McDonald’s BTS Meal Signals US and South Korean Soft Power
By Alfin Zulfikar Rizky
“Yeah, we're here for the BTS Meal.” – RM, a member of BTS
Who does not know the boy band from South Korea called Bangtan...
A Tough Year for Democracy in Southeast Asia
2018 was a brutal year, in many ways, for civil society activists, rights advocates, and democratic politicians throughout Southeast Asia. Cambodia’s government transformed from...
The China-India Border Dispute Can Give ASEAN Leverage In the South China Sea
By Zikri Basir
China is going through a tricky and challenging period. Last year China was already in the midst of what observers regard as...
Women Leaders in the Covid-19 Pandemic: What Is the Secret to Their Effectiveness?
By Bernie Quimpo
Do women really make more effective leaders in a global crisis such as a Covid-19 pandemic? The belief that they do has...
Democracy Is Rule by Majority Otherwise Inequality Prevails
By Zakiah Nuril Zafirah
In the United States presidential election of 2020, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. came out as winner, having gained some 81.2 million...
Can Indonesian Cuisine Spice Up the World? Yes, If It Gets Enough of a...
By Ignatius Puguh Priambodo
One late night in Antwerp, Belgium recently Maryna Mai worked in her kitchen until morning. She had just come home from...
Humankind Needs A New International Order In A Post-Covid-19 Pandemic World
By Wiryono Sastrohandoyo.
The liberal international order was established soon after World War II under the leadership of the United States, with most of the...
Global Recovery from the Pandemic Creates a Surge in Palm Oil Demand
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...
Addressing the Effect of Covid-19 on Democracy In South and Southeast Asia (Part 2)
“People are fearful of the virus and, sometimes desiring strong containment measures, are inclined to initially rally around their leaders…”
By Joshua Kurlantzick
Although South and...
Climate Change: Will Indonesia Be Just a Bystander or a Leader?
By Dino Patti Djalal
In the midst of the Covid-19 storm that continues to engulf the world, we must be careful not to lose sight...
What Happens if Rohingya Stay in Bangladesh Forever?
Earlier this month, the Myanmar government embarked upon a new plan to begin repatriating Rohingya who had fled Rakhine State after waves of brutal...
Young People Everywhere Need to Know Trumpism is the Antithesis of Leadership
By Fred Utanes
I would like to voice my condemnation of the worst ideology that the world has known, which emerged more than five years...
Indonesia Faces a Huawei Quandary As US-China Rivalry Keeps Simmering
By Muhammad Jasuma Fadholi
The dynamics of the relationship between the two world powers, the United States and China, in the months ahead will be...
Ride the Dragon or Fly with the Eagle? This Is the Dilemma Facing Indonesia
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:...
China Must Comply with Int’l Law And Respect Rights of Other Nations
By Antonio T. Carpio
The July 12, 2016 landmark Arbitral Award in the South China Sea Arbitration between the Philippines and China that invalidated China’s...
Popular News
The Myanmar Coup Is a Naked Grab For Power, but the...
By Rizal G. Buendia
Similar to practically all Southeast Asian countries, Myanmar (also known as Burma) experienced decades of authoritarian or semi-authoritarian rule as well...
