Since 2014 Thailand’s coup-led government has prioritised eliminating human trafficking, especially among migrant workers. This renewed attention has been in direct response to a storm of international criticism aimed at the poor working conditions suffered by migrant […]
• Editorial
US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has set in motion a total re-think of trade policy in Malaysia. Malaysia’s relations with the United States are in a state of […]
• Editorial
During his second State of the Nation Address, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte promised to continue his ‘unrelenting and unremitting’ campaign against illegal drugs, which has reportedly claimed the lives of thousands of suspected drug dealers […]
• Editorial
Malaysia’s opposition coalition, (PH), is busy preparing its manifesto for the 14th Malaysia General Election (GE14) which must be held by August 2018 at the latest. PH cannot afford to repeat past mistakes and publish a […]
Digital technology is fast becoming the core of life, work, culture and identity in Indonesia. A young nation with a median age of 28 and a rapidly growing urban middle class, Indonesia is using digital […]
• Editorial
In 1996 Southeast Asia was celebrating its ‘economic miracle’ as the World Bank (WB) lauded the region’s spectacular growth. Tackling middle income challenges was the focus of an IMF–Asean conference in Jakarta. The mood was […]
• Editorial
A little over a year ago the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled on an application brought by the Philippines against China over their maritime dispute in the South China Sea involving the Spratly Islands. […]
• Editorial
Fifty years ago Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines established the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). This association of primarily non-communist and relatively free-market countries was formed at a time when the Cold […]
• Editorial
Attempts to amend Malaysia’s 1965 Criminal Jurisdiction Act, or RUU 355, have divided the country for more than two years now. The amendment was proposed as a private member’s bill by Abdul Hadi Awang, president of the […]
• Editorial
The Sittwe deep-sea port in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, which was financed and constructed by India, will soon commence operation. The port is one part of the Kaladan Multi-modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) in western Myanmar […]
• Editorial
Despite the warmth between Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull following their February 2017 meeting in Canberra, hopes that the Indonesia–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership (IA-CEPA) will achieve a high quality […]
• Editorial
The first half of 2016 saw Vietnam’s fight against corruption gain new momentum. Having consolidated his power after being re-elected as Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Nguyen Phu Trong issued resolutions and […]