Myanmar

Hundreds of people were rescued in recent days from forced-labor facilities that were dedicated to a multibillion-dollar industry of online scams; tens of thousands more remain imprisoned in the fraud factories, lured by false promises of good-paying jobs

The abrupt US aid suspension to Myanmar threatens millions amid ongoing conflict; amnesty International warns that cutting humanitarian support worsens civilian suffering, limiting access to food, healthcare, and basic needs in war-affected regions

Thai authorities rescued 61 people, including 39 Chinese nationals, from Myanmar-based scam gangs; Myanmar’s Border Guard Force handed them over at the Mae Sot border; The rescue follows Thailand’s suspension of electricity to scam-linked areas in Myanmar

Myanmar’s military and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army have agreed to a ceasefire following mediation by China; the truce aims to end recent clashes near the Chinese border

Military leaders enacted a cybersecurity law on 1 January 2025 that among other measures tightens internet control, bans VPNs, requires platforms to store user data for 3 years and enforces compliance with the motivation of curbing disinformation

The collapse of public health infrastructure has left communities to address widespread trauma independently; Kawthoolei Care Hospital in Kayin is training community health workers to provide mental health support amid ongoing conflict and displacement

Over 100 Rohingya refugees were rescued off Indonesia’s Aceh province, located in the northernmost part of the country; stranded at sea for weeks, their plight spotlights the urgent need for regional cooperation on this crisis

The country is facing lingering impacts of Typhoon Yagi: damaged farmland hinders crop cycles and sparks fears of a rice shortage, rising prices and limited government aid heighten food insecurity concerns; urgent recovery efforts are needed

The junta is urging citizens abroad to return for mandatory military service; the move follows intensified recruitment efforts amid escalating conflicts with ethnic minorities within the country displacement and humanitarian crises

Lingering impacts of Typhoon Yagi: damaged farmland hinders crop cycles and sparks fears of a rice shortage; rising prices and limited government aid heighten food insecurity concerns; urgent recovery efforts are needed