Remembering martial law in the Philippines: Education and media

Stay at home orders are opening up opportunities for critical thinking and teaching on history.

Myanmar’s electoral management institutions: the challenges of monitoring

In 2020 the role of the Union Election Commission and election monitoring seems increasingly politicised.

Is COVID-19 muting or fueling religious polarisation in Indonesia?

Islamists continue to mobilise based on political considerations rather than science and public health concerns.

Emerging dynamics among Southeast Asia’s Nepali diaspora

Associations and the polyvocality of social media can bring to fore diverse meanings of being in the diaspora

Disrupting pathways: What awaits rural youth forced home by COVID-19?

An influx of new ideas might boost rural and coastal sectors, but unemployment looms large too.

“Red rim soldiers”: the changing leadership of Thailand’s military in 2020

The palace is working to fill leading army positions with its own faction—the Red Rim Group.

The Slim by-election: putting the “Mahathir effect” in perspective

Mahathir may be losing traction among rural Malays, but grassroots polling data from GE18 shows such support was never straightforward.

Encouraging abuse: foreign terrorist designations of the CPP/NPA

International terrorist designations are fuel for Duterte's war on communist organisations.

Big Ed and Rose: Reality TV representing a different kind of foreign bride

Recent narratives shift racist stereotypes of gold-digging mail-order brides.

Legislating self-reliance and family values in the time of coronavirus?

At the heart of the Family Resilience Bill is the message that the family unit is responsible for its its own poverty and challenges.

Surviving or thriving? COVID-19 and violent non-state actors in the Southern Philippines

Data analysis strongly suggests correlations between COVID-19 and the commission of political violence, but the causal mechanisms driving these trends are less clear.

New books on Southeast Asia: Liberalism and Democracy in Myanmar (Oxford University Press, 2018)

Nick Cheesman talks to the authors of a new book on the "limited liberalism" that allows the tolerance of some minorities in Myanmar, and the exclusion of others.

Constitutional amendment in Thailand needs consensus first

Will the current push for amendments lead to a fairer and more participatory constitution?

Conservation of Timor-Leste’s world-class marine ecology is not being taken seriously

Teeming with the greatest fish species biodiversity on the planet, these seas are under threat from large and small scale illegal fishing compounded by lax law enforcement.

The ten demands that shook Thailand

Behind the student protests for reforms to the monarchy that are shaking the century-old foundations of Thailand's political system.

The Cambodia dilemma: foreign affairs and human rights in tension

Instead of implementing tough trade restriction measures that affect ordinary Cambodians, the EU and US should reconsider its approach to engaging Cambodia on human rights.

Lèse-majesté’s new face hides old tricks

Modern techniques to block online criticism of Thailand's monarchy are paired with the familiar stirring of royalist-nationalist sentiment.

The controversial dawn of the Indonesian National Disability Commission

A split has emerged in the Indonesian disability rights movement over the new Komite Nasional Disabilitas.

Myanmar votes 2020: the COVID election

Myanmar must face its second competitive election in the context of a global recession and under the shadow of a ruthless pandemic.

Revisiting the myth of pluralism in the Nahdlatul Ulama

The meaning of pluralism in NU cannot possibly have a single and monolithic meaning.

Towards genuinely localised humanitarian action

Despite consensus that local organisations make aid and development more responsive and effective, implementation lags.

The survival of Myanmar’s democracy demands institutional forbearance

Persistent adherence to the written rules makes Mynamar's vulnerable to authoritarian tendencies and threatens a fragile democracy.

Salvation from Aceh fishermen breaks the silences of the refugee regime

Asylum seekers' silence, which the regime cannot recognise as an expression of vulnerability, is reason enough for Acehnese fishermen to deliver protection.

Federal-state friction amid Malaysia’s dual political and pandemic plight

The COVID-19 crisis tested the boundaries of federal-state relations when decisions from the centre were not received well by state governments.