The Myanmar Junta’s Unhappy New Year
Wai Moe
Things are not going well for the ruling junta in Myanmar, no matter how hard it tries to ignore the bad news on the battlefield.

Wai Moe
Things are not going well for the ruling junta in Myanmar, no matter how hard it tries to ignore the bad news on the battlefield.
Norshahril Saat|Sharifah Afra Alatas
Mahathir Mohamad’s controversial remarks about race relations in Malaysia has put the impetus on the incumbent administration to elucidate a coherent vision of Malayness and multiculturalism.
Wang Zheng
China’s Digital Silk Road (DSR) initiative has made significant strides in Southeast Asia. All countries in the region have received DSR investments, with Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia taking the lion’s share. However, China faces multiple challenges in pushing the DSR forward, including the growing tensions between the state and private tech companies domestically as well as intensifying US-China technological rivalry and risks of tech bifurcation.
Napon Jatusripitak
Thai democracy might have suffered some setbacks after last year’s elections. But civil society organisations and their efforts to hold the government accountable underscore the kingdom’s democratic potential.
Julia Lau|Maria Monica Wihardja
A nationwide survey finds that many Indonesian voters supporting a party in the legislative election might not support the party’s chosen presidential candidate. The three presidential candidates are liked more for their personality traits than policy stances. In short, personality still outweighs policy.
Max Lane
This Long Read argues that a 20-year process of consolidation of a homogeneous political outlook among the parties controlling the Indonesian electoral scene has facilitated a political life that is dominated by personal rivalry and ambitions, and which has opened the way for dynasty building.
Ian Storey
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has revitalised the idea of the Kra land bridge with gusto. Poor economic viability, environmental problems and geopolitical complications account for the project’s tepid international reception.
Panarat Anamwathana
The charged case of a controversial juvenile accused of insulting the monarchy illustrates the shortcomings of the Thai justice system in protecting the youngest defendants and the complications of upholding lèse-majesté laws in the twenty-first century.
Ong Kian Ming
To fully harness the benefits of bilateral cooperation on both sides, the recent signing of the memorandum of understanding for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone needs to be followed up by the relevant agencies doing the real spade work after the initial hype is over.
Lee Sue-Ann|Maria Monica Wihardja
A recent survey shows that younger Indonesian voters, like their older fellow citizens, still hold traditional media and in-person conversations in high regard when it comes to learning about the elections and deciding whom to vote for.