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.



theguardian.com The military-drafted constitution banningAung San Suu Kyi from being president won't stop her wielding power, the NLD leader told the BBC. In her full interview with Fergal Keane she said: ''I'll make all the decisions.''



channelnewsasia.com Cambodian opposition leaders called on the world to keep a close eye on coming elections after several opposition lawmakers were brutally beaten and a top leader ousted from a key parliamentary post.



afp Dozens of people arrested in Thailand's human trafficking crackdown, including a senior general, appeared in court, days after the police officer in charge of the investigation tendered his resignation saying he feared for his life. The junta's rhetoric has been thrown into doubt by the senior police officer who led the trafficking investigation. Major-General Paween Pongsirin said his investigation was closed too quickly, with many suspects still at liberty and his unit disbanded.



hrw.org Malaysian authorities have brought new criminal charges against critics of the government and are showing no signs of easing this year's intensifying crackdown on free expression, Human Rights Watch said: ''Going after activists, journalists, and opposition leaders are not the actions of a confident government committed to promoting respect for human rights, and visiting leaders need to say so.''



smh.com.au Indonesian police returned $US30,000 to the boat crew who were allegedly paid by Australian officials to return a boat of 65 asylum seekers to Indonesia, according to the men's lawyer.

abc.net.au Indonesian authorities are questioning US Navy pilot James Murphy after he flew his light plane into the country's airspace and then allegedly refused to leave. Indonesian jets scrambled to intercept the light plane when it strayed into the nation's airspace without authorisation.



straitstimes.com Singapore has stepped up its scrutiny of foreign carriers to ensure safe skies, as passenger and flight numbers continue to rise. All airlines flying here must now have an operating permit issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), The Straits Times has learnt. Previously, foreign carriers could fly here as long as they were licensed by their respective civil aviation authorities.



AP The Philippines and Vietnam plan to sign an accord next week to elevate their relationship to a strategic level, allowing them to deepen economic ties and maritime cooperation, a Philippine official said.



ft.com Exports from the Philippines tumbled by their most in four years in September, driven lower by broad declines in receipts for coconut oil, chemicals and mineral products.



care2.com In a win for endangered species, last week law enforcement officials confiscated 81 pangolins destined for the black market at the border between Laos and Thailand. Thanks to the efforts of rescuers from the Laos Wildlife Rescue Center (LWRC) and Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) many of them have already been returned to the wild.



huffingtonpost.com China claims sovereignty over the Spratly and Paracel islands in the South China Sea. Its claims have been disputed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines,Taiwan and Vietnam.