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Mekong River at Sangkhom district in the northeastern Thai province of Nong Khai

The Mekong River Ecosystem in Crisis: ASEAN Cannot be a Bystander

Hoang Thi Ha|Farah Nadine Seth

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

Courtney T. Wittekind

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

Chheang Vannarith

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.