Mesrob Vartavarian on America’s Cold Wars in Southeast Asia
In many respects, if we want to understand Southeast Asia's current state, we need to understand its past Cold Wars. Then we will see the United States was ultimately far more successful in pursuing its Cold War objectives in Southeast...
Maung Zarni Addresses Online Forum as the Republic of Korea Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of its May 18 Democratisation Movement
S. Korea appears a rare success story, resulting in the establishment of UNESCO-recognised May 18 Democratisation Movement and Human Rights World Heritage Museum in Gwanju.
Interview: Paul Chambers on Democracy in Thailand
As Thailand commemorates the 10th anniversary of the deadly crackdowns against a red-shirted pro-democracy group, Chambers discusses problems with Thai democracy, the Thai army, social and political movements, and finally Thailand with King Vajiralongkorn at the helm.
The Trouble of the Palm Oil Business in Southeast Asia
With name-calling and scapegoating over the polluted haze, governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore engage in a rhetorical exercise. In reality, all parties are skating around the real issues.
Plan to Drop Charges Against Najib Stepson Stokes Outrage in Malaysia
The controversy over Riza comes amidst great political uncertainty in Malaysia, with anybody’s guess how long the current prime minister Muhyiddin will remain in power.
Why Thais are Losing Faith in the Monarchy
In his article in the The Washington Post, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, FORSEA’s director of multimedia, explains how the eroding power of Thailand's monarchy is growing ever more evident.
Indonesia: The Fires Next Time
It’s surprising that while demand hits have caused factory closures, falling coal consumption and less auto traffic, leading to blue skies the world over, the palm oil industry continues its environmentally damaging practices unabatedly.
Southeast Asian Regimes Attack Democracy on the pretext of COVID-19
While COVID-19 continues to attack the population of this region, they also become targets of the state, as they demand transparency of information on the pandemic.
The Royalists Marketplace: The Supply and Demand for Dissent in Thailand
The Royalists Marketplace elevates political criticism, bringing it from underground to a screen, from gossip and rumour to open debate.
On Court Poetry During the Marcos Dictatorship and A Note on Duterte’s Anti-Poetry
Duterte’s aggressive anti-poetry in broken English, Tagalog and Visayan is the truth of today’s politics. And it is also the unmasked truth of the poetry of all of Marcos’ court poets. In other words, Duterte’s anti-poetry is the truth of...