Showing 1 - 10 of 14
Thai diplomacy is now in need of a reset
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/06/2025
» For the record, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has committed the most damaging diplomatic blunder in Thailand's modern history. The leaked 17.6-minute audio clip of a phone call between her and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was not just embarrassing -- it was devastating, not only for her but for the Thai people and the country.
Clearer policy on Myanmar is needed
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 18/04/2025
» Regrettably, the recent earthquake in Myanmar compounds the longstanding pain and suffering inflicted on the people of the country due to authoritarianism and human rights violations. Can such a catastrophe also be a catalyst for transformative, constructive change?
What happens after Trump, Zelensky spat
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 06/03/2025
» In a made-for-TV political smackdown in the White House between two uneasy allies, a flood of recriminations followed the incendiary face-off between President Donald Trump's team and the visiting Ukrainian delegation. The fear that the pending Ukrainian peace plan had already gone off the rails haunted world capitals.
Will justice be served?
Oped, Editorial, Published on 01/06/2024
» The arrest of inmate Chaowalit "Sia Paeng Nanod" Thongduang has helped to boost the sagging image of Thai justice and our law enforcers.
Myanmar eyes return to Asean fold
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/02/2024
» To understand the current game plan of Myanmar's military regime, it is perhaps a good time to remind ourselves of the letter written by former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Aug 19, 2022. The rather blunt personal letter urged the junta leader to implement the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), saying that if he fails to do so, his Asean colleagues might ban Myanmar from all meetings and recognise the National Unity Government (NUG). In short, Asean would give the seat to the NUG. The letter angered the general, and Hun Sen's practical advice was ignored, including his call for amnesty for four activists who had been sentenced to death. For the past three years, Myanmar's seat at Asean's high-level meetings has been left vacant. Then, on Feb 29, the seat was occupied temporarily.
Another mountain
Oped, Postbag, Published on 09/02/2024
» Re: "Chinese-made elephant pants face import ban", (BP, Feb 6).
North Korean missile test snubs dialogue
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 21/07/2023
» North Korea's unannounced launch of another ballistic missile early this week became a ho-hum event, given the rash but predictable actions by Pyongyang. After all, we have seen this bellicose stunt many times before and thus have become dangerously numb and nearly indifferent to its ultimate threat and consequence.
Sudan: Death on the Nile and contagion risk
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 05/05/2023
» There's blood in the Nile. The mighty river separating Sudan's capital city Khartoum has seen fighting erupt between two rival factions of the army. What could have been a quick internal flash-up between the main military factions, which have tenuously ruled this vast land since the 2021 military coup, has morphed into a bitter fight for power on the streets of the capital. More than 500 civilians have been killed in the crossfire, and foreign diplomatic, humanitarian workers and business people have been trying to flee the country.
Cambodia, Asean need to step up in Rohingya crisis
Oped, Samina Akhter, Published on 03/08/2022
» Since August 2017, rampant persecution and violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state has pushed hundreds of thousands of Muslim minority people, known as the Rohingya, to abandon their homes and seek sanctuary in Bangladesh. According to the United Nations' estimation, 200,000 Myanmar civilians have already sought refuge in Bangladesh following prior displacements. Many more have travelled to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, frequently with the assistance of human traffickers.
Indonesia ramps up diplomatic profile
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/08/2022
» In the post-Cold War era in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has always been an important weathervane in demonstrating the state of "realpolitik" in the region. Therefore, the recent diplomatic flurry of high-profile visits by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, shows the country's efforts to stay ahead of today's rapidly changing strategic landscape, in particular in the Indo-Pacific region.