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Michael Sullivan In 2003, Michael Sullivan moved to Hanoi to open NPR's Southeast Asia Bureau, which covers, but is not limited to, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines and his base, Vietnam.
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Michael Sullivan

Global Health

COVID-19 Is Hitting Indonesia Hard. Epidemiologists Say The Worst May Be Yet To Come

Indonesia, the world's fourth most populated nation, is overwhelmed by the pandemic. Critics of the government say it failed to take the virus seriously and kept the country open while it spread.

COVID-19 Is Hitting Indonesia Hard. Epidemiologists Say The Worst May Be Yet To Come

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Asia

Southeast Asia Struggles With Record Cases Of New COVID-19 Infections

Thailand posts the highest deaths to date. Indonesia is also posting daily records. Vietnam is locking down Ho Chi Minh City for two weeks. And Cambodia is quietly posting its biggest numbers yet.

Southeast Asia Struggles With Record Cases Of New COVID-19 Infections

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Asia

Indonesia Leads Southeast Asia In COVID-19 Cases And Deaths

Indonesia's president announced new measures aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19 in his country. The new restrictions only apply to parts of the main island Java and the resort island of Bali.

Indonesia Leads Southeast Asia In COVID-19 Cases And Deaths

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Asia

Thailand Prepares To Open Phuket To Vaccinated Tourists

Thailand plans to reopen the resort island of Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists July 1. It's a bid to jump start an economy and a tourist industry battered by the pandemic. Will foreigners come?

Thailand Prepares To Open Phuket To Vaccinated Tourists

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Asia

Trial Begins In Myanmar For Ousted Leader Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi, the former de facto head of state, goes on trial in Myanmar on corruption charges. She was deposed earlier this year in a coup by Myanmar's military.

Trial Begins In Myanmar For Ousted Leader Aung San Suu Kyi

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Asia

Killed By Military Forces, A Myanmar Poet's Spirit Of Revolution Lives On In His Work

Myanmar's new military rulers continue squashing dissent with poets and other activists firmly in their sights. Part of a decades long strategy of "state terror and torture" against their citizens.

Killed By Military Forces, A Myanmar Poet's Spirit Of Revolution Lives On In His Work

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He Used His Poetry To Speak Out Against Myanmar's Coup. It May Have Cost Him His Life

Myanmar poet Khet Thi died in police custody early last month. Authorities "said he died because of heart disease," his widow Chaw Su says. "But they just beat his head in." File photo hide caption

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World

He Used His Poetry To Speak Out Against Myanmar's Coup. It May Have Cost Him His Life

"They shoot in the head, but they don't know the revolution is in the heart," Khet Thi wrote. He died in police custody. In opposing the coup, "I have decided to sacrifice my life," he told a friend.

Asia

Civilians In Myanmar Fight Back Against Authoritative Regime

The shadow government made up of lawmakers sacked during the military coup created a defense force. But the People's Defense Force isn't considered a legitimate challenge to the military.

Civilians In Myanmar Fight Back Against Authoritative Regime

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Asia

As Resistance To Myanmar's Coup Grows, The Country Slips Further Into Chaos

More than 800 civilians in Myanmar have been killed by security forces since the February coup. Members of the U.N. Security Council were told Myanmar stands at the brink of state failure.

As Resistance To Myanmar's Coup Grows, The Country Slips Further Into Chaos

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Asia

Overseas Americans Are Desperate To Get COVID-19 Vaccines

Millions of Americans live abroad in places where vaccine rollouts are slow and cases rampant. They're pleading with the U.S. government to send surplus shots overseas. The answer so far is no.

Overseas Americans Are Desperate To Get COVID-19 Vaccines

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Asia

Southeast Asia Hit By COVID-19 Outbreaks After Being Largely Spared By The Pandemic

For over a year, mainland Southeast Asia was largely spared from the COVID-19 pandemic. Not anymore. Recent outbreaks in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand are infecting and killing more than ever before.

Southeast Asia Hit By COVID-19 Outbreaks After Being Largely Spared By The Pandemic

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Asia

Death Toll Rises As Protests In Myanmar Continue

It's been three months since Myanmar's military seized control. The number of civilians killed protesting the takeover has risen to over 750, and neither side is showing any willingness to compromise.

Death Toll Rises As Protests In Myanmar Continue

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Southeast Asia Suffers Sharp Increase In COVID-19 Infections, Deaths

Thailand, Cambodia and Laos successfully beat back the coronavirus for a year. Like many other countries, all three are showing a sharp increase in infections and deaths.

Southeast Asia Suffers Sharp Increase In COVID-19 Infections, Deaths

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Asia

Southeast Asian Summit Will Address Violence Post Myanmar Coup

Southeast Asian leaders — including the leader of a coup in Myanmar — will meet this week to discuss a possible end to the crackdown on protesters following the Feb. 1 coup.

Southeast Asian Summit Will Address Violence Post Myanmar Coup

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Asia

Professor Discusses What Might Be To Come In Myanmar

A University of Washington professor who's written extensively about Myanmar's military is painting a grim picture of what's to come. She just left the country for what she fears may be the last time.

Professor Discusses What Might Be To Come In Myanmar

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