Indonesia’s labour movement is split in different directions.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Between Talks and Tensions: Why the South China Sea Won’t Stabilise in 2026
Progress on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China is in limbo, and likely to stay that way.
Section 301 Investigations on Thailand: Misguided Search for Excess Capacity
Thailand’s excess capacity is not due to policy-induced overproduction as the US claims. Tariffs based on excess capacity would be unfair to Thailand.
The 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award Did Not Fail
The Philippines’ arbitral victory in 2016, though rejected by China, has helped entrench the law of the sea as the region’s principal framework for understanding and contesting maritime claims.
The Lure and Lore of Southeast Asia: Understanding the Dynamics of Soft Power
The strong but varying attractiveness of Southeast Asian countries for their citizens’ work and play provides food for thought on future regional cohesion, identity and development.
When Everything Becomes the 3R: Malaysia’s Problem of Definitional Boundaries
A complaint about a prayer hall in Ampang illustrates how technical disagreements can escalate into controversial questions about identity.
To Lam at the Shangri-La Dialogue: When Domestic Ambition Meets Diplomatic Opportunity
To Lam, Vietnam’s top leader, will be speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue later this week. His keynote will likely mark a high point in Hanoi’s foreign policy this year.
Rafizi and Nik Nazmi’s “Kamikaze” Mission: A Brazen Double Dare
Two former People’s Justice Party (PKR) stars have launched their own political party. There is much derring-do in their move, but it is too early to write off the new entity.
Using Large Language Models to Disrupt Scammers in Southeast Asia
The adoption of scambaiting Large Language Models (LLM) could give regional governments a decisive edge against scam syndicates, but such Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven anti-scam measures come with their own challenges.
Thai-Cambodian Spat: Private Pathways to State Conflict
The roots of the Thai-Cambodian conflict are said to originate from their territorial dispute and nationalist sentiment. There is another which should be examined: the business ties between Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen.