ARTICLES

Elite Competition and Narrative Inconsistency in Vietnam’s Propaganda Apparatus

Dien Nguyen An Luong|Nguyen Khac Giang

This Long Read argues that Vietnam’s propaganda apparatus is increasingly shaped by internal tensions between two informal but influential elite coalitions. On one side are conservative actors embedded in the military and ideology apparatus, who prioritise ideological orthodoxy and regime security. On the other are reformist pragmatists, often drawn from diplomatic and economic institutions, who place greater emphasis on performance legitimacy, international engagement, and administrative modernisation.

From Principles to Protocols: Embedding Partnerships into Content Moderation Technologies Against Mis/Disinformation

Beltsazar Krisetya

Despite growing calls for collaboration, the technological core of content moderation remains largely a black box. While multi-stakeholder partnerships are increasingly invoked in regional policy discourse, external oversight or shared governance of the underlying moderation technologies remain limited.

Persuasion Not Regulation the Key for Social Media Influencers Navigating Religion and Culture

Siti Mazidah Mohamad

There is already a patchwork of laws supported by some communal surveillance and cultural policing when it comes to social media influencers in Muslim-majority countries in Southeast Asia. It is perhaps possible to socialise influencers, Muslim or otherwise, to tread carefully when navigating sensitive issues, but this must stop short of over-regulation.