The Diplomat | Author
Mark S. Cogan
Mark S. Cogan is an Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan.
Mark S. Cogan is an Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. His research interests include Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region, as well as security studies, peacebuilding, counter-terrorism, and human rights. He is a former communications specialist with the United Nations, serving in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East.
April 28, 2025
Thai Royal Defamation Case Against American Academic Could Have Dire Consequences
By Mark S. Cogan
The case against Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University in northern Thailand, has ominous implications for foreign researchers in Thailand.
February 25, 2025
Thailand’s Cooperation With China on Cross-border Crime Comes at a Cost
By Mark S. Cogan
The country has become an inhospitable place for foreign dissidents. The situation looks set to get worse.
January 23, 2025
Making the Most of PM Paetongtarn’s Visit to Thailand’s Deep South
By Mark S. Cogan
Despite its promises, the Pheu Thai government's approach to the southern question has been depressingly familiar.
April 03, 2024
Thailand’s Bid for a Seat on the UN Human Rights Council is Poorly Timed
By Mark S. Cogan
The diplomatic push has not been matched by sufficient improvements in the country's own human rights record.
March 22, 2024
Thailand’s PM Misses the Forest for the Trees on the Country’s Pollution Problem
By Mark S. Cogan
Srettha Thavisin has pledged to tackle Thailand's horrific air pollution problem, but he needs to address the root of the problem.
February 19, 2024
The Self-Defeating Nature of Thailand’s ‘Soft Power’ Push
By Mark S. Cogan
A genuine flowering of popular culture would inevitably showcase the repressive nature of the Thai state.
January 31, 2024
Will Thailand Deport a Group of Dissident Musicians to Russia?
By Mark S. Cogan
Unfortunately for the members of the rock group Bi-2, Thailand has a history of accommodating the requests of authoritarian governments.
January 03, 2024
‘Himalayan Declaration’ Lays Bare Deep Divide Among Sri Lankan Tamil Groups
By Mark S. Cogan
Diaspora groups have slammed the Global Tamil Forum for not including them in a recent dialogue with a Buddhist delegation.
November 09, 2023
ISOC Once Again Puts Thailand’s Government Between the People and the Military
By Mark S. Cogan
Thai progressives have long called for the abolition of the military's notorious Internal Security Operations Command. But don't expect it to happen under the current government.
October 25, 2023
A Bad Idea Revisited: Thailand Pitches Prayut’s ‘Land Bridge’ to Beijing
By Mark S. Cogan
The costly infrastructure project would damage the environment and create an unhealthy economic dependence on China.
October 13, 2023
No Media Lessons Learned From Thailand’s Siam Paragon Tragedy
By Mark S. Cogan
The Thai and international media have treated the country's latest episode of gun violence as a spectacle.
September 11, 2023
Srettha’s First Foreign Policy Mistake: Passing on the ASEAN Summit
By Mark S. Cogan
Thailand's new prime minister prioritized domestic political duties over attending to the troubled regional organization.
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