COMMENTARIES

16 Mar 2022

Decoding Phuket Province’s Demand for Autonomy

Tita Sanglee|Michael J. Montesano

There are growing calls in Phuket, Thailand’s tourism powerhouse, to become more autonomous from the central authorities in Bangkok. While such an idea has not gained traction outside Phuket, the province might need to think deeper about what autonomy entails, and in what form.

Thai Politics Thailand

15 Mar 2022

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Southeast Asian Responses and Why the Conflict Matters to the Region

Ian Storey|William Choong

ASEAN’s official response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was relatively mild, reflecting the lowest common denominator of the varied positions taken by ASEAN member states. But the grouping needs to be mindful of the dangerous precedents set by Russia’s actions.

15 Mar 2022

Reforming the Philippine Electoral Commission

Cleo Calimbahin

Less than two months before the presidential elections, the Commission of Elections (COMELEC), the Philippines' independent electoral authority, has been mired in controversy itself. It is high time to reform one of the oldest election commissions in the region.

Philippine Philippine Elections Philippine Politics

14 Mar 2022

The Russia-Ukraine War: Parallels and Lessons for Vietnam

Hoang Thi Ha

Vietnam’s nuanced approach to the Russia-Ukraine war and its refusal to single out Russia’s invasion suggest introspection in Hanoi over its foreign and defence policy calculations.

China-Vietnam Relations U.S.-Vietnam Relations Ukraine Vietnam

14 Mar 2022

Win Over Renewable Naysayers in Indonesia

Ryan Wong|David Silalahi

Indonesia has the potential to be a vital renewable energy exporter in the region. But it has to first get its ducks in a row on the technical, financial and regulatory fronts.

Climate Change Energy Indonesia Infrastructure Renewable Energy

14 Mar 2022

Tourism in Southeast Asia: Building Forward Better

Sanchita Basu Das

Countries need to mutually recognize each other’s vaccination certificates, harmonize rules on travel procedures, and safeguard public health to manage the pandemic. This will enable the countries to capture new source markets, thus compensating for the revenue loss due to the decrease in Chinese tourists.

ASEAN Tourism

11 Mar 2022

The Intractable Challenges Facing Energy Trade in Southeast Asia

Ryan Wong|Lee Poh Onn

A cross-border power grid offers Southeast Asian countries the potential of greater energy security, affordability and sustainability. But thus far, the lack of urgency in sharing energy to achieve long-term security across the region is palpable.

ASEAN Asean Trade Energy

11 Mar 2022

Cambodia’s Education System: Looking Back to Move Forward

Kimkong Heng

Cambodia has set ambitious goals to become an upper middle income country by 2030. To achieve this, it needs to rethink its education system to upgrade the skills of its workforce so the country can become a knowledge-intensive society.

Cambodia Education

11 Mar 2022

School Closures and Child Labour: The Pandemic’s Social Cost

Thai Long|Phi Minh Hong

The disruption of face-to-face education and internet inaccessibility may cause children to drop out of school permanently. Children who leave school and start working face greater difficulty resuming their education in the future.

ASEAN Child Labour COVID-19 Education

10 Mar 2022

Johor Polls: Old Boys Singin’ the Same Old Tunes

Norshahril Saat

Like evergreen hits, the feuding parties in Johor’s state elections are rehashing old formulations in the form of multi-racial coalitions with Malay-nationalist entities at the helm.

Malaysia Malaysian Elections Malaysian Politics