Articles

23 May 2022

Jokowi’s Dilemma: To Stay or To Go?

Yanuar Nugroho

Although President Jokowi has officially announced the date of the next Indonesian presidential election, there are important strategic and personal considerations that could tempt him to seek to remain in power.

23 May 2022

Kishida’s Charm Diplomacy in Southeast Asia: Moral Suasion Does the Trick

Lim Tai Wei|William Choong

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visits to Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand have burnished Japan’s regional credentials, particularly on contentious issues such as the war in Ukraine, the South China Sea disputes and the evolving order in the Indo-Pacific.

Indo-Pacific International Relations Japan Japan-Southeast Asia Relations South China Sea

20 May 2022

Abdul Somad Denied Entry into Singapore: Islamophobic? Far from It

Norshahril Saat

Indonesia religious teacher Abdul Somad was denied entry to Singapore. His followers have decried Islamophobia as being behind the decision. This cannot be farther from the truth.

Islam Religion Religious Intolerance Singapore

20 May 2022

ASEAN’S Relevance for the New South Korean Administration

Joanne Lin

New South Korean President Yoon has a tough balancing act to pull off for his foreign policy, given his neophyte status on the international stage. ASEAN will be watching carefully to see if great power rivalry will derail ASEAN-ROK cooperation.

ASEAN Diplomacy South Korea

19 May 2022

Cash Payments in Post-Pandemic Southeast Asia: Phasing Out or Coming Back?

Michael Schaper

The region paints a highly mixed picture, one that confounds the widespread assumption that cash is on a one-way path of inevitable decline, hastened by Covid-19.

COVID-19 Digitalisation Economic Development Monetary Policy

17 May 2022

U.S.-ASEAN: Summitry Is Not a Strategy

Sharon Seah|William Choong

The United States hit all the right notes when it hosted ASEAN leaders in Washington last week. The fact remains, however, that Washington has an uphill climb if it wants to catch up with Beijing’s economic momentum in Southeast Asia.

ASEAN-U.S. Relations U.S. Foreign Policy

17 May 2022

PM Chinh Goes to Washington: Equal Importance of Foreign and Domestic Goals

Le Hong Hiep

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a successful trip to Washington, which should go some way to advance Hanoi's foreign policy goals and domestic priorities.

U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vietnam Vietnamese Economy Vietnamese Politics

13 May 2022

Tackling the Problem of Identity Violence Against Pluralists

Syafiq Hasyim|Norshahril Saat

A recent attack on an academic who has promoted pluralism in Indonesia highlights the need for the government to adopt new strategies to tackle Islamist violence against such individuals.

Indonesia Indonesian Politics Political Islam Religious Dialogue Religious Intolerance

12 May 2022

The Next Phase of Myanmar’s 2021 Spring Revolution Turns on Contested Local Authority

Aung Tun

As the Arakan Army establishes more control over Rakhine State, the future success of the national revolution may hinge on whether a parallel local administrative system can be established in other areas including Myanmar’s heartland. Providing a workable alternative to the State Administration Council’s governance will enable the revolution to mature as it meets the people’s demands for rule of law and governance.

Myanmar Myanmar Military Myanmar Politics

11 May 2022

In Denial Against Democracy: Thailand’s Royalists see Putin as a ‘Decoloniser’

Janjira Sombatpoonsiri

Thai royalists’ online narratives echo the line that Russia’s war in Ukraine is succeeding. There are indications that this rhetoric is driven by anti-western anti-democratic sentiment, especially against the United States. The royalists are using the debate over the war as a proxy fight with opposition movements, whom they see as being supported by western pro-democracy forces.

Thai Monarchy Thai Politics Thailand