This week, we speak with Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Founder of 112Watch and Professor at Kyoto University, about Thailand’s lèse-majesté law (Article 112), political repression in Thailand and Southeast Asia, defending civic space, and the future of the movement against Article 112.
Read MoreWritten by William Ford
If the Takaichi administration makes the difficult decision to lower rice tariffs or expand import quotas, it could bring down rice prices for Japanese consumers while also strengthening Japan’s partnerships with Southeast Asian rice exporters.
Read MoreWritten by Athena Charanne Presto and Maria Tanyag
The Philippines has had real regional influence on gender equality, supported by a long lineage of female diplomats, policymakers, and civil society leaders who have helped shape ASEAN’s gender equality architecture since its early years.
Read MoreWritten by Khyati Singh
The potential to combine Chinese technological innovation with localised implementation means that Southeast Asia could yet transform its demographic challenge from a looming crisis into an engine of economically innovative and socially equitable growth.
Read MoreWritten by Apipol Sae-Tung
The regime’s institutional architecture is designed for continuity, but the energy crisis has introduced a level of volatility that requires a more agile and transparent response than the regime’s patronage-driven conservative roots traditionally allow.
Read MoreWritten by William J. Jones and Dr Thanachate Wisaijorn
Ultimately, the current trajectory presents two distinct interpretations: it may be viewed cynically as a method to advance corporate and elite interests by using cheap nationalism, or pragmatically as a necessary step to access valuable economic resources blocked by territorial disputes.
Read MoreWritten by Emanuele Ballestracci
Italy cannot rival the hard-power presence of France or the UK, nor does it aspire to. Instead, it has constructed a pathway based on economic cooperation, private-sector activism, and steady institutional ties, which over time create the trust needed to expand into political and security spheres.
Read MoreWritten by Chhay Lim and Chandarith Neak
Without institutional mechanisms that both parties accept as legitimate and binding, border disputes remain vulnerable to escalation and external intervention whenever domestic political pressures or regional tensions rise.
Read MoreWritten by Dr. Hunter Marston
With the Trump administration fixated on bilateral trade deals with individual countries, rather than the large multilateral trade deals that have shaped the region’s economic architecture in recent years, the US appears to be yesterday’s story, while Asia has moved on with the new rules of the road.
Read MoreWritten by Dr Apila Sangtam
Crucially, reinvigorating key connectivity initiatives such as the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway would serve as both a symbolic and practical demonstration of India’s commitment to regional integration.
Read MoreDrawing on her decades of experience in Cambodia’s pro-democracy movement, we discussed the country’s democratic decline, the growing influence of China, and the crucial role the international community — and Cambodia’s youth — must play in shaping a freer future.
Read MoreWritten by Dr Hunter Marston
Despite the opportunity presented by American retrenchment, China lacks the soft power to step in as a natural leader and its economic and political influence continue to be met with suspicion by regional elites.
Read MoreWritten by Chetan Rana
Even though Myanmar’s international isolation appears to push it further closer to China, the Sit Tat and the EAOs are simultaneously engaging and contesting with China in different sectors. Beijing will be key in the execution and acceptance of elections planned by the junta.
Read MoreThis month, Zsuzsa and Richard are joined by Kristina Kironska, a human rights expert with firsthand experience in Myanmar. Together, they unpack these seismic developments — from the arrest warrant for Duterte to attempts to silence outlets like Radio Free Asia — and examine their implications for international accountability and media freedom.
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Read MoreWritten by Chhay Lim
Policies that force Cambodia into a binary choice risk deepening its reliance on China and undermining US efforts to maintain influence in Southeast Asia.
Read More9DASHLINE’s Southeast Asia Associate Hunter Marston recently spoke with Dr Enze Han about his latest book, The Ripple Effect: China’s Complex Presence in Southeast Asia.
The book provides a nuanced perspective on China’s relationship with Southeast Asia, focusing not just on state-level interactions but also on the significant role of non-state actors, such as businesses and migrants, in shaping regional perceptions of China.
Read MoreWritten by Aniello Iannone
The persistent influence of the military and entrenched oligarchies continues to subvert the will of the electorate, creating a hybrid political system where democratic processes are overshadowed by authoritarian interventions.
Read MoreWritten by Mathis Lohatepanont
The new senators are largely unknown to the public; their individual preferences can only be gleaned with time, and so how they will behave is largely still a matter of speculation.
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