All posts by FORSEA

Myanmar’s Coup Crushed the BIG LIE of Democratic Transition under Aung San Suu Kyi

The Dialogue on Democratic Struggles Across Southeast Asia will shed light on how Myanmar’s Big Lie – democratic transition / “fragile democracy" – has gained currency worldwide over the last 10 years since Myanmar military rolled out its constitutional government lead by ex-general Thein Sein in 2010.

/ February 1, 2021

FORSEA Statement on Singapore’s Arrest of Peaceful LGBT Student Protestors

FORSEA, a Southeast Asia-wide network of democrats, scholars and rights activists, are deeply troubled by the news of Singapore arresting a small but unprecedented group of students who staged a LGBT-rights protest outside the Ministry of Education. We call on the authorities to release and drop all charges against these student activists, whose “crime” was a peaceful demand to repeal transphobic discriminatory policies and practices in Singapore’s schools.

/ January 29, 2021

Fighting and Winning the Struggle for Equality for All

The FORSEA Dialogue on Democratic Struggles Across Southeast Asia and Beyond: Inequality is an ever-advancing threat to the collective well-being of billions of people today. And yet we do live in a world with its unprecedented wealth which remains concentrated in a few hands. Ben Phillips, the author of and international campaigner, argues why winning the policy debate over how best to fight inequalities is no longer enough.

/ January 26, 2021

FORSEA Dialogue on Democratic Struggles across Southeast Asia: Punk and Peace in Myanmar: Music for a Better Society

A film screening of Punk Rock Buddha (running time 26 minutes), The Good Road collection. The screening will be followed by a 30-minutes conversation (in Burmese) with Kyaw Kyaw, the film’s protagonist and lead vocalist of the best-known punk band Rebel Riot.

/ January 21, 2021

FORSEA Dialogue on Democratic Struggles across Southeast Asia: Film Screening – “A River Changes Course”

Film screening of "A River Changes Course", winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, followed by dialogue with Executive Producer and renowned Khmer researcher of genocide, Mr Youk Chhang.

/ January 20, 2021

FORSEA Dialogue on Democratic Struggles across Southeast Asia: A Burma Film Screening and Reflection

Join a screening of Deafening Silence followed by a 20-minute dialogue between it's director, Holly Fisher, and the two activists from Burma, Naw May-Oo Mutraw and Maung Zarni.

/ January 11, 2021

Universities, Academic Censorship & Intellectual Un-Freedoms: How ASEAN States Make Their Peoples Unable to Think

This FORSEA Dialogue will explore the multiple ways in which ASEAN states execute the suppression of intellectual freedom, particularly within their state-run university systems, FORSEA’s in-depth dialogue series is bringing together a group of scholars who specialize in Southeast Asian affairs.

/ January 7, 2021

Condemning NUS Press for Obstructing Academic Freedom

FORSEA condemns NUS Press’ blatant censorship of a book critical of the Thai monarchy, and urges all members of the academic community who are involved with NUS Press to uphold the principle of academic freedom by refraining from lending their legitimacy and credibility to NUS Press as an act of scholarly solidarity.

/ January 5, 2021

China’s Debt Trap Diplomacy: Is ASEAN a Victim?

Is the China debt-trap diplomacy real in the form of a calculated move by China to seize strategic assets to further its geopolitical ambitions as an emerging superpower? Or is a misuse of language to describe a common phenomenon depicting the need and greed of financially incompetent borrowers?

/ January 4, 2021
Coup, King, Crisis cover FORSEA

Now Published: Coup, King, Crisis: A Critical Interregnum in Thailand

The prospects of the inevitable end of the Bhumibol era loomed large over 21st century Thailand. Events have now taken their course and King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been crowned. The new King is beginning to make his presence felt, but in important ways, Thailand is still in an interregnum: a time when the old order is dying but a new one struggles to be born.

/ January 3, 2021