03 October, 2023

The plastipelago

Lukas Fort

Indonesia’s encounter with the “plasticene” has led to a naïve and hasty government effort to rebrand waste as an asset.

Australia’s Malay history & heritage: Cocos (Keeling) Islands

At a graveyard beside the Indian Ocean lies insight into Australia’s ongoing multicultural history and heritage

NU factionalism on show after Anies-Muhaimin surprise

The realities of intra-NU politics defy Muhaimin Iskandar’s claim of bringing NU communities in behind Anies Baswedan.

THAILAND

A coup by any other name

A close look at the blocking of Pita’s appointment shows how conservatives are happy to cut legal corners to thwart reformist politics.

Sam Yan Press and publishing as activism in Thailand

Student activists who energised pro-democracy protests are busily translating and disseminating anti-authoritarian books.

Review: “Thai Diplomacy”

Edited interviews with Tej Bunnag provide "unvarnished insights" and "nuanced history" for students of Thai foreign policy.

Carl Josef Kleingrothe: capturing the colonial life of Deli, Sumatra

A look at the life of the photographer whose work captivated European audiences' looking for images of the 'exotic' Indies.

Memories of Burma’s art scene in the 1970s

Andrew Selth recalls an era of flourishing artistic expression amid heavy-handed censorship.

How Indonesian studies’ “brand needy” lets Australian students down

There is a strong case for supporting the study of Indonesian history and cultures in Australian universities.

Indonesia

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Purnawirawan politics in Indonesia’s 2024 elections

Retired police and military officers find easy paths into politics thanks to parties' perceptions of them as vote magnets.

How Indonesian studies’ “brand needy” lets Australian students down

There is a strong case for supporting the study of Indonesian history and cultures in Australian universities.

Captain, striker, and the integralist state

Prabowo’s analogy likening the nation to a football team puts a new spin on old arguments that there’s no place for opposition in Indonesian politics.

Coal, recentralisation and Jambi’s traffic hell

Jakarta’s recovery of legal powers over mining have robbed local politicians of the ability to respond to public demands to address the sector’s social costs.

Selective moderation: Indonesia–UAE religious diplomacy

Pragmatic political interests lie behind the promotion of ‘moderate’ Islam in both countries.

Power, illegality and impunity in Indonesia’s plantation zone

Palm oil companies can act with impunity because of corporate–state collusion and a lack of organised resistance.

REVIEWS & NEWS

Review: “Thai Diplomacy”

Edited interviews with Tej Bunnag provide "unvarnished insights" and "nuanced history" for students of Thai foreign policy.

Image-making as necessity in Fighting Fear II

A recent exhibition showcased Myanmar artists' responses to the coup and resistance to it.

New Mandala’s most-read in 2022

A look back on New Mandala's greatest hits of 2022 as the site takes a summer hiatus.

Malaysia

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Malaysia at 60: the urgency of inclusion

After six decades of federation, it’s time to bring minorities back into the vision of what, and who, the Malaysian national project is about.

A labour agenda for Malaysia

Economic redistribution should start from giving workers bargaining power long denied to them.

Malaysia’s new struggle over state power

The UMNO era is over, but its political economy model and the social conflicts it created still set the terms of the new politics.

OTHER COUNTRIES

OUR ARCHIVE

Memories of Burma’s art scene in the 1970s

Andrew Selth recalls an era of flourishing artistic expression amid heavy-handed censorship.

Farmers, Facebook and Myanmar’s coup

New analysis shows how a surge of online resistance in the countryside faded amid fear and self-censorship.

The places that once were: remembering Marawi

Six years on from the siege, post-conflict reconstruction efforts need to consider the role of spaces and images in building peace.