Myanmar’s junta will hold elections in late 2025 or early 2026. Dhaka police dispersed Islamist protestors, while migrants faced tragedy in Yemen. Chinese authorities continue crackdowns on religious groups, and Thailand’s court struck down student hairstyle rules. The US-Russia negotiations advance with a new ambassador, and Azerbaijan limits access for the Red Cross to families of prisoners.
The military government of Myanmar has announced that general elections will be held in December 2025 or January 2026. This announcement marks the first time the junta has provided a specific timeframe for the vote, which opposition groups believe is a forced agenda amidst ongoing civil unrest following the military’s coup in early 2021. Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, remains detained under the junta’s rule.
In Bangladesh, Dhaka police utilized tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of members from the militant group Hizb-ut-Tahrir. The group was attempting to march towards a venue to advocate for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate as a replacement for the current secular democracy. Protesters gathered outside the Baitul Mukarram mosque after prayers, ignoring police barricades and chanting slogans.
In Yemen, four boats carrying migrants capsized off the coast, resulting in at least two fatalities and leaving 186 individuals unaccounted for, as reported by the United Nations Migration Agency. The majority of those aboard were believed to be Ethiopian migrants, with five potential Yemeni crew members also included. Of those on board, at least 57 individuals were women.
Chinese authorities conducted a raid on a Protestant house church in Xinyi, Anhui province, aligning with a nationwide security crackdown during the National People’s Congress in Beijing. Nine congregants were detained, including Pastor Zhao Hongliang, with four individuals remaining in ‘criminal detention’, while the five others have since been granted bail.
Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court has ruled to annul a 50-year-old directive from the Ministry of Education that mandated specific hairstyles for students. The directive, which required short hair for boys and hairnets for girls, had been enforced by some institutions. The court decided that this regulation infringed on individual constitutional freedoms.
In diplomatic developments, negotiations between the United States and Russia have led to the appointment of Aleksandr Darčiev as Russia’s ambassador to Washington. Darčiev previously headed the Russian delegation in diplomatic talks and had served as ambassador from 2017 to 2024. His appointment follows the resignation of Anatolij Antonov, who was known for his support of Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
In Azerbaijan, the government has shut down the office of the International Red Cross, the sole organization able to provide information to families of Armenian prisoners in Baku. Authorities have accused the Red Cross of smuggling for transporting supplies in ambulances without state authorization.
In summary, recent global developments have highlighted significant political and social tensions in various regions, including Myanmar’s impending elections under a military regime, ongoing protests in Bangladesh against secular governance, and humanitarian crises among migrants in Yemen. Additionally, growing restrictions on religious practices in China, a pivotal court ruling in Thailand regarding student freedoms, and diplomatic shifts between the US and Russia indicate shifting landscapes in governance and international relations. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s closure of the Red Cross office raises concerns about humanitarian access for Armenian prisoners.
Original Source: www.asianews.it
