Under a draft revision to the Penal Code, Vietnam is looking to end executions for drug trafficking, marking Southeast Asia’s notable and toughest anti-drug regimes. The proposal, presented to lawmakers last week, will remove trafficking from the list of capital crimes in Vietnam. Last year, Vietnam had retained this offence during a previous phase of death penalty reforms. If the amended law is enacted, capital punishment would be retained for four crimes: treason, murder, terrorism and illegal narcotics production. Several Southeast Asian governments have considered serious drug trafficking as a crime for several years, warning that it warranted the death penalty. However, some countries have re-examined their laws, leading to amendments. In 2023, Malaysia ended mandatory death sentences. Meanwhile, Singapore retains the death penalty for the most serious trafficking offences exceeding legal thresholds for quantities of various controlled drugs. This has sparked broader discussions on whether the death penalty remains relevant in modern society, whether sentencing should allow for judicial discretion, and how nations can tackle drug trafficking through alternative means. According to Hai Thanh Luong, a Vietnamese criminologist based at Griffith University in Australia, Vietnam's proposal does not represent a sudden shift away from capital punishment, but rather forms part of a gradual, long-term process of reform.<h3>Punishment for exceptionally serious crimes</h3>Luong called Hanoi’s approach “retentionist-but-reductionist” and referred to the state’s steady narrowing of offences punishable by death and keeping the punishment for exceptionally serious crimes. He stated that the proposal to remove the death penalty for drug trafficking indicated a gradual political and legal reform, suspecting whether executions could quash drug supply and deeper integration of Vietnam into global legal and diplomatic frameworks. “The strongest driver [is] Vietnam’s gradual legal and political reforms rather than a sudden ideological shift,” Luong said. The proposal would still allow the death penalty for illegal narcotics production, drawing a distinction between manufacturers, seen as more central to sustaining the drug trade, and traffickers. Luong said the changes would not have a major impact on drug availability. He noted that drug markets are quick to adjust, filling the void left by arrested individuals and altering trafficking routes. When questioned about the varying approaches Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore take toward drug traffickers, Luong explained that despite facing comparable challenges in tackling drug flows, the three nations differ in how they perceive deterrence, social order, and the state's role in administering punishment. Although Singapore continues to enforce capital punishment for the most severe trafficking cases, its approach also encompasses a wider anti-drug framework combining enforcement, education, and rehabilitation efforts.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iceland-votes-against-eu-membership-as-voters-defend-fishing-waters-and-sovereignty-1788077702009">Iceland votes against EU membership as voters defend fishing waters and sovereignty</a> According to Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, Singapore's policy is designed to prevent drug-related harm while ensuring strict penalties for those trafficking large quantities into the country. The Ministry of Home Affairs referenced a 2024 survey involving 12,000 participants across six regional cities, which found that 84.2 per cent of respondents believed the death penalty served as a deterrent against large-scale drug trafficking into Singapore, while 82.5 per cent viewed it as more effective than life imprisonment in this regard. Malaysia, on the other hand, scrapped the mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking in 2023, giving courts the discretion to choose between execution and life imprisonment instead. Ngeow Chow Ying, a Malaysian lawyer and deputy convenor of the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, noted that this shift resulted in a significant decline in new death sentences, citing Amnesty International data showing 38 new sentences in 2023, dropping to 24 in 2024, and further down to 15 in 2025. Ngeow explained that in drug trafficking cases, courts now evaluate both aggravating and mitigating circumstances before deciding between capital punishment and life imprisonment. She added that mitigating factors may include the offender's limited role, such as acting as a courier, the nature of the drugs involved, and whether an early guilty plea was made. “Appellate courts, for instance, have commuted death sentences to life imprisonment for young or first-time couriers caught with substantial drug quantities, in recognition of their limited role in the operation,” she said. Even so, inconsistencies in interpretation persisted between different judicial levels in some cases, with High Court death sentences imposed on couriers later set aside by superior courts for life imprisonment, Ngeow said. “This suggests that trial-level sentencing remains uneven and continues to depend heavily on appellate correction,” she added.

Several Southeast Asian governments have considered serious drug trafficking a crime for several years, warning that it warranted the death penalty. However, some countries have re-examined their laws, leading to amendments.

Under a draft revision to the Penal Code, Vietnam is looking to end executions for drug trafficking, marking Southeast Asia’s notable and toughest anti-drug regimes. The proposal, presented to lawmakers last week, will remove trafficking from the list of capital crimes in Vietnam. Last year, Vietnam had retained this offence during a previous phase of death penalty reforms. If the amended law is enacted, capital punishment would be retained for four crimes: treason, murder, terrorism and illegal narcotics production. Several Southeast Asian governments have considered serious drug trafficking as a crime for several years, warning that it warranted the death penalty. However, some countries have re-examined their laws, leading to amendments. In 2023, Malaysia ended mandatory death sentences. Meanwhile, Singapore retains the death penalty for the most serious trafficking offences exceeding legal thresholds for quantities of various controlled drugs. This has sparked broader discussions on whether the death penalty remains relevant in modern society, whether sentencing should allow for judicial discretion, and how nations can tackle drug trafficking through alternative means. According to Hai Thanh Luong, a Vietnamese criminologist based at Griffith University in Australia, Vietnam's proposal does not represent a sudden shift away from capital punishment, but rather forms part of a gradual, long-term process of reform. Punishment for exceptionally serious crimes Luong called Hanoi’s approach “retentionist-but-reductionist” and referred to the state’s steady narrowing of offences punishable by death and keeping the punishment for exceptionally serious crimes. He stated that the proposal to remove the death penalty for drug trafficking indicated a gradual political and legal reform, suspecting whether executions could quash drug supply and deeper integration of Vietnam into global legal and diplomatic frameworks. “The strongest driver [is] Vietnam’s gradual legal and political reforms rather than a sudden ideological shift,” Luong said. The proposal would still allow the death penalty for illegal narcotics production, drawing a distinction between manufacturers, seen as more central to sustaining the drug trade, and traffickers. Luong said the changes would not have a major impact on drug availability. He noted that drug markets are quick to adjust, filling the void left by arrested individuals and altering trafficking routes. When questioned about the varying approaches Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore take toward drug traffickers, Luong explained that despite facing comparable challenges in tackling drug flows, the three nations differ in how they perceive deterrence, social order, and the state's role in administering punishment. Although Singapore continues to enforce capital punishment for the most severe trafficking cases, its approach also encompasses a wider anti-drug framework combining enforcement, education, and rehabilitation efforts. Also read: Iceland votes against EU membership as voters defend fishing waters and sovereignty According to Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, Singapore's policy is designed to prevent drug-related harm while ensuring strict penalties for those trafficking large quantities into the country. The Ministry of Home Affairs referenced a 2024 survey involving 12,000 participants across six regional cities, which found that 84.2 per cent of respondents believed the death penalty served as a deterrent against large-scale drug trafficking into Singapore, while 82.5 per cent viewed it as more effective than life imprisonment in this regard. Malaysia, on the other hand, scrapped the mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking in 2023, giving courts the discretion to choose between execution and life imprisonment instead. Ngeow Chow Ying, a Malaysian lawyer and deputy convenor of the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, noted that this shift resulted in a significant decline in new death sentences, citing Amnesty International data showing 38 new sentences in 2023, dropping to 24 in 2024, and further down to 15 in 2025. Ngeow explained that in drug trafficking cases, courts now evaluate both aggravating and mitigating circumstances before deciding between capital punishment and life imprisonment. She added that mitigating factors may include the offender's limited role, such as acting as a courier, the nature of the drugs involved, and whether an early guilty plea was made. “Appellate courts, for instance, have commuted death sentences to life imprisonment for young or first-time couriers caught with substantial drug quantities, in recognition of their limited role in the operation,” she said. Even so, inconsistencies in interpretation persisted between different judicial levels in some cases, with High Court death sentences imposed on couriers later set aside by superior courts for life imprisonment, Ngeow said. “This suggests that trial-level sentencing remains uneven and continues to depend heavily on appellate correction,” she added.

Several Southeast Asian governments have considered serious drug trafficking a crime for several years, warning that it warranted the death penalty. However, some countries have re-examined their laws, leading to amendments.

Vietnam moves to end death penalty for drug trafficking, keeps it for 'exceptional' crimes

India pulled out of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rcep-pull-out-in-the-face-of-chinese-products-potentially-flooding-the-market-india-wants-to-reduce-deficits-and-keep-data-localisation-intact-260125">RCEP</a>) at the last minute because the deal would hurt the farmers, businesses, workers, and consumers. Whereas, China joined the deal with 14 different countries.&nbsp;

India has yet not closed the door on China-led regional economic pact, Asia's third-largest country pulled out of the deal last November, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-to-offer-1000-phd-fellowships-to-asean-students-at-iits-249692">ASEAN</a>), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand were brought together in RCEP.&nbsp;

"Where RCEP is concerned, we have to look at cost and benefit. We will evaluate RCEP on its economic and trade merit. We have not closed our mind to it," Jaishankar said.

( Inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

India pulled out of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at the last minute because the deal would hurt the farmers, businesses, workers, and consumers.

India pulled out of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at the last minute because the deal would hurt the farmers, businesses, workers, and consumers. Whereas, China joined the deal with 14 different countries. India has yet not closed the door on China-led regional economic pact, Asia's third-largest country pulled out of the deal last November, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Wednesday. 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand were brought together in RCEP. "Where RCEP is concerned, we have to look at cost and benefit. We will evaluate RCEP on its economic and trade merit. We have not closed our mind to it," Jaishankar said. ( Inputs from Reuters)

India pulled out of RCEP, as the deal might hurt Indians

America's top diplomat Mike Pompeo on Friday implored <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-asking-asean-allies-to-choose-between-us-and-china-mike-pompeo-239944">Southeast Asian nations to trust in US values</a>, delivering a withering takedown of China's leadership of a region it considers its backyard.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/external-affairs-minister-s-jaishankar-to-meet-pompeo-today-240045">US Secretary of State</a> said decades of US alliances and investment had helped Asia walk from poverty to prosperity, as he aired the Trump administration's "Indo-Pacific" strategy in Bangkok.

From supporting state-led enterprises to disputes over contested territories, Pompeo took aim at China's actions and motivations in Southeast Asia, rowing back on comments on Thursday in which he told regional diplomats they were not expected to "choose" sides between the superpowers.&nbsp;

"Our investments don't serve a government.... (they) don't serve a political party," he said of the Chinese Communist Party.

Beijing considers Southeast Asia as its "neighbourhood" where its economic, political and military might has given it primacy, with massive infrastructure and investment schemes striating the region.&nbsp;

But smaller powers also accuse China of loading on debt as well as aggression in the disputed South China Sea where a military build-up threatens the claims of several nations to strategically crucial waters. &nbsp;

The US wants the South China Sea, one of the world's most important shipping lanes, to remain open.

Serving up a sharp rebuke on China's drive into Southeast Asia, Pompeo said: "We're not building roads to pave over your national sovereignty... We don't fund bridges to close gaps of loyalty."&nbsp;

His speech came hours after President Donald Trump promised to slap 10 per cent of new tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese goods in a sharp escalation of the trade war between the two superpowers.

In short panel comments after his speech, Pompeo accused China of "protectionism" and "predatory tactics" to give its companies an advantage in global markets.

"China has taken advantage of trade... It's time for that to stop," he said.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">"I think that's what you saw this morning," he added, referencing Trump's latest barrage of tariffs on Chinese goods.</div>

He also stuck to Washington's position of non-interference on the massive anti-government protests engulfing Hong Kong, a Chinese territory.

"I hope that the way things will proceed in Hong Kong... will be non-violent."

Asked what the US response would be in the event of Chinese military intervention in the financial hub, he said: "One thing this administration has been really good about is not tipping our hand to what we will or won't do. And I'm going to do that here this morning."

Pompeo is in Bangkok to attend the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting.

America's top diplomat Mike Pompeo on Friday implored Southeast Asian nations to trust in US values, delivering a withering takedown of China's leadership of a region it considers its backyard.

America's top diplomat Mike Pompeo on Friday implored Southeast Asian nations to trust in US values, delivering a withering takedown of China's leadership of a region it considers its backyard. The US Secretary of State said decades of US alliances and investment had helped Asia walk from poverty to prosperity, as he aired the Trump administration's "Indo-Pacific" strategy in Bangkok. From supporting state-led enterprises to disputes over contested territories, Pompeo took aim at China's actions and motivations in Southeast Asia, rowing back on comments on Thursday in which he told regional diplomats they were not expected to "choose" sides between the superpowers. "Our investments don't serve a government.... (they) don't serve a political party," he said of the Chinese Communist Party. Beijing considers Southeast Asia as its "neighbourhood" where its economic, political and military might has given it primacy, with massive infrastructure and investment schemes striating the region. But smaller powers also accuse China of loading on debt as well as aggression in the disputed South China Sea where a military build-up threatens the claims of several nations to strategically crucial waters. The US wants the South China Sea, one of the world's most important shipping lanes, to remain open. Serving up a sharp rebuke on China's drive into Southeast Asia, Pompeo said: "We're not building roads to pave over your national sovereignty... We don't fund bridges to close gaps of loyalty." His speech came hours after President Donald Trump promised to slap 10 per cent of new tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese goods in a sharp escalation of the trade war between the two superpowers. In short panel comments after his speech, Pompeo accused China of "protectionism" and "predatory tactics" to give its companies an advantage in global markets. "China has taken advantage of trade... It's time for that to stop," he said. "I think that's what you saw this morning," he added, referencing Trump's latest barrage of tariffs on Chinese goods. He also stuck to Washington's position of non-interference on the massive anti-government protests engulfing Hong Kong, a Chinese territory. "I hope that the way things will proceed in Hong Kong... will be non-violent." Asked what the US response would be in the event of Chinese military intervention in the financial hub, he said: "One thing this administration has been really good about is not tipping our hand to what we will or won't do. And I'm going to do that here this morning." Pompeo is in Bangkok to attend the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting.

China has taken advantage of trade, time for it to stop: Pompeo at foreign ministers meeting in Bangkok

Myanmar has made “minimal” preparations for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees sheltering in neighbouring Bangladesh, according to an Australian think-tank, despite the country saying it is ready to start repatriation.

More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee northern Rakhine state in western Myanmar during a 2017 military-led crackdown the United Nations has said included mass killings and gang-rapes executed with "genocidal intent". Almost 400 Rohingya villages were burned to the ground during the violence.

While authorities have promised to resettle the refugees, analysis of satellite imagery shows “no sign of reconstruction” in the overwhelming majority of their former settlements while, in some areas, destruction of residential buildings has continued, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said in a report released late on Tuesday.

"The continued destruction of residential areas across 2018 and 2019 – clearly identifiable through our longitudinal satellite analysis – raises serious questions about the willingness of the Myanmar government to facilitate a safe and dignified repatriation process,"&nbsp;Nathan Ruser, one of the researchers at ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre, said in a statement.

Spokesmen for the Myanmar government did not answer calls seeking comment. Kyaw Swar Tun, deputy director of the Rakhine General Administration Department, declined to comment.

Myanmar has repeatedly said it is ready to take back refugees, blaming Bangladesh for failed efforts to kick-start returns.

A report by the disaster management unit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) - a 10 nation regional body that includes Myanmar - had praised the country's efforts to ensure “smooth and orderly” returns.

The AHA Centre report, leaked to media in June, predicted that half a million refugees would come back within two years.

Human rights groups said the assessment glossed over atrocities and ignored ongoing conflict in the region. The UN has said conditions in Rakhine are not yet conducive for returns.

Government troops in the northern part of the state are now battling insurgents belonging to the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group seeking greater autonomy for the region that recruits from the mostly Buddhist majority.

ASPI’s report described a pattern of "securitisation"&nbsp;in the region since 2017, with six facilities suspected to be military bases built on top of former Rohingya settlements.

A Reuters investigation in December 2018 found authorities have built houses for Buddhists in former Rohingya areas. A resettlement map drafted by the government revealed that refugees, rather than returning to their original villages, would be herded into several dozen Rohingya-only settlements.

In early July, the Indian government handed over 250 prefabricated houses in several villages in northern Rakhine to Hindu families displaced by the violence. None of the homes was for Rohingya.

"Hindus and Rakhine people lost their houses and we also lost ours," Zuyarman, a Rohingya villager in Maungdaw township, told Reuters at the time. "We Rohingya wish that we would have houses like them."

Myanmar has made “minimal” preparations for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees sheltering in neighbouring Bangladesh, according to an Australian think-tank, despite the country saying it is ready to start repatriation.

Myanmar has made “minimal” preparations for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees sheltering in neighbouring Bangladesh, according to an Australian think-tank, despite the country saying it is ready to start repatriation. More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee northern Rakhine state in western Myanmar during a 2017 military-led crackdown the United Nations has said included mass killings and gang-rapes executed with "genocidal intent". Almost 400 Rohingya villages were burned to the ground during the violence. While authorities have promised to resettle the refugees, analysis of satellite imagery shows “no sign of reconstruction” in the overwhelming majority of their former settlements while, in some areas, destruction of residential buildings has continued, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said in a report released late on Tuesday. "The continued destruction of residential areas across 2018 and 2019 – clearly identifiable through our longitudinal satellite analysis – raises serious questions about the willingness of the Myanmar government to facilitate a safe and dignified repatriation process," Nathan Ruser, one of the researchers at ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre, said in a statement. Spokesmen for the Myanmar government did not answer calls seeking comment. Kyaw Swar Tun, deputy director of the Rakhine General Administration Department, declined to comment. Myanmar has repeatedly said it is ready to take back refugees, blaming Bangladesh for failed efforts to kick-start returns. A report by the disaster management unit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) - a 10 nation regional body that includes Myanmar - had praised the country's efforts to ensure “smooth and orderly” returns. The AHA Centre report, leaked to media in June, predicted that half a million refugees would come back within two years. Human rights groups said the assessment glossed over atrocities and ignored ongoing conflict in the region. The UN has said conditions in Rakhine are not yet conducive for returns. Government troops in the northern part of the state are now battling insurgents belonging to the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group seeking greater autonomy for the region that recruits from the mostly Buddhist majority. ASPI’s report described a pattern of "securitisation" in the region since 2017, with six facilities suspected to be military bases built on top of former Rohingya settlements. A Reuters investigation in December 2018 found authorities have built houses for Buddhists in former Rohingya areas. A resettlement map drafted by the government revealed that refugees, rather than returning to their original villages, would be herded into several dozen Rohingya-only settlements. In early July, the Indian government handed over 250 prefabricated houses in several villages in northern Rakhine to Hindu families displaced by the violence. None of the homes was for Rohingya. "Hindus and Rakhine people lost their houses and we also lost ours," Zuyarman, a Rohingya villager in Maungdaw township, told Reuters at the time. "We Rohingya wish that we would have houses like them."

Satellite images show Myanmar's 'minimal preparations' for Rohingya return: Report

Southeast Asian nations overcame days of deadlock today when the Philippines dropped a request for their joint statement to mention a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea, officials said, after objections from Cambodia. 
 
Beijing publicly thanked Cambodia for supporting its stance on maritime disputes, a position which threw the regional bloc&#39;s weekend meeting in the Laos capital of Vientiane into disarray. 
 
Competing claims with China in the vita shipping are among the most contentious issues for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with its 10 members pulled between their desire to assert their sovereignty while finding common ground and fostering political and commercial ties with Beijing. 
 
Communique insists on peaceful resolutions&nbsp; 
 
China claims most of the sea, but ASEAN members -- the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei -- all have rival claims. In a ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration on July 12, the Philippines won an emphatic legal victory over China on the dispute. 
 
The Philippines and Vietnam both wanted the ruling, which denied China&#39;s sweeping claims in the strategic seaway that channels more than $ 5 trillion in global trade each year, and a call to respect international maritime law to feature in the communique. 
 
Calling for bilateral discussions, Cambodia opposed the wording on the ruling, diplomats said. 
 
Manila agreed to drop the reference to the ruling in the communique, one ASEAN diplomat said today, in an effort to prevent the disagreement leading to the group failing to issue a statement. 
 
The communique referred instead to the need to find peaceful resolutions to disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, including the United Nations&#39; law of the sea, to which the court ruling referred. 
 
&quot;We remain seriously concerned about recent and ongoing developments and took note of the concerns expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region,&quot; the ASEAN communique said. 
 
It was important to avoid militarisation of the region, and for freedom of navigation to be maintained, ASEAN said. 
 
Beijing says the court ruling has no bearing on its rights in the sea, and described the case as a farce. 
 
Cambodia&#39;s position was the right one and would safeguard unity of ASEAN and cooperation with China, China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Cambodia&#39;s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, according to a statement posted on China&#39;s Foreign Ministry website early today. 
 
&quot;China greatly approves of Cambodia and other ASEAN countries taking charge of impartiality and safeguarding fairness,&quot; Wang said. 
 
China frequently blames the United States for raising tensions in the region and has warned regional rival Japan to steer clear of the dispute. 
 
&quot;We will not permit any outside force to seek to exploit and hype up the so-called South China Sea arbitration case and bring chaos to this region,&quot; Wang said. 
 
Major powers arrive 
 
The United States, allied with the Philippines and cultivating closer relations with Vietnam, has called on China to respect the court&#39;s ruling. 
 
It has criticised China&#39;s building of artificial islands and facilities in the sea and has sailed warships close to the disputed territory to assert freedom of navigation rights. 
 
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Laos capital today. 
 
He is expected to discuss maritime issues in a meeting with Wang, as well as in meetings with ASEAN members. 
 
Both are in town for the ASEAN regional forum and East Asia summits, which bring ASEAN diplomats together with the US, China, Japan, Russia and several other countries. 
 
Kerry will urge ASEAN nations to explore diplomatic ways to ease tension over Asia&#39;s biggest potential military flashpoint, a senior US official said ahead of his trip. 
 
Barack Obama is set to become the first US president to visit Laos, attending an annual summit in September. 
 
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is also in Laos, making her debut at ASEAN meetings as the foreign minister for Myanmar. 
 
(Reuters)

Philippines agreed to drop the reference to ruling in communique,to prevent disagreement leading to the group failing to issue a statement

Southeast Asian nations overcame days of deadlock today when the Philippines dropped a request for their joint statement to mention a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea, officials said, after objections from Cambodia. Beijing publicly thanked Cambodia for supporting its stance on maritime disputes, a position which threw the regional bloc's weekend meeting in the Laos capital of Vientiane into disarray. Competing claims with China in the vita shipping are among the most contentious issues for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with its 10 members pulled between their desire to assert their sovereignty while finding common ground and fostering political and commercial ties with Beijing. Communique insists on peaceful resolutions China claims most of the sea, but ASEAN members -- the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei -- all have rival claims. In a ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration on July 12, the Philippines won an emphatic legal victory over China on the dispute. The Philippines and Vietnam both wanted the ruling, which denied China's sweeping claims in the strategic seaway that channels more than $ 5 trillion in global trade each year, and a call to respect international maritime law to feature in the communique. Calling for bilateral discussions, Cambodia opposed the wording on the ruling, diplomats said. Manila agreed to drop the reference to the ruling in the communique, one ASEAN diplomat said today, in an effort to prevent the disagreement leading to the group failing to issue a statement. The communique referred instead to the need to find peaceful resolutions to disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, including the United Nations' law of the sea, to which the court ruling referred. "We remain seriously concerned about recent and ongoing developments and took note of the concerns expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region," the ASEAN communique said. It was important to avoid militarisation of the region, and for freedom of navigation to be maintained, ASEAN said. Beijing says the court ruling has no bearing on its rights in the sea, and described the case as a farce. Cambodia's position was the right one and would safeguard unity of ASEAN and cooperation with China, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, according to a statement posted on China's Foreign Ministry website early today. "China greatly approves of Cambodia and other ASEAN countries taking charge of impartiality and safeguarding fairness," Wang said. China frequently blames the United States for raising tensions in the region and has warned regional rival Japan to steer clear of the dispute. "We will not permit any outside force to seek to exploit and hype up the so-called South China Sea arbitration case and bring chaos to this region," Wang said. Major powers arrive The United States, allied with the Philippines and cultivating closer relations with Vietnam, has called on China to respect the court's ruling. It has criticised China's building of artificial islands and facilities in the sea and has sailed warships close to the disputed territory to assert freedom of navigation rights. US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Laos capital today. He is expected to discuss maritime issues in a meeting with Wang, as well as in meetings with ASEAN members. Both are in town for the ASEAN regional forum and East Asia summits, which bring ASEAN diplomats together with the US, China, Japan, Russia and several other countries. Kerry will urge ASEAN nations to explore diplomatic ways to ease tension over Asia's biggest potential military flashpoint, a senior US official said ahead of his trip. Barack Obama is set to become the first US president to visit Laos, attending an annual summit in September. Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is also in Laos, making her debut at ASEAN meetings as the foreign minister for Myanmar. (Reuters)

ASEAN breaks deadlock on South China Sea, Beijing thanks Cambodia for support

Southeast Asian countries withdrew a statement that expressed the region&#39;s deep concerns over rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea, where China has been involved in territorial disputes. 
 
The strongly-worded statement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), released by the Malaysian foreign ministry, did not name China directly but warned against raising tensions in the contested waters, where Beijing has been building artificial islands and increasing its military presence. 
 
&quot;We expressed our serious concerns over recent and ongoing developments, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and which may have the potential to undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea,&quot; said the statement, which was issued following a meeting in the Chinese city of Kunming between ASEAN and China&#39;s foreign ministers. 
 
But just hours later, a Malaysian ministry spokeswoman recalled the statement, saying &quot;urgent amendments&quot; needed to be made and an updated version would be distributed. 
 
However, no updated joint statement was later issued and the spokeswoman said countries would now issue individual statements. 
 
China lays historical claim to most of the South China Sea, with its Nine Dash line stretching deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, covering hundreds disputed islands and reefs, rich fishing grounds and oil and gas deposits. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims over the region, through which trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade passes every year. 
 
Ian Storey, an analyst at Singapore&#39;s Institute of Southeast Asian studies (ISEAS), said the retraction of the initial statement showed the lack of unity between ASEAN members on the South China Sea disputes. 
 
&quot;The initial statement repeated ASEAN&rsquo;s existing concerns over China&rsquo;s artificial island building and the militarization of the dispute, but also countered China&rsquo;s position that the dispute should be settled by the parties directly concerned and that it is not an issue between ASEAN and China.&quot; 
 
&quot;Perhaps this proved too much for some of the member states and the statement was withdrawn,&quot; Storey said. 
 
The ASEAN-China meeting was held ahead of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on a case brought by the Philippines contesting Beijing&#39;s claims in the South China Sea. 
 
China has refused to recognise the case and says all disputes should be resolved through bilateral talks. The case has become the centre of an international diplomatic arm wrestle, with the United States and its allies insisting on international law be obeyed and China saying it has widespread support for its position, including from some ASEAN members. 
 
Vietnam&#39;s ministry of foreign affairs, in a statement on the Kunming meeting, made no reference to the earlier ASEAN statement but echoed its concerns over increased military build-up in the South China Sea, &quot;especially the large-scale accretion and embellishment and construction of the reefs, the militarization of the artificial islands and actions of sovereignty claims that are not based on international law.&rdquo; 
 
Singapore and Indonesia, meanwhile, took a softer tone calling on ASEAN and China to &quot;continue working together to maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea.&quot; 
 
An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said the initial statement was a &quot;media guideline&quot; which had been prepared for a planned press conference for the conclusion of the meeting. 
 
&quot;However because of the meeting dynamics where the meeting extended a few hours past schedule, the press conference was cancelled and a number of ASEAN FM had to leave immediately,&quot; Armanatha Nasir said.&nbsp;

Association of Southeast Asian Nations did not name China but raised concern at Beijing's growing military presence in the South China Sea

Southeast Asian countries withdrew a statement that expressed the region's deep concerns over rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea, where China has been involved in territorial disputes. The strongly-worded statement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), released by the Malaysian foreign ministry, did not name China directly but warned against raising tensions in the contested waters, where Beijing has been building artificial islands and increasing its military presence. "We expressed our serious concerns over recent and ongoing developments, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and which may have the potential to undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea," said the statement, which was issued following a meeting in the Chinese city of Kunming between ASEAN and China's foreign ministers. But just hours later, a Malaysian ministry spokeswoman recalled the statement, saying "urgent amendments" needed to be made and an updated version would be distributed. However, no updated joint statement was later issued and the spokeswoman said countries would now issue individual statements. China lays historical claim to most of the South China Sea, with its Nine Dash line stretching deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, covering hundreds disputed islands and reefs, rich fishing grounds and oil and gas deposits. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims over the region, through which trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade passes every year. Ian Storey, an analyst at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian studies (ISEAS), said the retraction of the initial statement showed the lack of unity between ASEAN members on the South China Sea disputes. "The initial statement repeated ASEAN’s existing concerns over China’s artificial island building and the militarization of the dispute, but also countered China’s position that the dispute should be settled by the parties directly concerned and that it is not an issue between ASEAN and China." "Perhaps this proved too much for some of the member states and the statement was withdrawn," Storey said. The ASEAN-China meeting was held ahead of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on a case brought by the Philippines contesting Beijing's claims in the South China Sea. China has refused to recognise the case and says all disputes should be resolved through bilateral talks. The case has become the centre of an international diplomatic arm wrestle, with the United States and its allies insisting on international law be obeyed and China saying it has widespread support for its position, including from some ASEAN members. Vietnam's ministry of foreign affairs, in a statement on the Kunming meeting, made no reference to the earlier ASEAN statement but echoed its concerns over increased military build-up in the South China Sea, "especially the large-scale accretion and embellishment and construction of the reefs, the militarization of the artificial islands and actions of sovereignty claims that are not based on international law.” Singapore and Indonesia, meanwhile, took a softer tone calling on ASEAN and China to "continue working together to maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea." An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said the initial statement was a "media guideline" which had been prepared for a planned press conference for the conclusion of the meeting. "However because of the meeting dynamics where the meeting extended a few hours past schedule, the press conference was cancelled and a number of ASEAN FM had to leave immediately," Armanatha Nasir said.

ASEAN countries walk back on statement on South China Sea