If rural development serves vested interests, it will surely be piecemeal, unbalanced and ultimately destructive.

How does the understanding of Malaysian institutions as limited access orders (LAOs) explain the degree of inequality in Malaysia?

Rural votes the saviour of UMNO? Another analysis on how malapportionment and gerrymandering is distorting Malaysia's electoral outcomes.

Clive Kessler's analysis of Najib Razak's campaign strategy had obviously struck the nerve of some very powerful people.

ANU PhD candidate Pasoot Lasuka reviews a recent Thai film about white-collar work in Bangkok's office towers

A national unity government has so much to give Malaysia, but there are too many forces against this reality.

Des Ball and Colum Graham report on recent North Korean arrivals in northern Thailand, and help to explain the role of Thai security forces

With great powers, comes great responsibility. Can the now clearly and explicitly dominant UMNO exercise good judgement?

In recent months there have been signs of stress on the Cambodian political machinery, argues Tim Frewer.

The real campaign all along was about the Malay votes on the peninsula.

With renewed anti-government protests in Thailand, Nick Nostitz presents a thorough photo-essay.

Scholars in Australia write to Foreign Minister Bob Carr calling for further action on missing Lao activist Sombath Somphone.

Sabah and Sarawak are too important to ignore now in Malaysian politics.

Matt Schissler reflects on recent violence in Myanmar and the changing nature of political discussions

Nicholas Farrelly strikes a cautiously optimistic note after news of a new truce in northern Myanmar

In this extract, Associate Professor Sarah Turner from McGill University in Canada introduces a new book about doing research in socialist Asia

One must never fail to notice the clear pattern of authoritarian rule that runs all the way back to the founding years of the nation.

Marcus Mietzner and Nicholas Farrelly have co-edited a journal special issue looking at military rule and democratisation

Tristan Knowles, the Director of Economists at Large, examines the financial and economic implications of the Vientiane to Yunnan rail link.

This month's Book Zone 2.0 delivers tasty morsels from the 41st Bangkok International Book Fair (held 29 March – 8 April 2013) fresh to NM readers.

Ryan Lane asks "must the poor learn to keep the right company before they are granted a seat at the table?"

The lack of concern on these numbers is indicative of how ingrained our belief that women’s issues are trivial.

The Malaysian people are finally to a certain extent constructing their own paradigm and finding their own voices.

Regime change in itself will not automatically bring the powerful state down, writes Kikue Hamayotsu