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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.
ASEAN Envoy Warns Myanmar Junta Against Further Prisoner Executions
By Sebastian Strangio
The comments came a day after an ASEAN joint communique lamented the "lack of progress" in resolving the country's political crisis.
What Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Can Learn from Fidel Ramos
By Mong Palatino
The late president's political legacy offers a blueprint for what the Marcos administration should do – and what it should avoid.
Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan Creates a Headache for ASEAN Countries
By Thi Mai Anh Nguyen
Southeast Asian countries’ greatest fear is being caught in the middle of a China-U.S. conflict. The latest tensions over Taiwan bring that worryingly close to reality.
Parsing the Content of ASEAN’s Latest Joint Communique
By Sebastian Strangio
In the annual statement, the bloc's 10 member states laid out their consensus positions on the conflicts in Ukraine and Myanmar, among other issues.
Pariah Solidarity: Myanmar-Russia Relations Blossom Amid Western Sanctions
By Sebastian Strangio
The international reaction to the Myanmar coup and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted a toxic convergence between the two nations.
Timor-Leste Denied Entry to ASEAN – For Now
By Luke Hunt
Dili has been told that membership could happen next year.
Indonesian FM Raises Trafficking Concerns During Cambodia Trip
By Sebastian Strangio
Retno Marsudi's talks with the Cambodian police chief came days after 62 trafficked Indonesian nationals were freed from an online scam operation in Sihanoukville.
Myanmar, Taiwan Head Agenda at ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
By Sebastian Strangio
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said that the bloc had never been "confronted at the same time with so many perils for the region and the world at large."
Thai Opposition Seeks to Curtail PM Prayut’s Term in Office
By Sebastian Strangio
The Pheu Thai Party claims that the leader's time as the head of Thailand's junta should count toward his eight-year constitutional term limit.
Philippines Remains Aloof From French Court’s Sulu Ruling
By Sebastian Strangio
The ruling in favor of the heirs of the Sulu Sultanate has reopened the question of Manila's longstanding claim over the Malaysian state of Sabah.
Myanmar Junta Extends State of Emergency by Six Months
By Sebastian Strangio
In a nationally televised speech, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing blamed "terrorists" for delaying the country's return to normalcy.
Bangkok’s New Governor is Sending Shockwaves Through Thailand’s Political Landscape
By Pattharapong Rattanasevee
The landslide victory and energetic governing style of Chadchart Sittipunt have implications for politics at the national level.