Thai premier Prayut Chan-ocha has steered through the successful passing of a budget bill. But he has other political minefields to cross before his term in office ends in March 2023.
Author Archives: blackbox
Brother Can You Spare a Kyat? Currency Woes in Myanmar
The Central Bank of Myanmar has miscalculated badly in inadvertently creating the conditions for a more unstable economy with its latest announcements.
Conflict Mismanagement: Beijing and Naypyidaw’s Counter-Effective Moves in Shan State
Supporting Myanmar’s military junta while backing certain ethnic armed groups in Shan State is proving to be a riskier move for Beijing. The stakes will get higher if the spill-over from local conflicts paves the way for increased resistance to Naypyitaw.
App-based Drivers in Vietnam: More Workers than Contractors
There has been a vigorous debate in Vietnam as to whether drivers for digital platforms are workers or contractors. They should be classified as the former.
ASEAN Cooperation Post-2025: A Vision for Collaborative Governance
As ASEAN emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, there is an opportunity for collaborative governance to boost the region’s capacity to meet future challenges in the economy, geopolitics, and the environment.
Ismail Sabri Charting His Own Course
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob appears to be holding his own, despite pressure from his party colleagues to hold a general election soon.
‘Doomed to Fail’: Chinese Media Dismisses the U.S.’s ASEAN Diplomacy
Chinese state media have negatively portrayed Washington’s recent moves to court ASEAN diplomatically and economically, but the one-sided narrative that Beijing trots out belies the region’s careful reception of both great powers amidst their growing rivalry.
Timor Leste’s New President: Polarisation Defused or Postponed?
The victory of Dr Jose Ramos Horta in Timor’s recent presidential elections has done little to defuse the political polarisation that has afflicted the country in recent years.
ASEAN Re-opening: When the Whole is Less than the Sum of its Parts
As individual member states rush to reopen their borders amid the pandemic, ASEAN has again been found to be wanting.
Beware of False Peace in Myanmar
Despite recent rhetoric from the State Administration Council seeking ‘peace talks’ with ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar, the prospect of true peace will remain elusive for as long as the generals are selling old wine in new bottles.