Myanmar authorities on August 29 called on all ethnic groups to cooperate with the government to restore peace and stability in Rakhine after at least 110 people have been killed in clashes in the northwestern state since August 25.
People fleed from Rakhine State on
August 26 (Photo: EPA/VNA)
Speaking to the press in Nay Pyi Taw,
National Security Adviser U Thaung Tun said the government has every right to
defend itself, and forces will be used with restraint to avoid civilian
causalities.
He warned that the current round of violence in the area was significantly
different from previous attacks, while affirming Myanmar is committed to
fighting terrorism, he reiterated.
Myanmar’s Minister for Home Affairs Lt Gen Kyaw Swe said that extreme
terrorists are trying to establish an Islamic territory in Mangtaw and
Buthidaung areas.
According to another military officer, if the situation is getting worse, the
National Defence and Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss
the turmoil. The militants have burned down more than 2,300 houses during the
attacks.
Extremists launched pre-dawn attacks on 30 police outposts at the same time in
Rakhine on August 25, killing 12 policemen and an immigration officer. Since
then, the security forces have killed 77 gunmen and seized two others.-
Source: VNA
The Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the world’s leading developed and emerging economies (G20) recently held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil emphasised the need to reform global governance institutions, especially the United Nations Security Council. The meeting is also an opportunity for G20 to find solutions to a series of hot issues facing the world, such as poverty, climate change, and conflict.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers on December 30 issued a statement on maintaining and promoting stability in the maritime sphere in Southeast Asia.
The world economy has overcome a challenging year, but has proven more resilient than expected. The Financial Times (UK) commented that 2023 was a positive year for the world economy as the economic surprise index collated by Citigroup shew that actual data have underwhelmed economists’ predictions for much of the past months. These economic trends are the basis for optimism about the world economy in 2024.
Laos has announced the theme and logo for its the Chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2024.
Vietnam was elected a Vice President of the 42nd session of the UNESCO’s General Conference, representing the Asia-Pacific, on November 8.
Since the "blockbuster" ChatGPT was launched a year ago, the prospects for the development of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as concerns about the risks from this technology, have become hot topics in the technology world.
