Showing 1 - 10 of 14
Protest a worrying sign
Oped, Editorial, Published on 01/07/2025
» The protest at Victory Monument on Saturday brought back memories of the last two street demonstrations which rocked the capital in recent years -- the protest organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the rallies held by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) against his sister, Yingluck.
Time ripe to prevent unrest
Oped, Editorial, Published on 29/11/2024
» Political tensions have soared this week after firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the now-defunct People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), unveiled his plan to hold regular political activities starting next year.
Unlikely allies create an unclear future
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 26/08/2023
» On the surface, it may look as if Thai politics has entered a new chapter as those on the opposite sides of the political spectrum have allied, leaving the real poll winner, the Move Forward Party (MFP), out in the cold.
Asean customs transit system a boon
Oped, Satvinder Singh, Published on 07/09/2022
» Over three years ago, Mr Raj, the general manager of City Zone Express (CZE) Malaysia, a regional logistics company with branches in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and China and a fleet of more than 260 vehicles, was proud of his GPS-equipped fleet. It had innovative security gadgets and an anti-hijacking system, and CZE looked destined to become one of the top logistics companies in the region.
Asean must save its biodiversity
Oped, THERESA MUNDITA S LIM, Published on 08/03/2022
» Approximately 20% of the planet's vertebrate and plant species are found only in the Asean region and nowhere else in the world. Home to four biodiversity hotspots and three of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, Asean has extraordinarily high levels of richness of species and endemism.
Dual task: Save Asean, save Myanmar
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/10/2021
» Never before in the 54-year history of Asean had its members encountered such a bitter debate about the situation in Myanmar as they did last Monday when they unknowingly nearly tore down the founding fathers’ commitment to keep the Asean roof over all countries in Southeast Asia.
Covid-19 and the structural crises of our time
Oped, Lim Mah Hui & Michael Heng Siam-Heng, Published on 07/09/2021
» The Covid-19 pandemic devastating as it is not simply a health crisis. It is the product of an interlocking web of diverse problems that have been building up over time. Given the structural nature of this crisis, even as the embers of the immediate fire of infections and deaths burn out, the fallout from the conflagration will continue, taking different forms in its wake, including the rise of yet another pandemic.
Asean lags behind Myanmar curve
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/08/2021
» The more it tries to catch up on Myanmar's post-coup crisis, the more Asean falls behind. Since Myanmar's military takeover on Feb 1, Asean has spent nearly the first three months getting its act together for a "special summit" and a "five-point consensus" on April 24 and then more than another three months to meekly implement the agreement. In the event, the appointment of Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Erywan bin Mohd Yusof as the Asean envoy to promote dialogue and humanitarian assistance in Myanmar is likely to prove too little, too late for what has been desperately needed on the ground.
Thailand's three Myanmar strategies
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 09/03/2021
» With the unexpected coup in Myanmar on Feb 1 and the ensuing violent clashes between protesters and security forces over the past six weeks, Thailand is stuck between a rock and hard place. Thailand's foreign and security policy-makers have adopted three strategies in handling one of the most "difficult political incidents" in a neighbouring country.
The 'salim' phenomenon in Thai politics
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 18/12/2020
» Few phenomena explain and underpin Thai politics more than the rise and decline of what is known pejoratively these days as salim, a metaphorical variation of salim, a Thai dessert comprising multi-coloured thin noodles served in coconut milk with crushed ice. Once socially attractive and politically fashionable, salim have gone out of vogue, looked down upon in a new era of anti-establishment protest for pro-democracy reforms under the new reign. What becomes of these pro-military royalist-conservative salim will have much to say about what will happen to Thailand's political future.