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 A resort complex in northwest Laos targeting Chinese visitors has become a ''lawless playground'' for the trade in illegal wildlife ranging from tiger meat to bear paws, an advocacy group said. According to the report the Laos zone ''appears more like an extension of China'' - running on Beijing time, employing mostly Chinese workers and displaying signs in Chinese characters.

takepart.com In the marbled foyer of a casino inside Laos's Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, glistening elephant tusks hang beside an array of ivory carvings, jewelry, and trinkets in glass cabinets. One store owner told investigators that the seven tiger skins in his shop had come from Mong La, a Myanmar border town known to funnel wildlife products to China.
https://www.takepart.com/article/2015/03/18/laos-china-wealthy-tourists-illegal-wildlife-trade-tigers-bears-pangolins



AP A Burma court has sentenced two reporters to two months in prison on charges of defamation, in the latest ruling that raises concerns about press freedoms as the country emerges from military rule. Another 10 journalists are serving prison terms for other offenses and nearly 20 are facing trials.



thediplomat.com Brunei's defense spending has been slashed by over 25 percent for 2015 as the tiny, oil rich Southeast Asian state's revenue is projected to decline partly due to falling global oil prices, according to local media reports. Brunei's economy is highly dependent on the energy sector.



wsj.com Malaysia proposed that Southeast Asian countries form a joint peacekeeping force, saying it would help rebuild trust after bitter arguments over how to handle China's territorial challenges in the South China Sea.

ibtimes.co.uk Further suspicion mounted over whether the 90m pound official search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean was in the right place when rubbish collectors said they have found nothing resembling any debris from the airliner.



nydailynews.com The Philippines is imposing a ''weed bond'' on One Direction. The Bureau of Immigration has asked Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson to post bonds worth nearly $5000 each, which will be forfeited if they are caught using or impliedly promoting illegal drugs during a concert in Manila this weekend.



reuters Cambodia's parliament passed two controversial new election laws that have drawn criticism from rights groups and the United States for limiting oversight and stifling freedom of speech during campaign periods.



wsj.com Tourism Minister Arief Yahya told local media that by waiving visa on arrival fees, Indonesia hopes to draw a million new tourists from overseas. Assuming those visitors spend an average of $1200 during their trip, Indonesia could see additional foreign exchange income of $1.2 billion, he said.



reuters Vietnam reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu virus in a village in the northern province of Thanh Hoa, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said.



theguardian.com Singapore's ''founding father'' Lee Kuan Yew is critically ill in hospital, and the island state he led for three decades is preparing for life without the domineering politician who guided it to independence and prosperity.