WITH ICJ TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT -- VIETNAMPLUS
Vietnam will continue to work closely with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to protect the environment from the negative impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. It has actively contributed throughout the entire process of seeking the ICJ's advisory opinion.
-- BERNAMA
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The Star
26 minutes ago
- The Star
After the Thai-Cambodia truce job, Malaysia urged to turn focus to Myanmar crisis
PHNOM PENH, Aug 2 (Bernama) -- Following its successful mediation of the Cambodia-Thailand border truce, Malaysia may now seek to apply a similar conflict resolution model to one of Asean's most intractable challenges - the ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's assertive diplomacy is redefining Asean's role, transforming the bloc from a passive consensus-based forum into a more active regional player capable of navigating complex crises, according to political observers. In just four months as Asean chair, Anwar has secured two major diplomatic breakthroughs in addressing long-standing regional crises - moves that have drawn praise from the international community. Former Indian Ambassador to Thailand Anil Wadhwa noted that Anwar's proactive approach is challenging Asean's longstanding principle of non-interference - necessary to address the ongoing crises and issues like human trafficking and scams. "By doing so, Malaysia is restoring Asean relevance in addressing the Myanmar crisis and promoting human security in the region. Malaysia will do well to ride on its success in the Thai-Cambodia conflict and try the Asean mediation between the military regime and the NUG and other disparate groups,' Anil told Bernama from New Delhi. Anil, who served as India's envoy to Thailand from 2011 to 2014, underscored the urgency for Asean to develop a workable political framework to address Myanmar's multi-layered crisis - one that has defied solutions for decades. Anwar, however, broke the bitter diplomatic deadlock in mid-April. He met Myanmar's State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok and also consulted the National Unity Government (NUG) representatives to allow the flow of humanitarian aid into earthquake-hit regions - a rare moment of cooperation between the two rival entities. Most recently, Anwar hosted a high stakes meeting in Putrajaya between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, successfully defusing tensions along the two countries' shared border. The ceasefire, widely seen as a major Asean achievement, prevented a broader military escalation and ensured the safety of thousands of civilians. The 77-year-old leader's diplomatic masterstrokes brought the much-needed calm to the border communities on both sides and helped save thousands of lives. Otherwise, it could have turned into a costly military confrontation, destabilising the region. Still, Myanmar's situation presents a more complex challenge. The country's civil war involves some 20 ethnic armed groups, many of whom have been fighting for autonomy or independence since 1948. With over 135 recognised ethnic groups and competing visions of governance, the path to peace is steep. "Asean needs leadership - and Anwar is providing that,' remarked Kavi Chongkittavorn, a senior fellow at Chulalongkorn University's Institute of Security and International Studies in Bangkok. "He is making Asean more relevant under Malaysia's leadership, Timor-Leste is accepted into Asean, and to solve the Myanmar crisis, Asean needs the leadership too. "Now Asean can engage superpowers, especially the US and China and others more effectively. Malaysia announced the new Vision 2045 that envisages the bloc as future-ready. Anwar is doing exactly that. It will take time to further rebrand Asean,' he told Bernama. He also highlighted the significance of the Thai-Cambodia ceasefire, calling it a milestone, especially since Thailand had previously rejected Asean mediation during similar border clashes in 2008 and 2011. While the world's focus shifted to the border tussle in recent days, Myanmar continues to grapple with its domestic predicaments from economic hardship, natural calamities, raging civil war in various states and internally displaced people. The military coup on February 1, 2021, has displaced at least three million people, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation "The only way to solve the crisis in Myanmar is for the military government and the NUG constituents to come together to discuss power sharing, revenue sharing formula and open humanitarian corridors. The people of Myanmar need to be freed of their burden,' said Anil. The military government recently lifted its four-year-old state of emergency and has announced plans to hold national elections in December. Whether Asean under Malaysia's leadership, can facilitate meaningful dialogue in Myanmar remains to be seen. But as Anwar continues to chart a more assertive course, political analysts agree: Asean may be inching closer to becoming a truly effective regional actor. - Bernama
The Star
26 minutes ago
- The Star
Protesters in Bangkok demand resignation of court-suspended prime minister following deadly conflict
Anti-government protesters hold Thai national flags during a rally to condemn war with Cambodia and demand the resignation of Thailand's suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, at Victory Monument in Bangkok on Saturday, August 2, 2025. - Photo by Chanakarn Laosarakham / AFP BANGKOK (AP): Protesters rallied Saturday in the Thai capital to demand the resignation of court-suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and in support of the armed forces following a violent border dispute with Cambodia that killed more than three dozen people and displaced over 260,000. Gathered at Bangkok's Victory Monument despite soaring temperatures, many sang patriotic songs and listened to speeches denouncing Paetongtarn and her father, former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, and voiced their backing of the country's army, which has always retained substantial power in the Southeast Asian country. Police said there were about two thousand protesters by mid-afternoon, though more were expected to join as the temperature cooled. Some locals accuse Paetongtarn and her family of allowing the conflict, which stretches back deacdes with both sides claiming pocket of lands near the shared borders, to escalate due to their close tied with Cambodian leader Hun Sen. A court suspened the prime minster last month after Hun Sen leaked a phone call in which she she called him "uncle" and appeared to denigrate a Thai general, angering many. The most recent clashes ended with an uneasy Malaysian-brokered ceasefire on July 29. "Ung Ing, you need to leave,' said one well-known conservative columnist and protester, Jittakorn Bussaba, using Paetongtarn 's nickname."Because there's blood on your hands. People have died because of you,' he said from the stage to general applause. "I'm here to help oust the government and protect Thai sovereignty and to support the soldiers,' said 75-year-old Kittiwat, who only gave one name. "Ung Ing has damaged the country. Everyone needs to help out," said 58-year-old Ammorn Khunthong. "Thaksin and his family should not run or command this country anymore,' she said. There were many familiar faces from a conservative, pro-royalist group once known as Yellow Shirts, longtime foes of Paetongtarn's father, who was toppled in a military coup in 2006. Thaksin, a billionaire tycoon, entered politics by founding his own political party and buying the loyalty of local political bosses nationwide. He was often accused of bullying critics and not separating his business dealings from those of the government. Yellow Shirts rallies had also helped oust the elected government of Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, in a 2014 coup. The army in Thailand plays a major role in politics and has staged 13 successful coups since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, most recently just 11 years ago. - AP
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Trump administration deports migrants to third countries
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration says that some serious criminals need to be deported to third countries because even their home countries won't accept them. But a review of recent cases shows that at least five men threatened with such a fate were sent to their native countries within weeks. President Donald Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally and his administration has sought to ramp up removals to third countries, including sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, two sub-Saharan African nations. Immigrants convicted of crimes typically first serve their U.S. sentences before being deported. This appeared to be the case with the eight men deported to South Sudan and five to Eswatini, although some had been released years earlier. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in June that third-country deportations allow them to deport people 'so uniquely barbaric that their own countries won't take them back.' Critics have countered that it's not clear the U.S. tried to return the men deported to South Sudan and Eswatini to their home countries and that the deportations were unnecessarily cruel. Reuters found that at least five men threatened with deportation to Libya in May were sent to their home countries weeks later, according to interviews with two of the men, a family member and attorneys. After a U.S. judge blocked the Trump administration from sending them to Libya, two men from Vietnam, two men from Laos and a man from Mexico were all deported to their home nations. The deportations have not previously been reported. DHS did not comment on the removals. Reuters could not determine if their home countries initially refused to take them or why the U.S. tried to send them to Libya. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin contested that the home countries of criminals deported to third countries were willing to take them back, but did not provide details on any attempts to return the five men home before they were threatened with deportation to Libya. 'If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, you could end up in CECOT, , Guantanamo Bay, or South Sudan or another third country,' McLaughlin said in a statement, referencing and a detention center in the subtropical Florida Everglades. FAR FROM HOME DHS did not respond to a request for the number of third-country deportations since Trump took office on January 20, although there have been thousands to Mexico and hundreds to other countries. The eight men sent to South Sudan were from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, South Sudan and Vietnam, according to DHS. The man DHS said was from South Sudan had a deportation order to Sudan, according to a court filing. The five men sent to Eswatini were from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen, according to DHS. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the men deported to South Sudan and Eswatini were 'the worst of the worst' and included people convicted in the United States of child sex abuse and murder. 'American communities are safer with these heinous illegal criminals gone,' Jackson said in a statement. The Laos government did not respond to requests for comment regarding the men threatened with deportation to Libya and those deported to South Sudan and Eswatini. Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson said on July 17 that the government was verifying information regarding the South Sudan deportation but did not provide additional comment to Reuters. The government of Mexico did not comment. The Trump administration acknowledged in a May 22 court filing that the man from Myanmar had valid travel documents to return to his home country but he was deported to South Sudan anyway. DHS said the man had been convicted of sexual assault involving a victim mentally and physically incapable of resisting. Eswatini's government said on Tuesday that it was still holding the five migrants sent there in isolated prison units under the deal with the Trump administration. 'A VERY RANDOM OUTCOME' The Supreme Court in June allowed the Trump administration to deport migrants to third countries without giving them a chance to show they could be harmed. But the legality of the removals is still being contested in a federal lawsuit in Boston, a case that could potentially wind its way back to the conservative-leaning high court. Critics say the removals aim to stoke fear among migrants and encourage them to 'self deport' to their home countries rather than be sent to distant countries they have no connection with. 'This is a message that you may end up with a very random outcome that you're going to like a lot less than if you elect to leave under your own steam,' said Michelle Mittelstadt, communications director for the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute. Internal U.S. immigration enforcement guidance issued in July said migrants could be deported to countries that had not provided diplomatic assurances of their safety in as little as six hours. While the administration has highlighted the deportations of convicted criminals to African countries, it has also sent asylum-seeking Afghans, Russians and others to Panama and Costa Rica. The Trump administration deported more than 200 Venezuelans accused of being gang members to El Salvador in March, where they were held in the country's CECOT prison without access to attorneys until they were released in a prisoner swap last month. More than 5,700 non-Mexican migrants have been deported to Mexico since Trump took office, according to Mexican government data, continuing a policy that began under former President Joe Biden. The fact that one Mexican man was deported to South Sudan and another threatened with deportation to Libya suggests that the Trump administration did not try to send them to their home countries, according to Trina Realmuto, executive director at the pro-immigrant National Immigration Litigation Alliance. 'Mexico historically accepts back its own citizens,' said Realmuto, one of the attorneys representing migrants in the lawsuit contesting third-country deportations. The eight men deported to South Sudan included Mexican national Jesus Munoz Gutierrez, who had served a sentence in the U.S. for second-degree murder and was directly taken into federal immigration custody afterward, according to Realmuto. Court records show Munoz stabbed and killed a roommate during a fight in 2004. When the Trump administration first initiated the deportation in late May, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government had not been informed. 'If he does want to be repatriated, then the United States would have to bring him to Mexico,' Sheinbaum said at the time. His sister, Guadalupe Gutierrez, said in an interview that she didn't understand why he was sent to South Sudan, where he is currently in custody. She said Mexico is trying to get her brother home. 'Mexico never rejected my brother,' Gutierrez said. 'USING US AS A PAWN' Immigration hardliners see the third-country removals as a way to deal with immigration offenders who can't easily be deported and could pose a threat to the U.S. public. 'The Trump administration is prioritizing the safety of American communities over the comfort of these deportees,' said Jessica Vaughan, policy director at the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports lower levels of immigration. The Trump administration in July to take migrants and the Pacific Islands nation of Palau, among others. Under U.S. law, federal immigration officials can deport someone to a country other than their place of citizenship when all other efforts are 'impracticable, inadvisable or impossible.' Immigration officials must first try to send an immigrant back to their home country, and if they fail, then to a country with which they have a connection, such as where they lived or were born. For a Lao man who was almost deported to Libya in early May, hearing about the renewed third-country deportations took him back to his own close call. In an interview from Laos granted on condition of anonymity because of fears for his safety, he asked why the U.S. was 'using us as a pawn?' His attorney said the man had served a prison sentence for a felony. Reuters could not establish what he was convicted of. He recalled officials telling him to sign his deportation order to Libya, which he refused, telling them he wanted to be sent to Laos instead. They told him he would be deported to Libya regardless of whether he signed or not, he said. DHS did not comment on the allegations. The man, who came to the United States in the early 1980s as a refugee when he was four years old, said he was now trying to learn the Lao language and adapt to his new life, 'taking it day by day.' - Reuters
