On May 8, during the ASEAN Summit, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated ASEAN’s commitment to accommodate the Myanmar government by showing recognition to accelerate its normalisation process, stressing that “Myanmar is part of the ASEAN family and it is a tragedy when a family member is left out of the family for whatever reason,” he stated during the summit’s Retreat Session.
Author: Jonathan Kay
Defence and Politics Correspondent
Philippine president hosts Cambodia–Thailand talks to ease border tensions
On the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. convened a trilateral meeting with the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, aiming to ease tension between Thailand and Cambodia.
Vietnam’s Tô Lâm visits India, marks 10 years of strategic partnership
Vietnamese President and the General Secretary of the Communist Party Tô Lâm began a three-day state visit to India on May 6—coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
ASEAN chair seeks access to Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi amid house arrest
The 2026 ASEAN chair, the government of the Philippines, formally requested a “brief access” to Aung San Suu Kyi on May 6, following a report on her transfer to house arrest.
Singapore and New Zealand deepen CSP with trade, defence deals
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon paid a three-day visit to Singapore from May 3 to 5, meeting Singaporean Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong on May 4 for their inaugural Annual Leaders’ Meeting.
Malaysia condemns Israeli interception of Gaza flotilla
Malaysia strongly condemned the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0—a multinational humanitarian convoy of 70 ships—in international waterways by Israeli authorities on April 29, reaffirming the mission’s primary aims to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza to deliver food and medical supplies.
Southeast Asia Energy Security Series: #1 Indonesia
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President Prabowo holds a closed cabinet meeting on education, labour and geopolitics
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto summoned ministers and security officials to his private neighbourhood in Hambanlang, Bogor, for a restricted meeting on May 2.
Japan’s PM Takaichi visits Vietnam, deepens strategic partnership
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae commenced her three-day visit to Hanoi on May 1 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng.
Balikatan 2026 drills test missiles, cyber defense in the Philippines
The Philippines, along with the US, Australia, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand, formally commenced Exercise Balikatan 2026, marking the 41st iteration of the biggest annual joint military drill across Southeast Asia on April 20.