TOPIC

/ location

Myanmar

Latest news, updates and opinion on Myanmar, covering politics, economy, society and the country’s relationships with China and India, and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Capital

Naypyidaw

Head of State

Acting President Min Aung Hlaing

Head of Government

Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing

Scams and swindles

Cambodia’s high-stakes war on online scam compounds

Cambodia has vowed to stamp out the scam compounds on its soil by month’s end – but perpetrators remain drawn to the potential for huge profits.

4 Apr 2026 - 6:22AMvideocam

Min Aung Hlaing

From general to Myanmar president: Min Aung Hlaing’s ‘cosmetic’ rebrand

3 Apr 2026 - 6:35PMvideocam

Electric & new energy vehicles

Leapmotor targets global growth with Europe R&D hub, eyes Canada assembly

3 Apr 2026 - 10:00AM

Asean

How Asean’s neutral stance in Iran war protects its energy security

Granting Southeast Asian vessels safe passage through the strait allows Iran to come across as a diplomatic good guy, analysts say.

2 Apr 2026 - 3:19PMvideocam

An oil tanker sits anchored off Muscat, Oman, on March 10. Photo: Reuters

Human rights

Why Myanmar top general’s exit is window dressing to cement military rule

Min Aung Hlaing, who has resigned from the armed forces, is set to get approval from the military-allied parliament to become president.

1 Apr 2026 - 7:49PM

Indonesia

‘Disturbing’: are Indonesia’s borders prone to systemic immigration corruption?

Some Singaporean tourists to Batam say they have paid nearly US$200 to clear entry checks that should have been free for Southeast Asian visitors.

31 Mar 2026 - 5:40PM

SCMP Highlights

Cambodia’s scam industry exodus, Jollibee’s diaspora effect: 7 Asia highlights

From Cambodia’s scam industry exodus to Jollibee’s meaning to overseas Filipinos, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

31 Mar 2026 - 1:06PM

Jollibee employees attend to customers at an outlet in Manila in 2015. Photo: AFP

Aung San Suu Kyi

Video | Myanmar’s junta chief set to continue rule as civilian president

With the military controlling parliament, Min Aung Hlaing is widely expected to be elected president.

31 Mar 2026 - 11:34AM

War and conflict

Myanmar paves way for junta chief to be civilian president

Min Aung Hlaing has ruled Myanmar since 2021 when he ordered a coup toppling the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

31 Mar 2026 - 11:33AMvideocam

Cambodia

A US$19 billion scam industry is fleeing Cambodia. Where will it end up?

Scam bosses and their multibillion-dollar crime networks are fleeing to Myanmar, Laos and Thailand ahead of an April deadline.

29 Mar 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

A Thai soldier shines a torch into a room disguised as a Chinese police station inside an abandoned scam centre on the Thai-Cambodian border on March 12. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong police

‘Like a horror movie’: Hongkonger rescued after Myanmar forced labour ordeal

Security Bureau liaised with Chinese embassies in Myanmar and Thailand, economic and trade office in Bangkok and Thai authorities to rescue man.

28 Mar 2026 - 11:17PM

The man is reunited with his family. Photo: Security Bureau

Middle East

Myanmar travellers take to the trains as fuel prices rise

Commuters are choosing cheaper and faster rail travel over costly planes and cars.

28 Mar 2026 - 9:01AM

Asean

Burning daylight: Asean’s power grid plans get an Iran war jolt

Oil is up, coal is back and so are fuel queues. As the Middle East burns, Southeast Asia dusts off an old plan to rewire its future.

3 Apr 2026 - 10:40PM

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Getting worse each day’: why Southeast Asia is vulnerable to the fuel crisis

From Laos to Thailand, long queues are forming at petrol stations while residents are reeling from surging fuel prices.

23 Mar 2026 - 9:02PMvideocam

People queue to buy petrol at a station in Hanoi amid disruptions in supply and price surges due to the Iran war. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia

‘I’ve never held my son’: the Rohingya families Malaysia keeps apart

More than 5,000 Rohingya languish in detention in Malaysia, leaving fathers like Farouk to watch their children grow through a screen.

23 Mar 2026 - 6:00PM

Farouk’s wife gave birth in a Malaysian immigration detention centre a day after the family was arrested. Photo: Ushar Daniele

Climate change

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

21 Mar 2026 - 3:00PM

India

India detains 6 Ukrainians, 1 American suspected of training Myanmar rebels

The seven are also suspected to have illegally transported a ‘huge consignment of drones from Europe’ into India for use in Myanmar.

17 Mar 2026 - 8:27PM

United States

Trump administration can resume ‘third-country’ deportations, appeal court rules

Attorney General Pam Bondi called the ruling, that deports undocumented migrants to countries that are not their own, a ‘key win’.

17 Mar 2026 - 3:45AM

US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Photo: EPA

Min Aung Hlaing

Myanmar’s junta-proxy parliament meets for first time since 2021 coup

Stacked with military allies and ex-generals, the new assembly aims to legitimise a regime the United Nations and EU have branded a sham.

16 Mar 2026 - 2:51PMvideocam

Myanmar's democratic transition

Opinion | Myanmar’s junta staged an election. It couldn’t stage legitimacy

A closer look at the vote raises doubts about whether the generals can hold the country hostage in the long term.

14 Mar 2026 - 12:00PM

Asean

Philippines urges Asean to be global investment safe haven amid Middle East war

This year’s Asean chair calls on the bloc to ensure investment ‘certainty’ at the opening of the foreign ministers meeting in Manila.

13 Mar 2026 - 12:28PM

Filipinos test ride electric bikes they explore ways to save on transport costs following oil price spikes on Thursday. Photo: AP

Scams and swindles

150,000 Meta accounts shut down in Southeast Asian scam centre crackdown

Meta has also launched protective tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp alerts for suspicious friend requests and activities.

12 Mar 2026 - 8:17PMvideocam

Workstations used by scam operators are seen after a police raid in Phnom Penh on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

Asia sees violence, fuel rationing, queues as energy crunch over war hits

In Bangladesh a man was killed and the military has been deployed, while lines have formed elsewhere too, as many nations rely on imports.

10 Mar 2026 - 5:59PMvideocam

China-Asean relations

China extols Myanmar gang executions, pledging to protect citizens abroad

Chief of China’s top court highlights crackdown on Southeast Asia crime rings in annual ‘two sessions’ report.

9 Mar 2026 - 7:44PMvideocam

Vietnam

Why Vietnam’s new AI law makes it proving ground for Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia’s first law on AI could raise the bar from voluntary guidelines to binding legal frameworks across the region, analysts say.

8 Mar 2026 - 6:43PMvideocam

A girl checks her phone next to Communist Party and Vietnamese flags in Hanoi on February 27. Vietnam’s new artificial intelligence law went into effect on March 1. Photo: AFP

Israel-Iran conflict

Video | Iran war drives Myanmar fuel crisis

Taxi drivers face long queues and limited supplies as the Middle East crisis hits home.

5 Mar 2026 - 9:00PM

01:09

Singapore

Singapore police seize US$390 million in assets in Prince Group probe

Three men, including the captain of Chen Zhi’s superyacht, have been arrested in connection with the case, police announced.

5 Mar 2026 - 4:34PM

Thailand

Thailand’s PTT to freeze pump prices as Iran attacks spur panic buying in region

The energy firm will maintain prices for 15 days, even as Thailand says it will still export oil to Laos.

4 Mar 2026 - 4:09PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Myanmar

Cambodia’s high-stakes war on online scam compounds

Cambodia has vowed to stamp out the scam compounds on its soil by month’s end – but perpetrators remain drawn to the potential for huge profits.

From general to Myanmar president: Min Aung Hlaing’s ‘cosmetic’ rebrand

Leapmotor targets global growth with Europe R&D hub, eyes Canada assembly

How Asean’s neutral stance in Iran war protects its energy security

Granting Southeast Asian vessels safe passage through the strait allows Iran to come across as a diplomatic good guy, analysts say.

Why Myanmar top general’s exit is window dressing to cement military rule

Min Aung Hlaing, who has resigned from the armed forces, is set to get approval from the military-allied parliament to become president.

‘Disturbing’: are Indonesia’s borders prone to systemic immigration corruption?

Some Singaporean tourists to Batam say they have paid nearly US$200 to clear entry checks that should have been free for Southeast Asian visitors.

Cambodia’s scam industry exodus, Jollibee’s diaspora effect: 7 Asia highlights

From Cambodia’s scam industry exodus to Jollibee’s meaning to overseas Filipinos, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Myanmar’s junta chief set to continue rule as civilian president

With the military controlling parliament, Min Aung Hlaing is widely expected to be elected president.

Myanmar paves way for junta chief to be civilian president

Min Aung Hlaing has ruled Myanmar since 2021 when he ordered a coup toppling the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

A US$19 billion scam industry is fleeing Cambodia. Where will it end up?

Scam bosses and their multibillion-dollar crime networks are fleeing to Myanmar, Laos and Thailand ahead of an April deadline.

‘Like a horror movie’: Hongkonger rescued after Myanmar forced labour ordeal

Security Bureau liaised with Chinese embassies in Myanmar and Thailand, economic and trade office in Bangkok and Thai authorities to rescue man.

Myanmar travellers take to the trains as fuel prices rise

Commuters are choosing cheaper and faster rail travel over costly planes and cars.

Burning daylight: Asean’s power grid plans get an Iran war jolt

Oil is up, coal is back and so are fuel queues. As the Middle East burns, Southeast Asia dusts off an old plan to rewire its future.

‘Getting worse each day’: why Southeast Asia is vulnerable to the fuel crisis

From Laos to Thailand, long queues are forming at petrol stations while residents are reeling from surging fuel prices.

‘I’ve never held my son’: the Rohingya families Malaysia keeps apart

More than 5,000 Rohingya languish in detention in Malaysia, leaving fathers like Farouk to watch their children grow through a screen.

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

India detains 6 Ukrainians, 1 American suspected of training Myanmar rebels

The seven are also suspected to have illegally transported a ‘huge consignment of drones from Europe’ into India for use in Myanmar.

Trump administration can resume ‘third-country’ deportations, appeal court rules

Attorney General Pam Bondi called the ruling, that deports undocumented migrants to countries that are not their own, a ‘key win’.

Myanmar’s junta-proxy parliament meets for first time since 2021 coup

Stacked with military allies and ex-generals, the new assembly aims to legitimise a regime the United Nations and EU have branded a sham.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Myanmar’s junta staged an election. It couldn’t stage legitimacy

A closer look at the vote raises doubts about whether the generals can hold the country hostage in the long term.

Philippines urges Asean to be global investment safe haven amid Middle East war

This year’s Asean chair calls on the bloc to ensure investment ‘certainty’ at the opening of the foreign ministers meeting in Manila.

150,000 Meta accounts shut down in Southeast Asian scam centre crackdown

Meta has also launched protective tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp alerts for suspicious friend requests and activities.

Asia sees violence, fuel rationing, queues as energy crunch over war hits

In Bangladesh a man was killed and the military has been deployed, while lines have formed elsewhere too, as many nations rely on imports.

China extols Myanmar gang executions, pledging to protect citizens abroad

Chief of China’s top court highlights crackdown on Southeast Asia crime rings in annual ‘two sessions’ report.

Why Vietnam’s new AI law makes it proving ground for Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia’s first law on AI could raise the bar from voluntary guidelines to binding legal frameworks across the region, analysts say.

Video | Iran war drives Myanmar fuel crisis

Taxi drivers face long queues and limited supplies as the Middle East crisis hits home.

Singapore police seize US$390 million in assets in Prince Group probe

Three men, including the captain of Chen Zhi’s superyacht, have been arrested in connection with the case, police announced.

Thailand’s PTT to freeze pump prices as Iran attacks spur panic buying in region

The energy firm will maintain prices for 15 days, even as Thailand says it will still export oil to Laos.

Video | Myanmar’s junta chief set to continue rule as civilian president

Opinion | Myanmar’s junta staged an election. It couldn’t stage legitimacy