A new leadership team in Indonesia’s Riau Islands has bold plans to steer the region back into growth, after a gruelling year fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. If they play their cards right, they are in it with a fighting chance.
Author Archives: blackbox
Placate the Young and Control Online Discourse: The Vietnamese State’s Tightrope
A key challenge for Vietnam is to control cyberspace without alienating growing numbers of Internet-savvy youths. Unlike China, Vietnam has not been able to muster enough political and technological resources to craft sophisticated campaigns to boost youth nationalism. The gap is even more pronounced online.
“Giving Back”: Vietnam’s Shifting Philanthropic Landscape
As Vietnam graduates from official development assistance, diasporic business leaders and their firms are filling the humanitarian assistance gap.
ASEAN Emergency Summit: In the Hot Seat
One can assess ASEAN’s recent emergency meeting in Jakarta in two ways. One scenario is cautiously optimistic; the other would be tantamount to pure fatalism.
Indonesian Islam beyond Habib Rizieq Shihab: Deconstructing Islamism and Populism
The radical Salafi ideology of Muhammad Rizieq Shihab and the Islamic Defender’s Front (FPI) have been at the centre of attention and study for quite a while. Islam in Indonesia, however, is not monolithic – there are some strands which are moderate. The recent retreat of radical and conservative Muslims following pressure from the Joko Widodo government provides a timely opportunity for proponents of moderate Islam to boost their presence on social media – a crucial battleground in the war of religious ideas.
Freeing Trade in the Greater Mekong Subregion
Implementing WTO trade facilitation commitments will be key.
In Dominating the Provinces, Bangkok Leaves Nothing to Chance
Whether as a source of royal blessings or through the power of its rent-seekers, Bangkok’s hold over provincial Thailand endures.
Of Partisan Reshuffles and Stalled Reforms: Thailand’s Police in 2021
The relationship between the palace and the police is deepening. Meanwhile, long awaited police reforms are in the balance.
When “Tony” Goes Clubbing: The Power of Clubhouse in Thailand
Clubhouse, a new audio-based social media app, has gained much popularity in Thailand, despite official warnings to users who denigrate the reputation of the government and the monarchy. A pertinent question is whether the Thai government will use the app to reach out to its opponents.
The New, and Not, of Terrorist Attacks in Indonesia
New perpetrators and tactics, and persistent ideological battles, make fighting terrorism harder.