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.
Author Archives: blackbox
U.S.-ASEAN: Summitry Is Not a Strategy
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.
PM Chinh Goes to Washington: Equal Importance of Foreign and Domestic Goals
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.
The Russia-Ukraine War: Unpacking Online Pro-Russia Narratives in Vietnam
Pro-Russia narratives in Vietnam’s cyberspace are the result of cross-pollination between sentimental attachment since the Soviet era, psychological bias towards Russia embedded in Vietnam’s education and propaganda system, and the overriding imperative to preserve the Vietnamese state’s political and ideological interests.
Tackling the Problem of Identity Violence Against Pluralists
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.
The Next Phase of Myanmar’s 2021 Spring Revolution Turns on Contested Local Authority
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.
In Denial Against Democracy: Thailand’s Royalists see Putin as a ‘Decoloniser’
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.
US-ASEAN Summit: The Audacity of Trope
ASEAN leaders will finally meet US President Joseph Biden at the long-awaited US-ASEAN summit in Washington. Whether ASEAN and US can find convergence on regional issues, such as Washington’s desire to manage the rise of China, will be a pressing challenge.
More Political Implications Than Meet the Eye in Upcoming Election for Bangkok Governor
Bangkok’s voters will go to the polls to elect a new governor on 22 May 2022 for the first time in nearly a decade. The clear front-runner is former transport minister Dr Chadchart Sittipunt. This article evaluates the prospects for a surprise upset.
A Victory for the Social Opposition: Upping Protection for Victims of Sexual Violence
Indonesia’s social opposition has notched an important victory with the passage of a landmark law against sexual violence. The victory was propelled by a unified campaign and the fact that the legislation did not pose a threat to economic interests.