Showing 1 - 10 of 35
More young people in Myanmar taking up arms
Asia focus, Than Lwin Aye, Published on 28/02/2022
» Young people in Mon State who not long ago were actively engaged in campaigning for elections in Myanmar have shifted from protesting in the streets against the military to taking up arms to defend their rights and freedoms.
More potential for Thailand-Bangladesh cooperation
Asia focus, Pathik Hasan, Published on 14/02/2022
» Bangladesh views Thailand is a reliable and credible partner and friend, based on strong bilateral relations ever since independence a half-century ago. The two countries also share a common regional platform in Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
Year of Turbulence
Asia focus, Asia Focus Team, Published on 27/12/2021
» Pandemic drags on recovery: In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, many Asian countries had enviable success, avoiding large-scale outbreaks and mass deaths. But the arrival of the more transmissible Delta variant this year and sluggish vaccine rollouts compounded by low availability sent cases surging. Combined with poor monitoring and easy movement among countries, often unofficially, Southeast Asia became a virus hotspot. The ballooning health crisis collided with churning political discontent in the case of Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia. Economically, the new wave of infections, and attendant restrictions imposed to curb the spread, stalled recoveries. After nearly two years of strict border controls, many countries started to loosen up and live with Covid. But the rise of the Omicron variant now threatens to scuttle those tentative reopening plans and usher in a third year of economic anxiety.
Connecting with Laos
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 20/09/2021
» Landlocked but rich in natural resources and geographically diverse, Laos has a lot to offer. Significant investments from neighbours including China have helped the country achieve economic growth of 6-7% a year over the past decade. Yet, inadequate infrastructure and the absence of a skilled workforce are among the reasons Laos has yet to fulfil its potential.
Light behind the Covid cloud
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 03/05/2021
» Even as several countries, notably India and Southeast Asian nations, are struggling to contain a new Covid-19 wave, Asia appears on course for an economic revival on the back of a healthy global recovery and early progress on vaccines.
Innovation race
Asia focus, Apiradee Treerutkuarkul, Published on 05/04/2021
» Asia's middle-income countries have undergone significant economic transformation and enjoyed dramatic growth in the past decade. Yet, many still lack the ability to create innovation essential for driving productivity, economic development and sustainability, all of which are critical for their future prosperity.
Indian opportunity
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 09/11/2020
» India is the world's fifth-largest economy, and one of the fastest-growing in the world. The size of the Indian market, and its increasingly critical role in global supply chains, mean India and its trading partners have much to gain.
Dream state
Asia focus, Ben Bland, Published on 28/09/2020
» When Indonesian President Joko Widodo decided last year to pursue outlandish plans to build a new capital city in far-flung Kalimantan, advisers shook their heads in despair. But they were not surprised.
Our disappearing rights
Asia focus, Patpon Sabpaitoon, Published on 15/06/2020
» It's been over a week since the disappearance of Wanchalearm Satsaksit, an exiled Thai activist living in Cambodia, touched off a heated debate in Thai social media and beyond.
Could the 'next normal' emerge from Asia?
Asia focus, Oliver Tonby and Jonathan Woetzel, Published on 20/04/2020
» It is now clear that Covid-19 has presented the global economy with an unprecedented challenge. Efforts to control the virus through lockdowns are likely to lead to the largest decline in economic activity since the Great Depression in the United States and Europe. And while safeguarding human lives is imperative, the toll on human livelihoods will also undoubtedly be significant.