Russian state-backed cyberattacks on cloud-linked critical infrastructure in the West highlight the need for ASEAN governments to develop stronger laws and larger cybersecurity talent pools for critical infrastructure protection.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Trump and Southeast Asia: When Transactionalism Undermines Trust
The Trump Administration has broken with the tradition of pursuing its national interests in tandem with an emphasis on alliances and values. Southeast Asian countries will respond accordingly.
Can Moscow and Seoul Help Vietnam Achieve its Nuclear Energy Ambitions?
Vietnam has grand plans to build a series of nuclear power plants. But it faces several challenges.
What Party Fragility Tells Us about Thailand’s Political Trajectory
The upcoming General Elections in Thailand have underscored the growing fragility of political parties. An irony is that growing polarisation persists despite similarities in policy inclinations.
Will Thailand Become More Democratic After the Vote?
A more democratic Thailand after the 8 February elections must mean more than another competitive poll. It requires change in the constraints that determine whether popular mandates can be exercised and renewed.
Pheu Thai in Decline? Its Northern Push Suggests Otherwise
The Pheu Thai Party’s energetic campaign in Thailand’s Northern region shows the party remains a contender in February’s election.
Myanmar’s Digital Authoritarianism: Building a Surveillance State with Chinese Technology Transfers
Chinese technology has augmented the junta’s ‘Big Brother’ capability in Myanmar, even if old surveillance tactics die hard.
The Roots of the People’s Party’s Pragmatism
As the People’s Party moves towards elite accommodation and electoral pragmatism, it is facing a growing crisis of identity and legitimacy.
Indonesia’s Regional Elections (Pilkada) as Democracy’s Last Line of Defence
While the Prabowo Subianto government and its coalition partners in parliament have temporarily shelved their plans to abolish direct local elections due to public discontent, this years-long initiative is not dead.
Will Indonesia’s National Mandate Party Move Further Away from Its Religious Roots?
Eyeing the 2029 legislative elections, Indonesia’s National Mandate Party has rebranded itself as the “party of the youth” and looks set to jettison its image as the “Muhammadiyah party”.