Thai premier General Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former career military officer, is evolving to become a full-fledged politician who dangles goodies and hustles deals with other people of his ilk.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Can Cambodia’s Future Foreign Policy Diverge from China?
Whether Cambodia can truly forge a foreign policy that stands apart from China will impact the next generation of Cambodian leaders at home and abroad.
Chinese Investment into Thai Private Universities: The Need to Keep Standards Up
The flow of Chinese investment into Thai private universities has sparked concerns about falling educational standards. The authorities need to put measures in place to ensure that standards are maintained.
Anwar’s Uneasy Truce with Malaysia’s Powerful Civil Service
Anwar Ibrahim’s relationship with Malaysia’s powerful civil service is key to his government’s success and survival. He faces serious challenges in maintaining a positive relationship, but developments since 2018 help his chances.
Environmental Rights as Human Rights in ASEAN: Why Not?
The confluence of ASEAN’s attention on climate change and its far-reaching consequences for the region and international currents supporting the protection of environmental rights opens a small window of opportunity for action.
Posting for Profit: Social Media Influencers in Philippine Politics
Filipinos are avid users of social media, and these platforms hold the potential to help build an informed electorate, or to sow divisiveness in service of political interests. Social media influencers have capitalized on opportunities to burnish the Marcos brand, but post-election conflicts within their networks run contrary to the President’s main campaign message: his call for “unity”.
Indonesia Shepherding an ASEAN Digital Community
A truly regional digital community with borderless transactions and equitable access to online services must start with actual progress in the smallest of goals for an ASEAN-wide digitisation and digitalisation.
2023 Budget Speech: Act One of Anwar Ibrahim’s Reform of Malaysia?
Anwar Ibrahim’s 24 February speech unveiled a budget largely replicating the October version presented by his predecessor. Given that Malaysia’s reforms extend beyond public funding priorities and allocations to institutional reforms and new narratives of nationhood, the budget speech may be just the opening act.
Anwar’s First 100 Days: Passing Grade but Stern Tests Ahead
Anwar Ibrahim has managed to even the keel of Malaysia’s new coalition government in its first 100 days. But his fragile coalition government faces sterner tests on the horizon.
Japan’s Counter-Strike Capabilities: Southeast Asians Should be Circumspect
Japan is increasingly moving towards a more muscular defensive posture focused on ground attack capabilities. While these capabilities are aimed at deterring attacks on the Japanese home islands, they also have implications for Southeast Asia.