Rescuers were racing to hunt for survivors after a deadly collapse at an illegal gold mine in Indonesia’s central province of Sulawesi on February 24, 2021. Two days later, at least six people were confirmed dead, 16 others were rescued and one more person was still missing. Local disaster officials said the mine collapse may have been caused by intense rainfall and unstable soil structure at the scene. 

Tens of thousands of Burmese rallied over the weekend of February 6-7, 2021, in the wake of the coup in Myanmar. Protesters were angered after the military placed their civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior leaders under arrest on February 1. On February 6, the internet was cut across Myanmar for the second time since Suu Kyi’s arrest. Protesters were forced to communicate through word of mouth, SMS texts and phone calls. 

Underwater footage filmed by the Indonesian navy shows the wreckage of the passenger plane that crashed into the Java Sea. The video was shot on January 10, 2021, the day after the Sriwijaya Air jet crashed only minutes into its journey from Jakarta with 62 passengers and crew on board. 

The Pondok Ranggon public cemetery in the eastern part of the Indonesian capital Jakarta that has been reserved for people who died from Covid-19, was nearly out of space on December 7, 2020. As coronavirus-related deaths continue to mount in the country, workers at the cemetery said the site had no more room for Muslim victims, and only about 60 graves left in an area set aside for Christians.  

Torrential rain in Indonesia caused severe floods in North Sumatra’s Medan city on December 3, 2020. At least five people were killed and thousands were affected. Heavy rainfall has caused four rivers to overflow in the region.
 

Typhoon Molave swept across Vietnam on October 28, 2020, after it passed through the Philippines. The storm is blamed for dozens of deaths and has left many people missing. The Vietnamese government said Molave was among the most powerful storms to hit the country in 20 years. The nation has been battered by heavy rains and storms since early October, and heavy rainfalls of up to 70cm (28in) are expected to continue in parts of central Vietnam until October 31. 

A two-year-old girl was lifted about 9 metres (30ft) into the air while tied to a pole during a shocking performance at Thailand’s Phuket Vegetarian Festival on October 23, 2020. During the show, the toddler was dangled upside down from on a line attached to the pole before being returned to the ground. The shocking performance was part of a Taoist religious ritual, which is held each year during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. 

Thailand’s protests began in March 2020 but lost momentum due to the Covid-19 pandemic before restarting in July. Tensions escalated in mid-October when tens of thousands of young protesters took to the streets, mostly in Bangkok but also in other parts of Thailand. The demonstrators demand the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a new democratic constitution and reform of the Thai monarchy. Police have responded with water cannons and by arresting protesters. The government has also issued an emergency decree and banned gatherings to curb the protests. But the unrest in Thailand has only intensified and spread.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in Bangkok on October 15. The visit was the last of Wang’s tour shoring up alliances in Southeast Asia. He offered investment and economic support to the Thai government, including integration of the Eastern Economic Corridor with the Belt and Road Initiative. Beijing’s embrace came at a crisis point for the country, an ongoing youth-led pro-democracy movement has called for curbs on the monarchy’s power and constitutional reform.

For nearly nine decades, the Antong Coffee Mill in Malaysia, has been making coffee in a traditional way, mixing sugar into coffee beans in an ageing machine heated by a crackling fire. The mill, which produces wood-roasted Nanyang style coffee known as “Kopi O” (coffee without milk) as well as Malaysian white coffee, started operations in the northwestern town of Taiping in 1933.

Vietnamese police raided a warehouse on September 25, 2020 that was found to be reselling used condoms. During the raid, police found about 345,000 used condoms in the warehouse. A detained woman said the used condoms were boiled in water before they are resold. She said she was paid US$0.17 for each kilogram (2.2 lbs) of recycled condoms that she had washed, dried and reshaped.

China shares over 22,000 kilometres (13,670 miles) of border with 14 countries, but Beijing has disputes with many of its neighbours over where some of these international lines are drawn. The various territorial claims, citing history, politics and geography, have resulted in clashes and occasionally, outright military confrontations. Land borders aside, China also says its territory includes nearly all of the South China Sea, despite competing claims to parts of those waters made by many Southeast Asian countries. As tensions rise between China and the United States, Beijing has adopted a more aggressive attitude, pledging to defend China's “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Bali is slowly starting to reopen after a three-month coronavirus lockdown which saw shops, bars and the airport close and tourists disappear from its famous beaches. While the Indonesian resort island will not start welcoming new foreign visitors until September 2020, locals and tourists already in Bali on extended stays were able to resume public activities as of July 9.

On May 20, 2020, Malaysian authorities arrested more than 200 undocumented immigrants during a raid in PJ Old Town, a section of the city of Petaling Jaya near the capital Kuala Lumpur. Officials said the raid targeting migrants was intended to help curb the spread of coronavirus and done in an area that is locked down to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Malaysia was expected to lift its controls on public movements on June 9.
 

A Phnom Penh theatre that has hosted shadow puppet performances for 26 years is being forced to close because of problems related to the coronavirus pandemic. The Cambodian capital’s Sovanna Phum Theatre will be taken over by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, in hopes the troupe can eventually continue performing under the same name. The traditional Cambodian performance art dates back to the 7th century, and has been on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list since 2005.

For decades, sinetrons have provided daily entertainment for millions of Indonesians, many of whom are hooked on the episodic soap operas giving rise to a multi-billion dollar industry. Designed to do more than just entertain, sinetrons have provided daily entertainment for millions of Indonesians, many of whom are hooked on the episodic soap operas giving rise to a multi-billion dollar industry. Designed to do more than just entertain, sinetrons say the shows play an important role as they help viewers differentiate between right and wrong. But government censorship of show content has some show creators envious of the artistic freedoms enjoyed by their counterparts in countries such as the US.

Indonesia had reported 1,414 confirmed Covid-19 infections and 122 deaths, as of March 31, 2020. As the country emerges with the highest coronavirus-related death rate in Southeast Asia, questions are being raised about why more Indonesians appear to be dying from the novel coronavirus at a faster rate than elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Sumanee Gunakasem has spent her life at the top of Thai society. Known as Thailand's "billionaire Barbie," the 83-year-old still maintains an active social life, attending galas, parties and other events. But behind the glitz and glamour, Sumanee struggles with loneliness and struggles to adjust to life in her golden years.

A Filipino couple has decided to go ahead with their marriage celebration in Cavite, Philippines, even though a smoking Taal volcano could be seen in the background of their wedding photos. The eruption continued to cause transport chaos in the area, including at the international airport serving the Philippine capital Manila. Some passengers were left stranded after flights were cancelled or delayed during a two-day suspension starting January 12, 2020.
 

Austrian parachutist Johannes Grasser found himself dangling 250m (820ft) above ground after leaping off a mountain in Phatthalung on January 13, 2020. Rescuers were called to the site in southern Thailand to rescue the base jumper, setting up ropes so he could be lowered safely.

Tame elephants have been trained for a role as “cops” to police conflicts involving humans and animals in settlements near forest areas of Indonesia’s Aceh province. The project underway on Sumatra Island was organised by local conversation groups and forestry management officials to prepare the animals to mitigate human-elephant conflicts when wild elephants approach villages near their habitats.

Jakarta was hit by severe floods on the first day of 2020. Torrential rains had pounded the Indonesian capital starting New Year’s Eve. By January 1, at least 16 people were reported killed, as the airport was closed and thousands of residents were evacuated. The flooding was the worst seen in Jakarta since 2013.

Pavements in the Philippine capital Manila have been serving as a stage for 18-year-old Aquino Redeloza and Blackjack, a dog who can solve simple maths problems. The youngest of nine siblings, Redeloza has spent years busking after school with his wonder dog, earning money to help his family make ends meet.

People across Asia marked International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2019, with rallies and street demonstrations. In Hong Kong, hundreds gathered at the Central Government Complex to push for universal suffrage and an investigation into alleged police brutality – demands which have been central to citywide protests that began in June. In the Philippines, human rights activists used the day to protest against President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs. Meanwhile in Indonesia, about 100 protesters focused on religious freedom and freedom of speech – concerns which have sparked violent protests since the approval in September of a law critics say reduces the effectiveness of the country’s anti-corruption agency.

Typhoon Kammuri made landfall on the Philippines’ southern island of Luzon on December 2, 2019. It brought heavy rainfall and strong winds gusting up to 240km/h (149mph). A storm signal 3 on the local five-level warning system was raised.

In the Myanmar city of Taunggyi, Ferris wheels at fairgrounds are entirely driven by human power. Hundreds of young men in Myanmar make a living by climbing on the 20-metre (65ft) high Ferris wheels without any safety equipment. For 9 months a year, they are on the road and work without a day off, earning US$70 to US$100 per month.

German company Volocopter has showcased its “flying taxi” during a test flight in Singapore on October 22, 2019. 

Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan visited Indonesia on October 18, 2019, on a four-day visit which included attending the inauguration ceremony for Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s second term in office. The two nations have agreed to build closer ties through bilateral cooperation on infrastructure construction projects.