PHUKETWAN recognises the importance of Asean with the Economic Community approaching and marks what's happening around the region with a new column, Asean Today.



huffingtonpost.co.uk The international community has been tolerant of Myanmar's checkered human rights record, believing that it is preferable to engage with the government and support it while it transitions. There are, however, signs that their lenience is beginning to wane.



AP The deputy leader of Cambodia's opposition party was stripped of his post of vice president of the National Assembly in a vote Friday attended only by the ruling party and condemned by his supporters.



ibtimes.com Despite a recent uptick in private consumption and investment, Thailand's export-based economy struggled last month, according to numbers released Friday. The economic recovery in Thailand, Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, has been weak and growth has lagged since a military coup in May 2014.



ibtimes.com For more than a year, numerous comparisons have been made between US involvement in the war in Vietnam and its involvement in Syria. After US President Barack Obama announced Friday that the United States would send up to 50 special troops to Syria - the first time that the US would put boots on the ground in a country torn by an ongoing four-year civil war - that step would seem to add fuel to the argument that Syria risks becoming another Vietnam.



rappler.com The arrest of a passenger allegedly carrying two bullets in his luggage at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City comes after similar cases have been reported in Manila. Several similar cases of the scam were reported in the various terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport over the last few weeks.



jakartaglobe.com There may finally be some positive developments regarding Indonesia's fire and haze crisis, with rains in Sumatra and Kalimantan starting to reduce fires. But this isn't over. If previous El Nino fire events are anything to go by, the fire problem with now shift to the eastern part of Borneo and Papua, and could continue well into 2016.



asiaone.com The air quality is expected to remain in the moderate range on Saturday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said. This year's haze has killed 19 people in Indonesia, and has also affected air quality and visibility in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, leading to schools closing and flights being disrupted.



catholicherald.co.uk Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington of Westminster has said Christians in Malaysia are fearful about the future amid growing intolerance. Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country with a Christian minority. It is virtually impossible for a Muslim to convert to Christianity and potential converts face isolation and pressure to return to Islam.



latimes.com What do Sheldon Adelson, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the Sultan of Brunei's brother have in common? Well, they're all mind-bogglingly wealthy. But here's something else: They're all listed on a recent tally of Las Vegas' biggest water users, each draining Lake Mead of up to 18 million of gallons a year - hundreds of times more than the average resident.



bignewsnetwork.com Laos failed attempt to win a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council in a secret vote in New York was greeted with relief by a leading Lao human rights group, which urged the communist government to adhere to UN rights treaties before trying to join the council.