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ASEAN Beat
‘One Vision, One Identity, One Community.’ That’s the ASEAN motto. But what’s the reality? Our bloggers based around this diverse and strategically key region give you an insider’s perspective on politics, security and society in South-east Asia.
Thai Opposition Parties Tracking Well Ahead of General Election
By Sebastian Strangio
Two surveys conducted earlier this month show the opposition Pheu Thai Party and Move Forward Party commanding significant support among the electorate.
Former Philippine Foreign Secretary Del Rosario Dies, Aged 83
By Sebastian Strangio
The former top diplomat spearheaded Manila's landmark legal challenge to China's expansive claims over the South China Sea.
The China Factor in Vietnam’s Multidirectional Foreign Policy
By Khang Vu
No matter how many international friends it has, Hanoi's international freedom of maneuver will be tightly constrained by China.
Myanmar Junta Releases 3,000 Prisoners in New Year Amnesty
By Sebastian Strangio
The holiday amnesty is designed to depict the military administration as beneficent, and hence politically legitimate.
Vietnamese Blogger Reportedly Kidnapped in Bangkok
By Sebastian Strangio
The kidnapping, which coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Vietnam last week, highlights the gaps in interests and perceptions between Washington and Hanoi.
In the Philippines, COVID-19 Is Still Taking a Toll on the Informal Economy
By Felix Iglesias
The pandemic may have waned, but its economic impact continues to reverberate on the nation's streets.
The China-brokered Iran-Saudi Peace Deal: Implications For Indonesia
By Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Yeta Purnama
The prospects of China acting as a peace mediator are much less likely closer to home.
German Chancellor Pledges Progress on EU-Indonesia FTA
By Sebastian Strangio
Olaf Scholz said that the domestic processing of vital minerals, a key goal of the Indonesian government, be included under any future trade pact.
Papuan Separatists Ambush Indonesian Forces Searching for Kidnapped Pilot
By Sebastian Strangio
In addition to one confirmed death, nine soldiers have reportedly been taken hostage by separatist rebels.
NUG Warns ASEAN Not to Negotiate with Myanmar Junta
By Luke Hunt
The call came as the death toll from last week's airstrike on Kanbalu township rose to 168.
Indonesia Has Another Shaman Serial Killer – and the Phenomenon Is More Common Than You Think
By Aisyah Llewellyn
The frequent occurrence of such crimes speaks to Indonesians' widespread belief in the occult and the lure of get-rich-quick schemes in a country with widespread poverty.
Blinken Bound for Vietnam as US Pushes for Upgrade in Relations
By Sebastian Strangio
Washington wants to raise relations to the level of a "strategic relationship," but Vietnamese leaders are moving cautiously, in light of the likely reaction from China.