Showing 1 - 10 of 54
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.
Capital idea, Indonesia. Now for some reality
News, Daniel Moss, Published on 21/08/2024
» Capital cities don't just happen. They develop slowly over decades, perhaps centuries, before resembling their creator's dream -- if they ever do. Indonesia is discovering such massive endeavours are hard work and prone to delays. Economics has an annoying habit of intruding.
Strongman Prabowo learns who really calls shots
News, Daniel Moss, Published on 27/06/2024
» There really is no such thing as a free lunch, even for an emerging market as successful as Indonesia. The incoming president, a former general, has talked boldly about turbo-charging growth and sounded dismissive about long-standing spending rules. If only he could just order investors around like a regiment.
Thailand's cannabis U-turn is a cautionary tale
News, Karishma Vaswani, Published on 20/05/2024
» Turns out you can have too much of a good thing. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered a U-turn on the country's landmark cannabis policy, saying the plant should be soon classified as a narcotic again and its use limited to medical and health purposes.
The silver lining of Widodo's big economic miss
News, Daniel Moss, Published on 15/02/2024
» By his own standards, Joko Widodo has fallen well short of a major economic goal during his decade leading Indonesia. Growth has been laudable in a neighbourhood where the pace of expansion is undergoing a long-term slowdown, but nowhere close to the outgoing president's lofty ambitions. That's a pity, because part of Mr Widodo's attraction as a candidate in 2014 was his image as a self-made businessman, an outsider who could nudge the country towards achieving its much-promoted potential.
Prabowo gets a TikTok makeover
News, Karishma Vaswani, Published on 12/12/2023
» Indonesians will get a chance to hear from their presidential and vice-presidential hopefuls in the first of five televised debates this week. The theme of the discussion is, among other issues, human rights. It should provide an opportunity for voters in the world's third-largest democracy to probe the calibre and character of the front-runner for the country's top job.
Muslims tire of double standards
News, Karishma Vaswani, Published on 23/11/2023
» Washington's unwavering support for Israel during its ground invasion of Gaza is coming under increasing scrutiny in the Global South.
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.
Asean must reengage with Myanmar
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 23/05/2023
» Indonesian President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, was frank in saying that no progress had been made over the Myanmar crisis at the latest Asean summit in Labuan Bajo during a press conference after the event. Apparently, he was disappointed that the chair's efforts did not make the desirable outcome under his watch.
Asean voices deep fears over Myanmar violence
News, AFP, Published on 11/05/2023
» JAKARTA: Southeast Asian nations said on Wednesday they are "deeply concerned" about the violence ravaging Myanmar as they condemned the recent attack on a convoy of diplomats delivering humanitarian aid in the country.