Duterte Goes Farther in Using COVID-19
In recent months, Southeast Asian leaders—and leaders from many other parts of the world—have utilized the COVID-19 pandemic to expand executive powers, crack down on...
Ride the Dragon or Fly with the Eagle? This Is the...
By Krisantus Tobias
"When I was growing up, my parents told me: 'Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.' I tell my daughters:...
The Indonesian Origins Of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
By Marty Natalegawa
Arguably one of ASEAN’s recent most ambitious beyond the region undertakings has been the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) initiative launched at...
Thailand’s Election: What to Know
After nearly five years under a junta, Thailand will hold national elections on March 24. They could be a turning point for a country...
Populism in the Philippines: Its Roots, Rise, Results, Limitations and Perils
Populism has been a spot-on feature of Duterte's presidency in the Philippines. What are its roots, rise, results, limitations and perils?
Disasters Without Borders: How Climate Change Impacts a Developing Archipelagic Country
By Dennis Legaspi
The virus SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes, COVID-19, went global because of the free flow of goods, people and services through...
Previewing This Weekend’s ASEAN Summit
The summit this weekend of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), held in Bangkok, will probably be less contentious than some...
Indonesia’s Foreign Policy Community Rebukes Myanmar Military Takeover and Crack Down
By FPCI
The reported detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her political allies in the aftermath of the elections in November 2020 is...
Najib, Malaysia’s Next Steps in Fighting Corruption, and Lessons for Indonesia
Last week, the Malaysian government arrested former prime minister Najib Tun Razak on charges of corruption and criminal breaches of trust, in allegations related...
Southeast Asia Would Welcome A Robust US Re-engagement But It Must...
By Dino Patti Djalal
“America is back,” U.S. President Joe Biden has announced to the world—but in Southeast Asia, the United States is playing catch-up again....
Thailand’s Press Warms to Chinese State Media
In a country ruled for much of the 2010s by a repressive military junta, and where information about powerful actors can be dangerous to...
How the Philippine Military Is Winning The Battle for Hearts and...
By Susan Palad
Davao City, Philippines "Winning the hearts and minds of our people is our priority," the general declared. He was the Regional Unified...
The Global Context: Beyond the Two Regions, Illiberal Leaders Use the...
Laws passed and executive actions taken during an emergency remain entrenched long after the emergency has passed.
By Joshua Kurlantzick
Democratic backsliding is not unique to...
Crowdsourcing Terror in Indonesia
(Originally published in East Asia Forum)
In the wake of high-profile terrorist activities in Indonesia, social media’s role in violent extremism is once again under scrutiny....
The Rohingya Crisis: No Solution Is in Sight, the Suffering Continues
By Pinehas Danu Arvito
In the early hours of 9 October 2016, a small group of Rohingya people, armed with sticks, knives and a few...
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Global Recovery from the Pandemic Creates a Surge in Palm Oil...
By Dupito D. Simamora
As the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, the palm oil industry, together with other commodity-producing industries, is experiencing a pleasant...
