On Indonesian TikTok, anti-vaccine messages are often mixed with global Covid-19 conspiracy theories and merged with domestic anti-government and anti-Chinese sentiments. They are also typically couched in religious discourse and spread by religious micro-influencers.
Category Archives: Long Reads
Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong: The Rising Influence of Muslim Mainstream Groups
The banning of FPI (Front Pembela Islam) in December 2020 may have reduced the incidence of vigilante actions in Indonesia. But this belies the fact that mainstream Muslim organisations have increasingly stepped in to uphold more conservative Islamic strictures, albeit through less confrontational ways.
Ethnic Armed Organisations in Post-Coup Myanmar: New Conversations Needed
The widespread attacks on Tatmadaw troops by resistance forces have raised speculation that Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) could serve as a “wild card” that might decide the country’s fate. This is premature and creates a false impression of unity in intent.
ASEAN’s Climate Cooperation with China and the US: Challenges and Prospects
The US is back in the international climate cooperation game, but it has a lot to catch up on to make up for the last four years when it chose not to play.
Political Parties’ Manoeuvring after the Jokowi-Prabowo Rapprochement
The rapprochement of Jokowi and Prabowo has resulted in the unusual absence of a polarising rivalry among the main political parties. Nor have there been fundamental differences among parties over major policy questions. Instead, their manoeuvres have been concerned with positioning their choice of presidential candidates for the 2024 elections.
Vietnam’s Tentative Approach to Regional Infrastructure Initiatives
It is estimated that Vietnam will need approximately US$480 billion in infrastructure investment from 2017 to 2030. But despite funding difficulties and the presence of several foreign-backed infrastructure initiatives in the region, Vietnam’s leadership has adopted a cautious stance.
The Mekong River Ecosystem in Crisis: ASEAN Cannot be a Bystander
Despite being the premier regional organisation in Southeast Asia, ASEAN remains a bystander in the imminent collapse of the Mekong River ecosystem. The successful mainstreaming of transboundary haze pollution in ASEAN’s legal and institutional frameworks are instructive for invigorating ASEAN’s engagement in the Mekong issues.
Crisis upon Crisis: Fighting COVID-19 Becomes a Political Struggle after Myanmar’s Military Coup
In the aftermath of Myanmar’s coup, a nationwide strike by civil servants and lack of trust in the military regime that staged the February 1 takeover has reversed the country’s hard-won progress in the fight against COVID-19. The potential spread of the virus amongst protestors could accelerate the system-wide collapse of the already fragile health sector.
Fighting Covid-19: China’s Soft Power Opportunities in Mainland Southeast Asia
In mainland Southeast Asia, the Chinese government’s effective measures to curb the pandemic outbreak at home and the provision of Covid-19 assistance to regional countries have enhanced China’s soft power. Most of the mainland Southeast Asian countries, except Vietnam, have been receptive to China’s Covid-19 diplomacy.
Borderland Without Business: The Economic Impact of Covid-19 on Peninsular Malaysia’s Southernmost State of Johor
The state of Johor has suffered disproportionately among Malaysian states due to the impact of Covid-induced border closures. Increasing poverty and unemployment are compounded by decreasing mental health and well-being. Several initiatives have been launched to alleviate difficulties. But the state will not fully recover until borders reopen, given Johor’s high dependence on international investments and its deep connections with Singapore for business, investment and livelihoods.