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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.
Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship: Promoting ASEAN Relevance in 2023?
By Laura Southgate
The country takes up the bloc's rotating chairmanship at a time when its centrality and efficacy are being called into question.
Vietnam’s Legislature Accepts President’s Resignation, Names Interim Replacement
By Sebastian Strangio
The National Assembly will reportedly choose Nguyen Xuan Phuc's permanent replacement at its next meeting in May.
Philippine Court Clears Nobel Winner Maria Ressa of Tax Evasion
By Sebastian Strangio
The four charges were filed against Ressa and her news site Rappler by President Rodrigo Duterte's administration in 2018.
Daughter of Former Thai PM Thaksin Says She Will Seek Premiership
By Sebastian Strangio
If elected, she would become the third Shinawatra to lead Thailand after her father and aunt – both of whom were removed by military coups.
Thailand’s Space Age in the Making
By Tita Sanglee
The country is committing significant amounts of resources toward becoming the space hub of Southeast Asia. Is it worth it?
Could Vietnam’s President Be the Next Senior Official to Fall?
By Sebastian Strangio
The country's National Assembly will reportedly hold a meeting tomorrow that could result in the removal of more high-level officials.
Chinese and Indonesian Workers Clash at Indonesian Nickel Plant
By Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Yeta Purnama
The violence, which resulted in the deaths of two workers, is likely to inflame anti-Chinese sentiment in the country.
Indonesia Opens Trial Into Malang Stadium Disaster
By Sebastian Strangio
Five individuals are accused of "criminal negligence" for their alleged roles in the crowd crush, which took the lives of 135 spectators.
Foreign Companies Enabling Myanmar’s Domestic Arms Industry: Report
By Sebastian Strangio
Since the late 1980s, the military has developed a "multi-faceted arms industrial complex" that has cushioned it from the impact of Western sanctions and arms embargoes.
‘What is Happening to Us is Coming For You’
By Sribala Subramanian
How the Philippines became “ground zero” for the corrosive effects of social media.
How the Onion Became the Symbol of Inflation in the Philippines
By Mong Palatino
In December, the staple vegetable was selling for more than the cost of chicken and beef.
In Indonesia, Thousands Rally Against Presidential Job Decree
By Sebastian Strangio
Critics accuse President Joko Widodo of using emergency powers to circumvent a Constitutional Court's ruling on a controversial jobs creation law.