Showing 41 - 50 of 81
The tragedy of Thailand's Surin Pitsuwan
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 15/12/2017
» Much has been and more will be said of Dr Surin Pitsuwan's sudden and unexpected passing due to heart failure on Nov 30, at age 68, just when he appeared to be going from strength to strength after his stint in 2008-12 as Asean secretary-general. Many will also say that among the 13 heads of Asean in its 50-year history, Surin was the most effective and formidable. Indeed, he managed to speak for and champion Asean's causes and roles in Asia and the wider world even long after he left the job. No secretary-general of Asean is likely to come anywhere near the level of his eloquence, charm and charisma, the presence and confidence that his tall frame and good looks yielded. But Asean was second best for Surin. He was better than what he ended up with, unable to find professional landings commensurate with what he could bring to the job.
Regional order in East Asia after summits
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 17/11/2017
» While Asean-related leaders' meetings tend to come and go with a lot of spectacle and brouhaha without much lasting substantive impact, the recently concluded summits of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Vietnam and the United States-Asean and the East Asia Summit in the Philippines will be seen in hindsight as highly consequential. The geopolitical and geoeconomic positions of just about all attending countries were more or less known before hand. This most recent summit season was about the policy orientation and preferences of the US under President Donald Trump.
Thailand needs to arrive in 21st century
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 03/11/2017
» Thai politics is fundamentally not about the colours of yellow versus red or of democratic rule against military dictatorship. At its core, modern Thailand is about the socio-political and developmental totality of the past seven decades from 1947 to 2017 during the 9th reign, divided into the first five and the last two, demarcated by the Cold War and the 21st century. For Thailand to arrive in the 21st century, it needs to reconcile the overlapping forces of these two eras that now harbour conflicting interests and preferences through compromise and mutual accommodation. This is now the existential task ahead after King Bhumibol Adulyadej's glorious reign.
Cambodia leads regional authoritarianism
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 22/09/2017
» The warm hug on Sept 7 between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, said it all. Authoritarian rule is ascendant in Southeast Asia. It now poses an existential challenge to human rights and democratisation all over the region. And Cambodia is leading Southeast Asia's authoritarian ways, followed not far behind by neighbours, such as Thailand.
Shifting Thai alliances in the 21st century
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 21/07/2017
» In view of rising geopolitical tensions in Asia, Thailand's foreign policy strategy and posture has come into focus.
Thai-US relations back on the move again?
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 09/06/2017
» Soon after the Asean Summit in April, United States President Donald J Trump placed phone calls to three Southeast Asian leaders and invited them to the White House.
Thailand as we knew it is now at an end
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 17/10/2016
» When it comes to public readership, I was taught more than 30 years ago to write invariably in the third person. The time has come for change and exception because there is no better way for me to describe what has just happened in Thailand. What was once unimaginable when I was a schoolboy eventually became inevitable, and now is undeniable in my midlife.
Will Asia-Pacific tensions lead to conflict?
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 26/08/2016
» There is now a consensus among practitioners and analysts alike that the rules and institutions that have governed international affairs so effectively since the end of World War II are increasingly dysfunctional or altogether malfunctioning. This alarming phenomenon is broadly referred to as the "unravelling" and "disorder" of the global system. It afflicts the world trading system, featuring elusive multilateral agreements, and the international financial system, beset with regular bouts of crisis and disruptions.
'New normal' after South China Sea ruling
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 15/07/2016
» However the Philippines-China verdict is viewed and whatever its immediate consequences, the landmark ruling by the dispute-settling Arbitral Tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea will bring about a "new normal" in Southeast Asia that portends more regional tensions and potential conflict in the longer term. This "new normal" means that the status quo ex ante prior to Philippines' recourse to the Tribunal in January 2013 will not be restored.
Asean's 'centrality' faces growing threat
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 17/06/2016
» The debacle earlier this week when Asean foreign ministers opted for a watered-down joint statement after issuing a firmer version following their meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is yet another testament to the challenges facing the 10-member group's "centrality" in building Asia's regional order. That China has been calling in its chips with smaller pliant Asean states and effectively driving a wedge through the organisation over the South China Sea will exacerbate regional tensions and lead to security dilemmas and a dangerous tit-for-tat guessing game in this neighbourhood. To avoid future conflict, a rules-based region under mutual accommodation is the only way forward.