On the promise of “spontaneous tactical urbanism” to renew Cambodia’s capital
Review: “On the Shadow Tracks”
“This is a book with a whole lot of heart for Myanmar and her people.”
All New Mandala wants for Christmas is your email address
An end-of-2023 note from the site's editor
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.
Martial Law nostalgia and Ilocano youth: reimagining the Marcos legacy
Recounted experiences from elder generations in Ilocos clash with national facts, and young people have to choose between the two.
A conversation about Vomit Girl: Mai Nguyen-Long talks to Elly Kent
Studying Vietnamese folkloric practices, the artist has crafted objects that reflect the aesthetics of creative subversion and resistance.
No health without mental health! A forum from the ANU Indonesia Institute
With advent of COVID-19 mental health became everybody’s business. Join our webinar to find out how this impacts the field.
“Perempuan Merdeka” women’s art exhibition at the 39th Indonesia Update
The artists’ playful images expose societal norms and offer alternatives to understanding women’s position in society
Time to take a bow for the “Bossku” show that had many going
Last week, it became clear that the perception that Najib has huge public support is false.
Our Grandfather Road—The (gendered) body & place in contemporary Southeast Asian art
Against monolithic narratives of womanhood, nationhood, regionalism; emphasising body & environment.
Civil society in the Mekong: What can we learn from environmental struggles?
As political space contracts, the role for informal networks or coalitions expands.
New Books in Southeast Asian Studies: Supalak Ganjanakhundee on “A Soldier King”
...how far can earlier interpretations of Thai politics be adapted to explain the growing influence of the monarchy...
SDGs in North Sumatra: climate action, peace, justice, and institutions
...local government appears to be taking no clear steps toward mitigating natural disasters and climate change.
NBSEAS talks to Jonathan Saha on “Colonizing Animals: Interspecies Empire in Myanmar”
Saha brings together the emerging field of animal studies with the more established field of postcolonial studies.
Symptoms of anti-Intellectualism in Indonesian democracy
Returning pressure onto public intellectuals, as Luhut did, only increases the public’s support for the dissenters
NBSEAS: Nu-Anh Tran’s “Disunion: Anticommunist Nationalism & the Making of the RVN”
The RVN was heir to a revolutionary tradition that developed out of the anti-French resistance, that was quite distinct from the communist one to the north.
Violated: Churches and religious freedom in Aceh Singkil, Indonesia
Recently introduced local regulations further narrow the space for reconciliation and human rights-based pluralism.
NBSEAS “Cambodia: From Pol Pot to Hun Sen and Beyond”
Despite best efforts to fashion Cambodia into a model liberal democracy, Hun Sen and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have eliminated all opposition.
Thai Youth Movements in Comparison: White Ribbons in 2020 and Din Daeng in 2021
All youth groups are calling for change, but at different levels.
The costs of repressing Islamists
The banning of FPI or any other “anti-Pancasila” group is not a shortcut to ending deep-seated discrimination against minorities.
Mental health in Indonesia: then, now and things to come
A webinar for World Mental Health Day will showcase small sample of extraordinary individuals sharing their experiences in mental health in Indonesia.