Recent media reporting about a Thai monk caught drunk and indecently exposed follows a long line of attention-grabbing headlines about monastic misbehaviour. Even so, Thai attitudes about such rule-breaking are more nuanced than these reports would suggest.
Category Archives: Commentaries
The Need for Power Balance Amidst Rising Great Power Contestations
ASEAN and its constituent states must not neglect the crucial importance of maintaining a balance of influence and power between the great powers to secure space for their own independence.
Bigger Constituencies, Lesser Political Clout
An opposition MP’s decision not to contest in his mega-sized constituency come the next general election has thrown up a longstanding irony in Malaysian politics: bigger seats are increasingly disenfranchised.
#LeaveNoOneBehind: Ensuring Universal Energy Access in SEA’s Transition
ASEAN is unlikely to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 as it transitions to cleaner energy. While some encouraging steps have been taken to assure the region’s citizens of energy access, much more needs to be done to bring the entire region on an equal footing.
Fresh From Latest Win, Thai PM Will Still Run The Gauntlet
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.
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.