Region
Southeast Asia
Dissecting Thailand’s Peculiar Maneuver at the Ukraine Peace Summit
By Tita Sanglee
Did Bangkok's refusal to sign the joint communique reflect inconsistency, or a more principled policy stance?
Philippine Court Drops Final Drug Charge Against Leading Duterte Critic
By Sebastian Strangio
Former Senator Leila de Lima is finally free of the seven-year, politically motivated legal ordeal.
Rohingya May Have Crossed Into Bangladesh Amid Latest Fighting: Report
By Sebastian Strangio
Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims remain trapped in northern Rakhine State, as fighting continues between the military and the Arakan Army.
Malaysia’s Sea Nomads: Trapped Between Southeast Asia’s High and Low Politics
By Mustika Indah Khairina and Wengki Ariando
Sea nomads have faced decades of discrimination in postcolonial Southeast Asia. Malaysia’s recent mass evictions of the Bajau Laut are just the latest example.
Dealing With Myanmar’s IDPs: A Conversation With John Murray
By Luke Hunt
"Even in a forgotten war, everyone has a right to a home," says the veteran aid worker.
Vietnam Says It’s Ready to Hold Talks With Philippines on Overlapping Continental Shelf Claims
By Aniruddha Ghosal and Jim Gomez
The diplomatic approach contrasts with China’s increasingly assertive actions to fortify its claims in the South China Sea.
Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Pressured to Join Myanmar’s Civil War
By Dayna Santana Pérez
Rohingya youth in refugee camps in Bangladesh face intimidation and forced recruitment by gangs, coercing them to join the very army that uprooted them.
Following Putin Visit, Senior US Official Touches Down in Vietnam
By Sebastian Strangio
Daniel Kritenbrink, the State Department's second-in-command of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, has arrived in Hanoi for a two-day visit.
Striking a Balance: The Philippines’ Path to Sustainable Critical Minerals Development
By Rocco Cartusciello
Manila is under pressure to begin exploiting its rich mineral deposits, but it needs to carefully consider the likely social and environmental costs.
In Southeast Asia, the Authorities Are the Biggest Gun Dealers in Town
By Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Paul Southern
The region is home to a thriving and massively profitable black market trade in small arms, many of them sourced from official military stockpiles.
Philippines Has ‘Secretly Reinforced’ South China Sea Outpost, Report Claims
By Sebastian Strangio
The BRP Sierra Madre, a warship grounded on a shoal in the Spratly Islands, has become the focus of growing tensions with China.
Putin Signs Deals With Vietnam to Offset Moscow’s Growing Isolation
By Aniruddha Ghosal
The Russian leader's two-day visit to Hanoi follows trips by U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.