China’s deployment of People’s Liberation Army Air Force aircraft near Malaysia’s air space last month smacks of hypocrisy and creeping hegemony. Beijing may not be as benevolent as it wants smaller states to believe.
Author Archives: blackbox
To Lockdown or Not? Indonesia’s Dilemma in Handling the Covid-19 Second Wave
The Jokowi government appears to be on the verge of imposing a hard lockdown to curb a second wave of Covid-19 infections. But this belies longstanding hesitancy to adopt drastic measures that could hurt the economy.
The Pandemic and Push Towards a Digital Economy: Greater Inequality?
The Covid-19 pandemic and the concurrent push towards a digital economy may worsen inequalities. But digitalisation in some parts of Southeast Asia may also increase inclusion, connectivity and incomes in areas where there is freer trade and movement of labour and capital.
Give It Another Shot, Uncle Sam
As it pertains to Washington’s relations with Southeast Asia, the Biden Administration is not faring much better than its predecessor. A low-hanging fruit would be the supply of Covid-19 vaccines.
Indonesia’s Covid-19 Surge: Contradictions and Criticism
Indonesia’s latest Covid-19 surge has piled pressure on the Widodo government, which is under pressure to reconsider some form of lockdown to rein in the spread of the coronavirus.
Major Parties Lacking Candidates with a Winning Chance in Bangkok’s Gubernatorial Election
The election for the post of governor of Bangkok is due to take place in the last quarter of this year. However, Thailand’s major political parties lack suitable candidates with realistic chances of victory.
Southeast Asia and Food Price Inflation: Double Whammy
Across the world, climate change and Covid-19 disruptions have led to rising food prices in the past year. Southeast Asian countries, which have not been immune to such challenges, need to build resilience in their food security policies.
Tracking the Swelling COVID-19 Vaccine Chatter on TikTok in Indonesia
On Indonesian TikTok, anti-vaccine messages are often mixed with global Covid-19 conspiracy theories and merged with domestic anti-government and anti-Chinese sentiments. They are also typically couched in religious discourse and spread by religious micro-influencers.
A Storm in a Teacup: The Politicisation of Hajj Cancellation in Indonesia
The run-up to hajj 2021 saw the opponents of the Jokowi government opportunistically exploiting the issue to undermine the government. This reflects poorly on the quality of political debate in Indonesia today.
Thailand’s War Against Fake News: Another Attempt to Curtail Media Freedom?
The Thai government’s renewed efforts to counter fake news related to the Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled speculation that it is seeking to further limit the freedom of expression and media freedom in the kingdom.