Uncle Sam Will Have to Change His Tune After November for Buy-in From Southeast Asia
Hunter Marston
High stakes in the upcoming US presidential election for Southeast Asia and for American influence and goodwill in the region.
Articles
Muhyiddin Yassin: Sitting Pretty (For Now)
Francis E. Hutchinson
Roiled by political instability in the past few months, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin can afford to take a breather, for now at least. A survey by arguably the country’s foremost pollster shows him in a strong position.
General Prayut’s Failing Premiership: Self-inflicted Wound
Termsak Chalermpalanupap
The sudden departure of Thailand’s newly-appointed finance minister is a sign that premiership of Prayut Chan-ocha is failing.
India’s Obsession With Thailand’s Kra Canal: Much Ado About Nothing
Ian Storey
News that Thailand has “cancelled” its Kra canal project and replaced it with a land bridge has exercised Indian observers. But you cannot scrap a plan that has not been approved and Indian media reports say more about tensions with China along their land border than a centuries’ old Thai canal plan.
Digital Payments Can Accelerate Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity
Melinda Martinus
Digital payment systems have proliferated across Southeast Asia, thanks to various platforms provided by banks, ride-hailing apps and fintech firms. For such payments to truly take off, the region needs to work on facilitating cross-border transactions.
Non-tariff Barriers to Agri-trade in ASEAN: Taking Down Walls
Sithanonxay Suvannaphakdy
A bid to boost market access for agri-food trade in ASEAN is in jeopardy. Non-tariff measures (NTMs) – policy measures other than tariffs that can potentially hinder trade – have emerged as one of the key obstacles to agri-food trade, namely fisheries and agro-based products. NTMs increase trade costs for producers, importers and exporters through information, compliance and procedural...
Philippine Remittances and Covid-19: Stayin’ Alive
Malcolm Cook
In a pandemic-afflicted year when the country braced itself for smaller remittances from its overseas workers, the Philippines has seen a lower-than-expected fall in such inflows. The OFWs, as they are called, have lived up to their reputations.
Vietnam and Social Media: The Clock Is Ticking on Tiktok
Dien Nguyen An Luong
A lawsuit filed against TikTok by a Vietnamese firm portends a tightening of controls on social media by the authorities.
The Islamic Renaissance Front in Malaysia: Fighting to Reinvigorate Progressive Voices
Mohd Faizal Musa|Siti Syazwani Zainal Abidin
For years, the Islamic Renaissance Front has sought to bring progressive Islam to the front and centre in Malaysia. With a leadership change and increasing state repression, the group has its work cut out for it.
Fighting Covid-19 in Vietnam: Striking a Delicate Balance Between Public Safety and Privacy
Dien Nguyen An Luong|Benjamin Hu
The relative success of Vietnam’s Covid-19 contact tracing app has sparked concerns about the privacy of users. Currently, however, app users are wont to give the government the benefit of the doubt.