Gauri Sasitharan traces the evolution and decline of physical third places in Southeast Asia and the consequences for communities in the region.
Category Archives: ASEANFocus
China’s Retaliation Against Japan and the Implications for Southeast Asia
Lye Liang Fook argues that Beijing’s retaliatory measures against Japan could increase pressure on ASEAN countries, making it important for ASEAN to continue emphasising restraint and peaceful dialogue.
Navigating Our Future Together? The Philippine Chairmanship in a Year of Strategic Tension
Joanne Lin and Aries Arugay assess the first quarter of the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship and the challenges that still lie ahead.
Who Owes the Nation? Youth, Gender and Conscription in Southeast Asia
Evelyn Li Xinruo explores conscription policies across Southeast Asia and how youth perspectives challenge its legitimacy as a modern tool of defence and nation-building.
The ASEAN Treaty on Extradition: ASEAN’s Commitment to Cross-Border Justice
Yvette Foo argues that while the ASEAN Treaty on Extradition is ambiguous in several areas, it represents ASEAN’s commitment towards strengthening regional capacity on crime prevention and criminal justice.
MSMEs in the ASEAN Economic Community: Connecting the Blueprint to Real-World Action
Miguel Jaime Encarnacion examines the goals, challenges and opportunities faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through principal ASEAN economic instruments, assessments, and domestic policies.
Reading ASEAN’s Sentiments in a Year of Crosswinds
Joanne Lin and Jasmine Yeo show how insights from two major regional surveys in 2025 capture the forces shaping ASEAN’s confidence in a year of shifting global winds.
A New Deal for the Mekong
Anoulak Kittikhoun argues that by treating the Mekong as an interconnected system rather than a patchwork of national interests, ASEAN can help transform the river into a model of regional cooperation, sustainability, and shared prosperity.
Korea’s New ASEAN Policy: Pragmatic Partnership for a Shared Future
Lee Jaehyon and Ko Youngkyung elaborate how Korea’s new ASEAN policy under President Lee Jae-myung emphasises pragmatic, and mutually beneficial cooperation across security, economic, and people-to-people domains.
47th ASEAN Summit: Steadiness Amid Shifting Tides
Joanne Lin, Melinda Martinus and Kristina Fong examine the outcomes of the 47th ASEAN Summit and assess Malaysia’s achievement as the ASEAN Chair.