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The Melaka Gateway is threatening the livelihood of a seaside community that is now leveraging its Portuguese–Malay roots to survive.
PAP realism in an endangered world
PAP realism means accepting the conservative position of moderating one’s political aspirations and campaigns to align with values shaped by Singapore's ruling party.
A plague of epidemics throughout Myanmar history
For centuries a cross roads of Asia, Myanmar has also suffered the attendant waves of epidemic and endemic disease.
Co-optation in Thailand’s 2019 election
In the 2019 election, a sizeable portion of the military proxy party’s electoral candidates were “pulled” (phalang dud) from other parties.
Cascading royal-nationalism: Bangkok’s “Volunteer Spirit 904” bootcamps
Around 3,000 public servants have volunteered to attend intensive “boot camps” at a military base in Bangkok.
THAILAND AT NEW MANDALA
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Introducing the New Mandala Flickr group
about 1 day ago
Welcome to the new, visual frontier of New Mandala: our newly installed Flickr group. We invite authors and readers alike to share their Creative Common licensed photographs from research fieldwork, art initiatives or travel to our Flickr group. Let those dormant images come alive on our academic blog and get credited for your visual contributions,...
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Co-optation in Thailand’s 2019 election
about 1 week ago
In the 2019 election, a sizeable portion of the military proxy party’s electoral candidates were “pulled” (phalang dud) from other parties.
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Universal coverage without universal testing: Thailand’s delays in access to testing may be costly
about 2 weeks ago
Social distancing and travel bans won’t save Thailand from COVID-19 writes Anthony C. Kuster.
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The partisan history of police power in Thailand
about 1 month ago
Paul Chambers looks back at the politicisation of the Royal Thai Police, before turning to the palace's recent personalisation of authority over an institution often overshadowed by the military.
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Anakot Mai: ‘lawfare’ and Future Forward Party’s legacy
about 1 month ago
Future Forward successfully convinced younger Thais to give democracy another try, argues Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang.
POLICY AND POLITICS IN INDONESIA
VISIT THE INDONESIA HOME PAGE
Development under Jokowi leaves human rights behind
Jokowi's priorities for his second term revolve around human resources development, but not human rights.
Jokowi’s Macron moment: moving fast or moving together?
Indonesia’s labour unions refer to the new omnibus legislation proposed by the government as RUU Cilaka, which sounds like the Bahasa Indonesia word for “wretched”.
The poor know they’re poor: the roles of shame and stigma in the everyday lives of people in poverty
Poverty reduction efforts in Indonesia need to also tackle issues of shame and social exclusion.
INDONESIA AT NEW MANDALA
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Introducing the New Mandala Flickr group
about 1 day ago
Welcome to the new, visual frontier of New Mandala: our newly installed Flickr group. We invite authors and readers alike to share their Creative Common licensed photographs from research fieldwork, art initiatives or travel to our Flickr group. Let those dormant images come alive on our academic blog and get credited for your visual contributions,...
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Jakarta voters: leaders are key in cuing policy assessments
about 1 month ago
Research shows most voters use shortcuts to assess public policy. Afrimadona argues that in Jakarta, the leader associated with the policy is key, even if voters might lean elsewhere with different information.
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Scientific homophobia: misusing science in Indonesia
about 2 months ago
Anti-LGBT groups merges scientific jargon with religious conservatism to deliberately obscure the larger terrain of academic debates.
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Nationalist rhetoric is impeding climate action in Indonesia
about 2 months ago
Indonesia's environmental policies are at odds with the rhetoric around palm oil production and Indonesians are not equipped with enough information to understand the risks of a changing climate.
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Jokowi’s Macron moment: moving fast or moving together?
about 2 months ago
Indonesia’s labour unions refer to the new omnibus legislation proposed by the government as RUU Cilaka, which sounds like the Bahasa Indonesia word for “wretched”.
Why good women lose elections in Indonesia
Sally White and Edward Aspinall
New research shows patriarchal attitudes and unfriendly institutions hamper women’s electoral success.
MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE & BRUNEI
Death amid oil palms: Malaysia’s Batek Orang Asli health crisis
Public shock should be channelled towards real empowerment of indigenous communities.
The Singapore Bicentennial: it was never going to work
On the unstable historical foundations of Singapore's (supposed) two-hundredth birthday.
Syariah by surprise in Brunei
The latest extension of Islamic criminal law was kept under wraps, even for Bruneians.
THE PHILIPPINES
VISIT THE PHILIPPINES HOME PAGE
Despite disinformation, social media in the Philippines remains a space for genuine grassroots mobilisation
Despite the rise of disinformation innovations, social media still holds genuine democratic potential.
Campaigning and killing: violence against politicians in the Southern Philippines
Data on killings reconfirm how pervasive electoral violence remains.
Sitio San Roque: in the peripheries of development
An urban poor community fight to save their homes in the face of arrests and arson.
CAMBODIA
VISIT THE CAMBODIA HOME PAGE
Genocide recognition in the wake of Nuon Chea’s death
The passing of Nuon Chea raises questions regarding the legacy of the Khmer Rouge tribunal and in particular about the recognition of genocide.
Land, emotions and the durability of power in Cambodia
ដីធ្លី, អារម្មណ៍, និងថាវរកម្មនៃអំណាចនៅកម្ពុជា
Rainsy’s point of no return
Divisions in Cambodia's opposition have created divergent ideas about the best path forward.
MYANMAR
VISIT THE MYNAMAR HOME PAGE
Can we avoid Myanmar’s isolation over the Rohingya?
Recent experience suggests that once Myanmar sees itself as isolated and victimised, it can be much harder to influence to change its approach on the Rohingya.
Trapped: slavery in the 21st century
The ILO is making slow but sure progress towards SDGs on human trafficking and forced labour in Myanmar, writes Gary Rynhart.
Justice in Myanmar: the view from Auntie’s shop
Brutal violence and nasty racist politics have a long history in Myanmar. To survive, people compartmentalise.
OTHER COUNTRIES & TOPICS
Papal visits in Thailand and “foreign religious subversion”
As Pope Francis lands in Thailand, Katewadee Kulabkaew unpacks hardline fears that the Catholic Church is like "a stealthy python" that will swallow Buddhism.
Saigon’s hidden presidential palace and forgotten president: the Republic of Cochinchina and Nguyễn Văn Thinh
Reconsidering an oft-overlooked chapter in Vietnam’s decolonisation.
Lost in tongue: the politics of mother tongue education in Myanmar
A glimpse into the current state of mother tongue education and its connections to the broader ethnic reconciliation process.
Human rights and heritage sites in Myanmar: An irreconcilable juxtaposition or a productive conversation?
What does world heritage inscription means in a country where human rights abuses are ongoing.
PERSPECTIVES ON THE PAST
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Was Majapahit really an empire?
about 3 months ago
A critical reflection on the emergence, dominance and legacy of Java’s historic ‘empire’.
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Human rights and heritage sites in Myanmar: An irreconcilable juxtaposition or a productive conversation?
about 3 months ago
What does world heritage inscription means in a country where human rights abuses are ongoing.
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Not the Emperor’s, not the King’s, but the Straits Chinese
about 5 months ago
Ann Ang discusses the historical context, origins and identity of the Straits Chinese.
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The medieval tropics
about 5 months ago
Medieval artefacts and manuscripts are explored by Alex West to give insight on the deep past of Southeast Asia.
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Disappearing Japan: Vajiravudh’s translations of The Mikado and the Thai elite’s admiration of Japan
about 8 months ago
On what translation can tell us about Thai society and its perspectives on its regional neighbours.
