COMMENTARIES

18 Oct 2023

The Courteous Charmer: A Hard Look at Japan’s Soft Power in Southeast Asia

Indira Zahra Aridati

Indira Zahra Aridati examines the rise of Japanese soft power across Southeast Asia and its many facets.

Children seen behind a bamboo fence in Mae La, Tak Province, Thailand on on April 4, 2022. Mae La or Maela is a refugee camp in Thailand near the border with Myanmar (Burma), that was established in 1984 in the Tha Song Yang District. (Photo by Guillaume Payen / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP)

18 Oct 2023

Children in Myanmar: Caught in the Crossfire

Wai Moe

The junta in Myanmar has adopted a new tactic against resistance forces by arresting and detaining children in lieu of their family members.

Human Rights Myanmar Myanmar Military

13 Oct 2023

Climate Action in Southeast Asia: Lagging Leadership, Passive People

Melinda Martinus

Climate action initiatives have been rolled out in Southeast Asia, while a climate awareness survey has found that most Southeast Asians perceive governments as not doing enough. Few respondents are involved in active advocacy. The region has a long way to go.

Climate Change Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey

13 Oct 2023

Is Laos Able to Make a Difference in the Myanmar Crisis?

Joanne Lin

Joanne Lin looks at the crisis in Myanmar and recommends possible strategies for Laos to move the needle on the issue, ahead of its ASEAN Chairmanship next year.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Laos Myanmar

12 Oct 2023

The Rise of the Live Music Industry in Southeast Asia

Neo Hui Yun Rebecca

Neo Hui Yun Rebecca analyses the rising demand for live music shows in Southeast Asia and how regional countries can tap into this opportunity.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Regional Cooperation Tourism

12 Oct 2023

New Thai PM Faces a Crisis of Confidence

Termsak Chalermpalanupap

As a political novice, Thailand’s new Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin is facing an uphill struggle to prove that he is the right man for the job. His political survival depends on support from his coalition partners – without which he risks being unseated in a no-confidence motion in the House of Representatives.

Thai Politics Thailand

A Pheu Thai Party campaign poster pledging a 10,000 Thai Baht handout should they win Thailand's upcoming general election is pictured in Bangkok on May 2, 2023. (Photo by Jack TAYLOR / AFP)

12 Oct 2023

Pheu Thai’s 10,000 Baht Gambit: A Political Promise That Spells Possible Economic Peril

Napon Jatusripitak

The Pheu Thai Party’s plan to provide 10,000 baht gift to Thai adults serves a dual purpose: stimulating the economy and reconsolidating its political position. However, it remains uncertain whether it will achieve success in either of these goals.

Thai Economy Thai Elections Thai Politics Thailand

11 Oct 2023

India’s Expanding Global Influence Has Limited Reach in ASEAN

Hoang Thi Ha|Eugene R.L. Tan

India is seizing strategic opportunities to emerge as a new global power but its influence in Southeast Asia is not keenly felt yet.

ASEAN ASEAN-India Relations India

Indonesian police officers try to extinguish wildfire in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatera, Indonesia on September 12, 2023. Southeast Asia could see the return of transboundary haze later this year, as Indonesia battles an increased number of wildfires amid a prolonged dry season. Haze in Southeast Asia due to forest fires in Indonesia has been a perennial issue over the past decades. (Photo by Muhammad A.F / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP)

11 Oct 2023

Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Haze and Climate Change in Southeast Asia

Sharon Seah|Helena Varkkey

Transboundary haze has reared its ugly head again, no thanks to peatland burning and the compounding effects of the El Nino phenomenon and climate change. It is high time to break the vicious cycle of haze and climate change.

Climate Change Haze Indonesia Pollution

10 Oct 2023

Southeast Asia’s Need to Bridge the Climate Financing Gap

Vinod Thomas

As COP 28 approaches, Southeast Asia policymakers see the need for climate adaptation as well as mitigation. But there is an urgent need to encourage multiple sources of finance in this arena.

ASEAN Climate Change