Treethep Srisa-nga
A more democratic Thailand after the 8 February elections must mean more than another competitive poll. It requires change in the constraints that determine whether popular mandates can be exercised and renewed.
Chanintorn Pensute
The Pheu Thai Party’s energetic campaign in Thailand’s Northern region shows the party remains a contender in February’s election.
Su Mon Thazin Aung
Chinese technology has augmented the junta’s ‘Big Brother’ capability in Myanmar, even if old surveillance tactics die hard.
Akanit Horatanakun
As the People’s Party moves towards elite accommodation and electoral pragmatism, it is facing a growing crisis of identity and legitimacy.
Manoj Kewalramani
After five years of tensions, India–China relations have entered a phase of cautious and fragile re-engagement. However, deeper structural faultlines remain. Meaningful progress will depend on whether Beijing chooses to accommodate India’s strategic interests – but given the power asymmetries between the two countries, this Long Read argues that the prospects are dim.
Burhanuddin Muhtadi
While the Prabowo Subianto government and its coalition partners in parliament have temporarily shelved their plans to abolish direct local elections due to public discontent, this years-long initiative is not dead.
Ary Hermawan
Eyeing the 2029 legislative elections, Indonesia’s National Mandate Party has rebranded itself as the “party of the youth” and looks set to jettison its image as the “Muhammadiyah party”.
Archanun Kohpaiboon
The garment industry might come under US scrutiny for its high use of Chinese inputs. Countries should negotiate with the US administration for a reasonable and tempered approach to the transshipment question.
Maria Carinnes Alejandria
The case of Palawan province in the Philippines highlights the importance of local memory of the timelines and contexts through which disasters unfold. Such memory can shape how communities prepare for future events.
Tham Siew Yean
Malaysia’s push to build a full rare earths value chain faces significant technology, trade, investment, and governance hurdles across the mining, processing, and manufacturing stages.