Asean morning news for June 20

Asean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

ASEAN: Don’t Whitewash Atrocities Against Rohingya
Southeast Asian leaders at their annual summit should drastically rethink their response to the plight of Myanmar’s ethnic Rohingya, Human Rights Watch said today.
— Human Rights Watch

Rohingya organization criticizes Asean, UN
A Rohingya refugee group based in a Cox’s Bazar camp has criticized the United Nations (UN) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean); saying they have not touched the root causes of the crisis.
— Dhaka Tribune

Indonesia to call for regional cohesiveness, economic inclusiveness at ASEAN, G20 summits
Indonesia has planned to call for regional cohesiveness and economic inclusiveness at the upcoming ASEAN and G20 summits.
— Xinhuanet

Suu Kyi attending ASEAN Summit amid regional storm over Rohingya
ASEAN members will be piling pressure on Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi over the regional Rohingya crisis. Myanmar ‘State Counsellor’ Aung San Suu Kyi is heading to Bangkok to attend this weekend’s 34th Summit of the ASEAN. It’s believed the Rohingya refugee crisis will be a hot topic for …
— The Thaiger

Ad fraud still rampant in Southeast Asia with potentially USD 260 million lost, report finds
A report by adtech firm AppsFlyer found that the Southeast Asian region is especially vulnerable to ad fraud compared to the rest of Asia Pacific.
— KrAsia

PH boat sinking ‘wake-up call’ to finish South China Sea code – analysts
The sinking of a Philippine fishing boat by a Chinese ship in the West Philippine Sea should serve as a “wake-up call” to complete the crafting of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, according to analysts.
— Spratly Islands

Summit will designate 2019 as ‘Year of Asean Cultures’
Minister of Culture Veera Rojpojchanarat revealed on Wednesday that his ministry had drafted a Leaders’ Statement on Asean Cultural Year 2019 for adoption during the Asean summit in Bangkok this weekend.
— The Nation

Cabinet approves $200m for regional master plan
The cabinet has approved a proposal to contribute US$200 million (6.27 billion baht) as seed money to establish the Acmecs Fund, a financing mechanism focused on the funding of projects under the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy’s master plan.
— Bangkok Post

Apple weighs 15%-30% capacity shift out of China amid trade war
Apple has asked its major suppliers to evaluate the cost implications of shifting 15% to 30% of their production capacity from China to Southeast Asia as it prepares for a fundamental restructuring of its supply chain, Nikkei Asian Review has learned.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

No room for civil society groups at Asean Summit
ASEAN CIVIL groups and representatives of people’s organisations will once again be denied an interface meeting with leaders during the 34th summit in Bangkok this weekend, as they failed to convene a parallel meeting, Asean officials and organisers said.
— The Nation

Govt promises tight security for Asean summit
The government has guaranteed tight security for the Asean summit coming up this weekend and would not let history repeat itself after the last convention in 2009 hosted by Thailand ended in disaster.
— The Nation

ASEAN connectivity could be blueprint for world
China’s second Belt and Road Forum in late April brought with it a few innovations.
— The Jakarta Post (paywall)

ASEAN Labour Meeting
Today we will take a look at Thailand’s missions to do with labor affairs in our special report on ASEAN.
— NBT World (video)

Asean Countries Urged to Follow Indonesia’s Step to Ban Online Cigarette Ads
The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, or Seatca, on Monday called on members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, to follow the Indonesian government’s step to ban all cigarette advertisements on the internet.
— Jakarta Globe

Jokowi Wants ASEAN to Unite in Facing U.S.-China Trade War
President Joko Widodo or Jokowi held a closed meeting to discuss the preparations of his participation in the 34th ASEAN Summit in Thailand and the G20 meetings in Japan.
— Tempo.co

ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC)
An ASEAN – Japan cyber center has been opened in Thailand to train personnel from member states to help combat cyber threats in the region.
NBT World (video)

Integration and innovation key to ASEAN’s next stage of growth
The concept of smart cities and Industry 4.0 took centre stage at the ASEAN Conference 2019, held earlier this month, even as participants grappled with concerns over rising trade tensions between the US and China.
— The Business Times

Fifth Ocean Dialogue talks ASEAN cooperation in East Sea
ASEAN cooperation in the East Sea was the topic of the fifth Ocean Dialogue that took place in Hanoi on June 18.
— Nhan Dan Online

Southeast Asian SMEs challenged by digital transformation
Despite the eagerness of regional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in digital technologies, significant challenges still remain across Southeast Asia.
— Channel Asia Singapore

Italian firms seek cooperation opportunities in ASEAN countries
More than 300 businesspeople from Italy’s Piedmont region and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered at a workshop in Turin city on June 17 and 18 to seek business cooperation opportunities.
— Vietnamplus

Region’s tourism ministers vow to boost cooperation
The tourism ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam last week agreed to boost cooperation, particularly in religious and food tourism.
— Khmer Times

Victorian Tech Companies Eye Southeast Asia to Accelerate Digital Transformation in Region
In a bid to enhance collaboration with Southeast Asian businesses, the State Government of Victoria has brought experts from industries such as telecommunications, cybersecurity, e-commerce and data management representing 29 ICT companies from Melbourne, Australia to ConnecTechAsia 2019.
— Antara News

‘AIPA Caucus can serve as lobby on regional issues’
The Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Caucus can serve as a lobby to Asean governments to address regional issues.
— Borneo Post

The 5th Annual ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards Opens Nomination for 2019
The ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards (Rice Bowl) has returned for another year of celebrating excellent startup within the ASEAN region. It has opened its platform for nominations for the 5th year of the awards.
— AEC NewsToday/ PR Newswire (media release)

Zilliqa and Xfers team up to improve business efficiency in ASEAN region
An upcoming public blockchain platform named Zilliqa has announced today that it will be partnering with a Singapore-based stored value facility called Xfers in order to drive much more efficiency in the business sector of the ASEAN region.
— Cryptopolitan

CONF: ASEAN could be net steel exporter in 5-10 years
The ASEAN region could become a net exporter of steel products within the next five to ten years as the potential for over-capacity in the region could tilt the balance of steel fundamentals, Matthew Poole, the Divisional Director of CRU Consulting, said on the 2019 SEAISI Conference & Exhibition held in Bangkok, Thailand on June 17.
— Mysteel Global

Cambodia morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

Education Ministry issues dengue fever warning
The Education Ministry is warning parents and teachers of an increased risk of children contracting dengue fever as the disease has wreaked havoc in the Kingdom.
— Khmer Times

Government sets 2020 target to end child labour
The government has set a goal to end child labour in the Kingdom’s brick-manufacturing sector by next year.
— Khmer Times

Up to 26 storms forecast for rainy season, five or six to overflow Mekong
A Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology spokesman said on Tuesday that there will be up to 26 storms this rainy season, but of those, only five or six will cause the Mekong river to overflow or result in general flooding.
— The Phnom Penh Post

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

Indonesia to begin new capital city construction in 2021
The construction of Indonesia’s new capital city was scheduled for 2021 and allocation to finance related projects will be set in the 2020 state budget, Indonesia Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said here Tuesday.
— Xin Hua

Indonesia Makes It Cheaper to Own Condos in Boost to Developers
Indonesia just made it cheaper for buyers to own an expensive house by raising the luxury tax threshold limit.
— Bloomberg

Businesses Want 10% VAT on Waste Reviewed
Fajar Budiono, secretary general of the Indonesian Plastic Industry Association (Inaplas), requested a review of the 10-percent value-added tax (VAT) on products made from recycled plastic waste.
— Tempo.co

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

Lao PDR morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

NA approves increase in tax-free income threshold
The National Assembly has approved a government proposal to adjust the level at which people’s income is subject to tax.
— Vientine Times (paywall)

Laos, UK strengthen ties in education
The governments of Laos and the United Kingdom have agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties and increase cooperation in education.
— Vientiane Times

Laos, Russia boost business cooperation
The Siberian Association of International Cooperation from the Novosibirsk region of Russia plans to set up an office in Laos to improve business coordination and cooperation.
— ANN/ Vientiane Times

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

MH17 suspects to be charged with murder as Bellingcat report reveals details of plane’s final moments
Investigators have named four suspects they will charge with murder over the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which killed 298 people, including 38 Australians.
— ABC

Group wants govt to ban liquor sold for less than RM50
The Malaysian Anti-Cheap Liquor Movement today called for a full ban on all liquor priced below RM50 following reports of deaths linked to the consumption of tainted alcoholic drinks.
— Malay Mail

As economy recovers, Putrajaya urges banks to make loans easier for homebuyers, SMEs
Banks should ease the process of providing loans to first-time homebuyers and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help the economy grow, the Ministry of Finance urged today.
— Malay Mail

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

World Bank Puts Myanmar’s Power Investment Needs at $2B a Year
Electricity consumption expected to increase by 11% annually through 2030 amid strong economic growth, new report says.
— Irrawaddy

Suu Kyi attending ASEAN Summit amid regional storm over Rohingya
ASEAN members will be piling pressure on Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi over the regional Rohingya crisis. Myanmar ‘State Counsellor’ Aung San Suu Kyi is heading to Bangkok to attend this weekend’s 34th Summit of the ASEAN.
— The Thaiger

Natural gas export volume reaches more than US$ 2.4 billion
Natural gas export volume reached more than US$ 2.4 billion in the eight months of this fiscal year, decreasing by more than US$ 97 million, compared with the same period of last year, said an official of the Ministry of Commerce.
— Eleven Myanmar

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

PH registered BoP surplus of $5.19 billion in first 5 months
The Philippines posted a balance of payments surplus of $928 million in May, a reversal of the $583-million deficit recorded in the same month last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday.
— Manilastandard.net

Philippines, Japan sign $202-million loan deal for Mindanao roads
The governments of the Philippines and Japan signed on Tuesday, June 18, a $202.04-million loan agreement for the road network of conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, including war-torn Marawi City.
— Rappler

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Singapore ranked No. 3 in survey on use of AI in healthcare
Healthcare professionals in Singapore are using artificial intelligence (AI) for clinical diagnosis more than their counterparts in most other countries, except China and Saudi Arabia.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Drones delay 37 flights at Changi, affect operations of one runway
Some 37 flights were delayed and operations of one of Changi Airport’s two runways were affected overnight after unauthorised drones were spotted flying in the vicinity of the airport over the last two days.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore tops in life expectancy at 84.8 years
Singapore topped the world in life expectancy in 2017 with an expected lifespan at birth of 84.8 years, surging ahead of traditional chart-topper Japan by more than half a year.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

Thailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Electricity Billionaire Is Building the Tesla of Thailand
Energy Absolute already won over a group of five taxi unions, which ordered 3,500 cars for metropolitan Bangkok.
— Bloomberg

BMA to end city’s cable nightmare
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has kicked off a 20-billion-baht project to move all overhead telecom and broadcast cables in the capital underground in two years, with a network of pipelines to be built underneath the entire 2,450 kilometres of roads in the city.
— Bangkok Post

Notorious Militia Member Arrested in Southern Thailand
The recent arrest in Yala province of a militia member linked to numerous murders and other crimes raised hopes that the Thai government was finally getting serious about countless abuses carried out by its security forces in Thailand’s restive southern border provinces.
— Human Rights Watch

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Vietnam to allocate nearly US$2 billion for Mekong Delta development
The Mekong Delta region is facing bottlenecks in development, especially in transportation, while there have been greater risks in climate change that require immediate measures.
— The Hanoitimes

Agricultural sector sees production and business growth in H1
The agricultural sector has maintained growth in the first half of this year despite facing difficulties, especially the African swine fever epidemic which had a heavy impact on the domestic animal husbandry sector.
— Viet Nam News

Rooftop solar power output of central region to increase to 48 MWp in 2019
The Electricity Vietnam’s Central Power Corporation (EVNCPC) aims to raise rooftop solar power output to 48 MWp this year, said the company on June 18.
— VietnamPlus

See here for more of today’s Vietnam morning news

The Asean morning news roundup and its individual country morning news round-ups are the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of news reports from around the Asean Economic Community (AEC) published. We scour hundreds of local and international news and websites to find the things that you need to know to start your working week day.

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