Amid rapid geopolitical shifts, ASEAN should focus more on practical outcomes and developing capabilities rather than expending effort on negotiating lengthy statements.
Author Archives: blackbox
Thailand’s State Welfare Card Reform: New Phase, Old Challenges
The Thai government is rolling out an ambitious social assistance programme, but it lacks a coherent strategy to identify citizens who are most in need
ASEAN’s Renewed Engagement with Naypyidaw and the Future of Federal Myanmar
Is ASEAN on the right path as it works to engage Myanmar?
25 Years on, Vanguard Liberal Indonesian Muslim Activists are in Disarray
Jaringan Islam Liberal’s absence of a clear ideological stance is diminishing the movement’s relevance for liberal Indonesians, even as JIL figures remain prominent.
Russia’s Place at ASEAN’s Table: Between Principle and Pragmatism
The ASEAN-Russia summit does not mean that Southeast Asia is drifting into Russia’s camp. Its significance lies in the grouping’s desire to preserve room for manoeuvre.
Minority Education, Major Controversy: Malaysia’s Lose-Lose Reform on Chinese Independent Schools
A storm in a teacup is brewing over the issue of Malaysia’s Chinese schools, not helped by the government’s mixed signals.
Heeding the Call for Collective Resilience in Regional Food Security
How can the region’s policymakers and leaders ensure that we can meaningfully feed ourselves?
Havana in the Crossfire, Hanoi in a Bind
Vietnam has a chance to prevent a potential disaster in Cuba, given its unique position.
Indonesia’s Democratic Transition and Stalled Military Reform
Deepening political constraints and narrowing space for civil society are stalling the Indonesian Armed Forces’ already limited reform agenda.
Prabowo’s Nickel State: Indonesia’s Search for Power
Will the Prabowo administration’s agenda of centralisation and state control over the nickel sector build lasting industrial capacity, or be even more extractive?