Myanmar’s 2025 Election: Rhetoric and Realities
Myanmar Studies Programme
The Myanmar junta is casting the upcoming elections as a “reset” and transition towards normalcy. Such rhetoric should be taken with a dollop of salt.
Articles
Thailand’s Deterrence Failure Against Cambodia: A Focus on Structural Hindrances
Tita Sanglee
The border confrontation between Thailand and Cambodia stems from the former's failure to deter the latter. There is a resolve gap on the part of the Thai elite; in addition, the lack of resolve stems from structural pressures such as the imperative of a limited war and Thailand's long borders. Changing these entrenched structures will be difficult, if not impossible.
Why ASEAN Must Hold the Line on Myanmar’s Election
Joanne Lin|Moe Thuzar
ASEAN needs to march to the tune of its own drummer and insist that Myanmar’s ruling regime toes the line, sham elections or not.
Court Ruling Against Former PM Will Haunt Thailand’s Cambodia Policy
Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi
The Constitutional Court’s ruling against a former Thai premier will constrain how conciliatory the kingdom will be in times of conflict.
Beyond Autonomy: The Ripple Effects of Sabah Elections on Federal Power
Lee Hwok-Aun|Adib Zalkapli
Pakatan Harapan’s poor performance at the Sabah state elections has weakened its bargaining power vis-à-vis ruling coalitions in Sabah and Sarawak. It will need their support to form the next federal government.
Critical Mass: The Complexity of Malaysia’s Nuclear Reboot
Amalina Anuar
Malaysia is re-considering the use of nuclear power. But the government will need to tackle questions about trade-offs.
ASEAN Business Entity: Integration at the Cost of Inclusion
Tham Siew Yean
The ABE initiative professes to promote regional economic integration via greater intra-ASEAN investments, but ASEAN should focus on attracting high-quality investment, enhancing industrial upgrading, and mitigating geopolitical risk.
Reading ASEAN’s Sentiments in a Year of Crosswinds
Joanne Lin|Jasmine Yeo
Joanne Lin and Jasmine Yeo show how insights from two major regional surveys in 2025 capture the forces shaping ASEAN’s confidence in a year of shifting global winds.
ASEAN Power Grid: Gleaning Best Practices from Worst Cases
Mirza Sadaqat Huda
As Southeast Asia focuses on building the ASEAN Power Grid, there will be a higher chance of success if interconnections are designed to be modular and embedded within a broader regional integration agenda.
Private Investment, Public Burden: Indonesia’s ‘Whoosh’ Lesson
Romora Edward Sitorus|A. Prasetyantoko
Indonesia’s first high-speed train project is historic but its government now has to prevent it going off the rails as costs spiral and boomerang onto the state and taxpayers.