Showing 1 - 10 of 15
Building a dynamic Thai-Indonesia relationship
Oped, Prapan Disyatat & Rachmat Budiman, Published on 07/03/2025
» On this day 75 years ago, the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of Thailand marked an auspicious milestone in their relationship, with the formal establishment of diplomatic ties with one another. However, the relationship between the two countries, and people, can be traced back long before March 7, 1950 -- as far back as the ancient Kingdom of Sriwijaya, and to the times of the Majapahit and Ayutthaya kingdoms.
Keeping politics in the family
News, Karishma Vaswani, Published on 28/08/2024
» Politics is increasingly returning to being a family business in Southeast Asia, despite its large and vibrant democracies. It's a worrying trend. Power is at risk of being concentrated in the hands of an exclusive club of entrenched clans. That will disproportionately disadvantage the region's dynamic youth who are getting more frustrated with nepotism.
A non-native threat to Thai waters
News, Pimpavadee Phaholyothin & Michael Roy, Published on 31/07/2024
» Thailand boasts some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. From the lush forests of the North to the mangroves of the South, this country is a sanctuary for a plethora of wildlife species. These natural systems have evolved over millennia, during which time plant and animal species have slowly moved across the landscape as climatic and ecological conditions changed. These species adapted to their new environments, and the systems adapted to them. But times have changed, and species now move from their native environments across the globe at the speed of shipping, air transport, and rail. This results in the rapid invasion of new species into environments that have few natural mechanisms to keep them in balance with native species or the built environment.
Indonesian poll serves up a curious outcome
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 20/02/2024
» Indonesia's President Joko Widodo concluded his second five-year term last Tuesday with a national election in which his chosen successors won a convincing victory. "Jokowi", as everybody calls him, still enjoys 70% public approval, and he has every right to be proud of his past.
Cue another erratic new leader
News, Karishma Vaswani, Published on 16/02/2024
» In a closely watched contest, the unofficial quick count results are now out and strongly suggest a landslide victory for the man who is poised to be Indonesia's next president: former fiery special forces commander Prabowo Subianto, who was also, for a time, the son-in-law of the archipelago's ex-dictator Suharto.
The perils of too much democracy
Editorial, Published on 11/02/2024
» This is a big week for democracy in Asia, with two nations of almost half a billion people going to the polls in the space of a couple of days.
School sows seeds of food wisdom
Oped, Joan Rumengan, Published on 06/01/2024
» 'I bring a very big sack of delicious wheat for all of you," Buto Trigo, a monster with a scary set of three eyes, told her audience of young people at an open-air theatre performance in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. "It's good to fry or steam. Try it! Your homemade cooking will look beautiful," she said, likening its beauty to that of the sinister queen she is allied to.
Asian elections, democracy in 2024
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 29/12/2023
» Billed as the biggest election year ever as more than half of the global population goes to the polls, 2024 will be critical to the debate about democratisation and autocratisation. Asia will lead the way with elections in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia, while the most recent polls in Myanmar and Thailand offer long-term lessons about democracy and dictatorship. The salient themes next year will be about the self-perpetuating tendencies of incumbent regimes and the resilience of democratic rule when authoritarianism seemed to have the upper hand.
Competitiveness affects Indonesia ties
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/06/2023
» Just two years ago, Thailand and Indonesia commemorated the 70th anniversary of relations, with both sides holding events to celebrate. Over the year, they mapped out various plans that would boost bilateral ties with the aim of establishing and hastening a "strategic partnership". These included strengthening political and economic relations, investment, as well as people-to-people exchanges. In particular, both countries would establish "High-Level Committees" in their law enforcement agencies, including the police and military, to counter common challenges such as narcotics, human trafficking and call centre scams. Then a month later came the Myanmar quagmire.
Climate action urgency growing
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 28/03/2022
» Summertime has arrived in this part of the world, with temperatures rising considerably although we are not yet in April, normally the hottest month in Thailand.