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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.
Detained Former Thai PM on List of Eligible Parolees, Reports Say
By Sebastian Strangio
Thaksin Shinawatra's name is on a list of 930 elderly inmates, who have been approved for parole due to ill health.
2 Thai Journalists Arrested for Covering Anti-Monarchist Temple Vandalism
By Sebastian Strangio
The pair were charged as "accomplices" to an incident last March in which an activist spray-painted an anti-royalist message inside Bangkok's Grand Palace.
‘Cigarette Girl’ Is a Big Streaming Hit in Indonesia
By Sribala Subramanian
Is kretek nostalgia undercutting the country's campaign to curb tobacco use?
Indonesia Police to Charge 2 Chinese Nationals in Furnace Explosion at Nickel Plant on Sulawesi
By Mohammad Taufan
21 people died in the explosion at PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, and Indonesia is holding two Chinese supervisors criminally liable.
Indonesian Presidential Candidates End Campaign With Huge Rallies
By Sebastian Strangio
On Saturday, tens of thousands of supporters attended rallies in Jakarta and Central Java to mark the end of the official campaign period.
Myanmar Junta to Begin Enforcing Military Conscription Law
By Sebastian Strangio
The move speaks to the military's desperation to replenish its ranks and reverse its recent battlefield losses.
What Indonesia’s Presidential Election Means for the World
By Parker Novak
Indonesia’s upcoming election presents an inflection point for the world’s third-largest democracy.
Malaysia’s Top Court Invalidates State’s Islam-based Laws on Incest, Sodomy, and Other Offenses
By Eileen Ng
The court said that the Kelantan state government could not make Islamic laws on those topics because they are covered by Malaysian federal law.
Indonesia’s Presidential Election: What You Need to Know
By Sebastian Strangio
The most important things to watch ahead of the world's largest single-day poll on February 14.
Myanmar Humanitarian Corridor to Be Established Soon, Thai FM Says
By Sebastian Strangio
But the ASEAN-endorsed aid plan will be tightly constrained by its reliance on the cooperation of Myanmar's military junta.
Indonesia’s Presidential Hopefuls Woo Young Voters With Social Media, K-Pop
By Edna Tarigan
Around 205 million Indonesians are eligible to vote on February 14, more than half of them under the age of 43.
Are the Dutertes the New Opposition in the Philippines?
By Mong Palatino
Despite their recent tensions with President Marcos and his allies, the Dutertes have not yet fully cut their ties with the ruling coalition.