COMMENTARIES

15 May 2024

Film Tourism in Southeast Asia: Between Boon, Bane and Balance

Dorcas Gan

Dorcas Gan investigates the opportunities and challenges arising from promoting film tourism in Southeast Asia.

15 May 2024

Politics of Memory in Vietnam: A War Fought Twice

Nguyen Khac Giang

Hanoi’s silence over a Pulitzer Prize-winning book by a Vietnamese-American author speaks volumes about the country’s treatment of its wartime history.

Censorship Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

14 May 2024

The Ambiguous Response of Indonesian Muslims to Iran’s Attack on Israel

Syafiq Hasyim

Iran’s missile and drone attack against Israel in retaliation against the 1 April air strike on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus has drawn mixed reactions among Indonesia’s Muslim leaders. The theological divide, however, will limit Indonesian solidarity with Iran.

Indonesia Islam Middle East

14 May 2024

Platforming and Free Speech: Academia Caught Off Guard in Malaysia

Benjamin Y.H. Loh

Inflammatory conduct by a visiting foreign professor ignited a firestorm in Malaysia’s academia. The debacle underscores the need for a more nuanced approach to free speech, and a critical consideration of who gets to use the university as a platform.

Human Rights Malaysia

13 May 2024

South Korea-Southeast Asia Ties from Moon to Yoon: What Has Changed and What Has Stayed the Same?

Eugene R.L. Tan

President Yoon’s Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative has built on some of the groundwork laid by his predecessor’s New Southern Policy, most notably in its economic engagements with Southeast Asian countries. However, Seoul must undertake further efforts to boost its diplomatic and security profile in the region.

ASEAN South Korea

13 May 2024

Hidden Costs of Academic Dishonesty: The Case of Indonesia

Yanuar Nugroho|Burhanuddin Muhtadi

Indonesian academia was recently shocked by two egregious examples of professors plagiarising others’ work. Some deep soul-searching and reform must occur to set things right.

Education Indonesia

10 May 2024

Indonesia: Prabowo Subianto, Swimming and Mythmaking

Taufiq Hanafi

The incoming Indonesian president swims for his health. The tale he likes to tell of one of his swims, however, is but one layer of many in the carefully constructed narrative surrounding his leadership and past record.

Indonesia Indonesian Politics

10 May 2024

State of Southeast Asia 2024: India’s Strategic Conundrum of Diminished Influence and Rising Ambitions

Joanne Lin

Joanne Lin examines India’s dwindling strategic relevance in Southeast Asia and how it can enhance its image as a trusted partner in the region.

ASEAN ASEAN-India Relations ASEANFocus India

9 May 2024

Agrarian Reform and Land Rights in Indonesia

Eugene Mark

The next administration has a chance to right the wrongs perpetuated by the outgoing president, whose administration has allowed private and vested interests to overrule or ignore indigenous land rights in Indonesia’s hungry quest for development.

Indonesia Indonesian Economy Indonesian Politics Land Disputes