Blog
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.
Report Reveals Inhumane Conditions in Malaysia’s Immigration Detention Centers
By Sebastian Strangio
The Indonesia-based Coalition of Sovereign Migrant Workers claims that 149 people have died in detention facilities over the past 18 months.
ASEAN Envoy Calls for Release of Aung San Suu Kyi from Solitary Confinement
By Sebastian Strangio
This week, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will begin his second official mission to the country as the bloc's special envoy.
Arrests and Censorship Mark Rodrigo Duterte’s Final Month in Power
By Mong Palatino
The president has solidified his reputation as a leader who enabled the rapid deterioration of human rights in the Philippines.
Laos Is On the Brink of Sovereign Bankruptcy
By Luke Hunt
Debt, wealth inequality, and corruption will keep the country poor.
Cambodia Confirms CPP’s Landslide Victory in Commune Election
By Sebastian Strangio
Prime Minister Hun Sen's party won nearly three-quarters of the vote in an election marred by claims of vote-buying and intimidation.
Philippines Nixes Joint Maritime Resource Exploration Talks With China
By Sebastian Strangio
In 2018, Manila and Beijing began talks on the joint exploration of offshore oil and gas resources in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
‘Just a Maid’: Report Highlights Emotional Abuse of Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore
By Sebastian Strangio
Workers, most of them from the Philippines, reported being subject to threats, intimidation, and invasion of privacy.
Indonesia Confirms President Jokowi’s Trip to Russia, Ukraine
By Sebastian Strangio
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that the Indonesian leader will visit the two warring nations "in the spirit of peace."
Myanmar Junta Moves Aung San Suu Kyi Trial to New Prison Facility
By Sebastian Strangio
The ousted leader's transfer came as the military administration's defense minister attended an ASEAN meeting in Cambodia.
In Laos, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh Is In Trouble
By David Hutt
Since he took the reins last year, the country's economy has entered a downward economic spiral with no clear end in sight.
Thailand Sees Fresh Surge of Refugees, Migrants from Myanmar: Report
By Sebastian Strangio
A Thailand-based NGO claims that Thai police have detained nearly 20,000 people trying to cross the border in the last five months alone.
China’s Growing ‘Twiplomacy’ in Indonesia
By Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
Despite being banned inside China, Twitter is broadening Chinese diplomats' engagements with the Indonesian public.