Why Thailand’s generals fail to co-opt elections

Revisit the 20 most popular articles published at New Mandala this year.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front struggles to sustain a dual image of moderation and militancy.

In its rhetoric the MILF "is forced to walk a tightrope between two extremes", seeking credibility as a negotiator and as champion of Islam.

In both countries, ugly populist politics is a direct result of legitimate concerns about crime and corruption.

"Many were emotionally triggered by this part-testimonial, part-theatrical, and part-documentary theatre"

The two "Khon Kaen Models"—one an alleged red-shirt terrorist plot and the other a transit infrastructure project—effectively model the process by which the junta secures obedience: the NCPO’s power expands through suppressing “political” activity on the one hand and endorsing “apolitical” development projects on the other.

History and electoral reality suggest that the 2019 elections will deliver another “wasted coup”.

What bleak stories can be told about what Thailand will be like in a decade, when Thais have already lived under nearly five years of military rule? The film Ten Years Thailand grapples with that very question.

Revisit the 20 most popular articles published at New Mandala this year.

The Court of Justice plays no less significant a role in sustaining the military regime, yet has generally kept a much lower profile than the controversial Constitutional Court.

A despatch from Brisbane, where an eclectic selection of Indonesian works stands out at the APT.

On the the misuse of western historical sources in the search for Suvarnabhumi.

A personal reflection on the importance of academic freedom

On nationalism, religion, archaeology, folklore and pseudo-history.

The idea of finding the El Dorado of Asia is a continuing obsession.