AI-generated propaganda is being used to distort reality and disinform the public, even gathering support for military escalation in already troubled waters.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Doing More for Victims of Forced Criminality in Southeast Asia
To combat a rising transnational scourge, the region’s governments can augment non-governmental efforts to detect, rescue and repatriate victims of increasingly sophisticated overseas ‘job’ scam operations run by cyber syndicates.
New ASEAN Power Grid Agreement Must Reflect New Needs
It’s time to incorporate new key priorities into the pact to better address current realities of energy interconnection and serve future needs.
Leveraging Justice: Marcos Jr. Uses the ICC Probe to Challenge the Duterte Dynasty
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has shifted his stance from opposing to obliging a potential International Criminal Court arrest warrant for former President Rodrigo Duterte. The ICC probe has become a trump card in the Marcos-Duterte feud ahead of the midterm elections.
US Suspension of Foreign Aid: Will China Fill the Void?
As the US shuts down its supply of foreign assistance, some Southeast Asian countries are looking at China to fill the gap. But given China’s different approach to aid, it cannot step in as a direct substitute for America.
Trump’s Aid Freeze Could Disrupt Progress in US-Vietnam Reconciliation
Suspending USAID programmes risks undermining years of work building trust between the former enemies and helping victims of the Vietnam War.
Thai Undergraduates’ Voting Behaviour in Provincial and National Elections
Many Thai undergraduates are engaged politically. While ‘all politics is local’, there is regional variation in undergraduate voting behaviour that suggests nuance and nous notwithstanding their youth.
Southeast Asia must Prepare for Trump’s ‘Everything’s on the Table’ Approach to Trade
Southeast Asia was spared in the initial flurry of Trumpian trade actions, but Trump’s introduction of expansive and unprecedented non-trade issues into trade relations will inevitably entangle the region.
‘Airpocalypse’ Now: Vietnam at Crossroads of Progress and Pollution
Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, is ranked as one of the world’s most polluted cities in 2025. This dubious honour highlights the country’s need to balance rapid economic development with preserving the environment.
Outcome of Recent Thai Provincial Elections Heralds Tighter Race in Next General Election
Thailand’s three most significant political parties have some tough lessons to learn from the recent provincial races in preparation for the next general election. Coalition politics is likely to endure, regardless.