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The Ruling Party in Myanmar Turns Populist

The ruling National League for Democracy’s bid to change the constitution has floundered. But the failure has highlighted the growing schism between the increasingly populist NLD and the corrupt and power-hungry military elite

Flattening the Curve, Flooring the Poor

Governments over-reaching in their Covid-19 responses are laying heavy burdens on the poorer among their citizens

COVID-19: Singapore’s Model Response

Judgements on how different governments respond to the COVID-19 pandemic will have an effect on their national images and soft power quotients.

Assessing the Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on ASEAN

The effects of COVID-19 are hitting ASEAN economies at a time when other risk factors such as a global growth slowdown were already rising. Any assessment of impacts must recognise that the spread of the virus is evolving in unpredictable ways

Thailand: Spooked by Little Ghosts

The negative reaction by many Thais towards returning workers from South Korea underscore the need for understanding and cooperation in a time of the coronavirus

Thailand: Ample Fuel for the Flash Mobs

Current flash mobs in Thailand are taking a leaf from student movements of the 1970s and 1980s. Their similarity to student protests in Hong Kong has sparked concern

Thai Opposition: Self-inflicted Wounds

Recent fighting among opposition parties, and within them, has effectively granted the Prayut coalition government a longer lease of life

Duterte’s ‘Independent’ Foreign Policy: Independence from Criticism

The Duterte administration has stressed the independent nature of its foreign policy. Apparently, this has been equated to freedom from foreign criticism.

Malaysian PM Muhyiddin: Sins of Omission?

In his maiden speech as Malaysia’s new prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin sought to steady a teetering nation by what was said. But a brooding sense of unease prevails, due to what was not said about the issues that matter.