ASEAN leaders urged to take tougher stance on Myanmar junta

11 Sept 01:33 Key points summarised by AI

A group of former foreign ministers and UN experts, the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), urged ASEAN leaders to abandon the ineffective Five-Point Consensus (5PC) on Myanmar.
The SAC-M warned that Myanmar's junta exploits ASEAN's restraint while escalating atrocities, citing March 2026 as the deadliest month for civilians since the 2021 coup.
The group called for ASEAN to adopt new measures, including expanding the ban on junta representatives, recognizing Win Myint as Myanmar's legitimate president, and pressing for full humanitarian access.
They also advocated for strengthening the ASEAN special envoy role on Myanmar with a longer-term, full-time appointment and increased resources.
Recent junta gestures, like elections and Aung San Suu Kyi's reported relocation, were dismissed as calculated half-measures designed to secure international legitimacy without genuine concessions.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 14:22 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Education Ministry is implementing a four-pronged strategy to address its students' below-average performance in PISA 2025 and tackle significant educational inequality.
The plan prioritizes closing performance gaps by increasing funding for small and low-income schools, overhauling the curriculum to foster critical thinking, and adopting a data-driven management system to reduce teacher workload.
Key initiatives include enhancing school safety, combating cyberbullying, and expanding mental health support through peer-to-peer networks, recognizing the severe impact of distress on academic performance.
An education expert advises verifying if PISA improvements stem from structural changes, advocating for a revived STEM curriculum with practical 'learn by doing' methods, and urging bureaucratic reform to link teacher evaluations to student development.