Region
Southeast Asia
Thai Military Announces Plan to Slash Generals, Streamline Forces
By Sebastian Strangio
Last week's announcement may be an attempt to preempt the military reforms promised by the progressive Move Forward Party following its election victory.
Remembering Vietnam’s Great Famine
By Christelle Nguyen
The 1945 famine has been fading into obscurity, despite its crucial role in the country’s independence fight.
Managing ASEAN’s Growing Myanmar Challenge
By Prashanth Parameswaran
The grouping faces rising pressure to tackle a new phase of an issue that has consumed it for decades.
Searching for Guardrails: A Vietnamese Perspective on Strategic Equilibrium Amid Uncertainty
By Vu Le Thai Hoang and Ngo Di Lan
The onus is on Southeast Asian countries to seize the initiative and collectively assert their role in shaping a regional order in a state of flux.
Asian Synthetic Drug Trade Continues to Surge, UN Says
By Sebastian Strangio
Regional methamphetamine seizures dropped slightly in 2022, according to the U.N., but other indicators suggest that the supply "has remained very high or unchanged."
Singapore’s Role in the Effective Enforcement of Russian Fuel Sanctions
By Margaret Lin
The city-state was the one Southeast Asian nation to impose sanctions on Russia, but its enforcement of sanctions compliance has left much to be desired.
China’s Joint Military Drills With Southeast Asian Nations
By Narantsatsral Enkhbat
Beijing’s primary objective is to make sure its neighbors are not aligned with the United States against China.
The High Seas Treaty: A Tall Order for Implementation?
By Troy Han
Unless countries remain committed to enforce adequate oversight and protection of the oceans that they depend on, it would be inconceivable for their blue economies to stay afloat.
Factional Politics After Thailand’s Election: Survive or Decline
By Punchada Sirivunnabood
The Move Forward Party's victory dealt a blow against the politics of patronage, but it may be too soon to write it off.
Vietnam Arrests Another Environmentalist on Tax Evasion Charges
By Sebastian Strangio
Hoang Thi Minh Hong is the fifth environmental activist to be arrested for evading taxes over the past two years.
Singapore to Establish Defense Communications Hotline With China
By Sebastian Strangio
The announcement comes amid a fraying of relations between China and the United States, with whom the city-state enjoys good relations.
Will Thailand’s Move Forward Party Give Up on Lese-Majeste Reform?
By David Hutt
Even if it puts off amending the royal defamation law for now, change is probably inevitable given shifts in public attitudes toward the monarchy.