The ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in Myanmar means that social distancing measures will continue indefinitely. This means that political distancing in the run-up to upcoming polls might rear its head.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Covid-19 in Thailand: Prayut Tightens Grip on Power
The Thai Prime Minister has extended the country’s state of emergency amid the Covid-19 outbreak. This is more an attempt to consolidate power, rather than a move to buttress the fight against the coronavirus.
Myanmar’s Garment Industry: Hanging by a Thread
Myanmar’s garment sector has been hard hit by the fall in demand, largely from Europe. This is due partly to the fact that the country is now interwoven into the fabric of globalisation.
ASEAN in the RCEP: Diversions and Reversions
Tariff cuts under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will generate import gains for ASEAN as it will reverse the negative trade-diversion effects caused by the existing bilateral and ASEAN+1 free trade agreements. But there will be firms in ASEAN that have to compete with their counterparts from RCEP countries.
ASEAN and Covid-19: Sandwiched Between Two Giants
ASEAN has found itself in a battle of narratives between China and the United States, as they seek to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The question is how long the grouping can continue to get the best of both worlds when it comes to major power attention.
Rallying Team Thailand in the Fight against Covid-19
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Thai prime minister has called on the country’s corporate titans to come up with projects that will benefit the wider community.
The Coronavirus Infodemic in Southeast Asia: Panic Buying and Mis-/Dis-information
Covid-19 in the Philippines: Star Mayors, Malacanang Material?
A number of star mayors who have acted effectively during the country’s Covid-19 pandemic might well be in the presidential race come 2022.
ASEAN Cities: The Rise of Paradiplomacy
City governments around the world, in particular in Southeast Asia, have been forming multilateral platforms to tackle issues of climate change and income disparity.
Poor Countries and Covid-19: Flattening the Misery Curve
Countries have gone all out to flatten the infection curve of Covid-19. But given the economic costs inflicted on the vulnerable poor, it might be time to think about flattening the misery curve.