Asean
Myanmar: Thailand calls for unconditional end of sanctions
ASEAN also shares a common position that sanctions on Myanmar have been detrimental to the livelihood of the people of Myanmar and should come to an end without conditions. Thailand calls on the international community to work with Myanmar, ASEAN and key partner countries and international organizations to provide greater support for democracy and national reconciliation in Myanmar

Thailand welcomes the recent release of prisoners and the ceasefire with the ethnic groups, the most recent ones being with the Karen National Union and the Chin National Front.
The Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar has shown its serious and strong commitment to democracy and national reconciliation through a series of continuous actions and measures. Thailand views all these developments as important steps forward on Myanmar’s path of democratic reform and national reconciliation.

ASEAN also shares a common position that sanctions on Myanmar have been detrimental to the livelihood of the people of Myanmar and should come to an end without condition
Thailand also welcomes the statements released by the United Nations, the United States and other countries, acknowledging these key developments by the Myanmar Government.
It is high time for the international community to join hands in cooperating with the Government and people of Myanmar in laying the ground work to further strengthen the democratization process underway in Myanmar.
ASEAN countries share common views on developments in Myanmar and stand ready to continue to work with Myanmar in providing support for its democratization process and national reconciliation.
ASEAN also shares a common position that sanctions on Myanmar have been detrimental to the livelihood of the people of Myanmar and should come to an end without conditions. Thailand calls on the international community to work with Myanmar, ASEAN and key partner countries and international organizations to provide greater support for democracy and national reconciliation in Myanmar
The number of foreign visitors passing through Rangoon International Airport rose by 21.8 per cent last year to nearly 360,000
More than two-thirds were from Asian countries, led by Thailand with 59,010 visitors, followed by China with 32,757, the Myanmar Times reported.
Europeans accounted for 65,367 travellers, led by France with 13,102 visitors, Germany with 10,932, and Britain 7,195.
The steady tourism influx is expected to test Burma’s limited infrastructure.
“Arrival numbers are increasing 20 per cent to 30 per cent every year”, said Lynn Zaw Wai Mang, general manager of Unique Asia Travel in Rangoon.
Asean
The Latest on Covid-19 in Southeast Asia
Thailand has largely avoided widespread community transmission of Covid-19, but the kingdom is not faring well on the economic front, with a projected contraction of 7.1 percent this year.

As a region, Southeast Asia has fared relatively well in keeping coronavirus cases low, with the notable exceptions of the Philippines and Indonesia.
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China’s debt-trap diplomacy: Laos’ credit rating downgraded to CCC
Laos’ debt challenge is deeply concerning, with some media commentators suggesting the country is falling into a debt trap as a result of Chinese infrastructure investments connected to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

On 23 September, the Fitch Ratings agency downgraded Laos’ credit rating to CCC — the second downgrade in 2020, having dropped to B- in May.
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Foreign capital still heads to Vietnam
As many as 798 projects added a combined over 5.11 billion USD to their investment capital, down 23 percent year-on-year in project number but up 6.8 percent in value.

Hanoi (VNA) – The total amount of foreign investment poured into Vietnam this year to September 20 reached 21.2 billion USD, equivalent to 81.8 percent of the same period last year, reported the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
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