Aung San Suu Kyi, imprisoned since 2021, turned 81. According to the military, she has been under house arrest at an undisclosed location in Naypyitaw since late April, but no images have yet been released to prove this. Despite restrictions, she is being celebrated with prayers and flowers across the country and in the diaspora. Her son, Kim Aris, accuses the regime of “hostage diplomacy”.

The Supreme Court suspended the sentence of the Cambodian dissident and opposition leader and reduced it from four to three years; it also barred him from running for and holding office. Rong slammed the authorities for trying to exclude him from local elections in 2027 and the general election in 2028.

Arrivals reach record levels, especially from Russia and China, and tens of billions of dollars are pouring in to build new infrastructure. Vietnam aims to overtake Thailand and Malaysia as Southeast Asia's top destination. While Thailand is struggling to keep up, Vietnam’s rapid growth comes with risks of overtourism.

Eight years on from the 2018 disaster, a new 6.7-magnitude tremor has claimed at least one life and caused damage to dozens of homes. It is worth noting that the Central Sulawesi region, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is among the areas in Indonesia most at risk from earthquakes. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of mitigation measures and building inspections.

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed his Myanmar counterpart, Min Aung Hlaing, to whom he has reiterated China’s support. The visit coincides with the recent arrest of a leading scholar of China-Myanmar relations and the release by an ethnic militia of 200 POWs captured during fighting along the border.

The Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Princesa, Bishop Socrates Mesiona, has criticised the Manila government for issuing new deforestation permits to mining companies in what is one of the Philippines’ most biodiverse habitats. “This way of acting gives the impression that there are two kinds of laws in our country: one for the rich and powerful, and one for the poor.”