• OPINION

  Cobra Gold drills depoliticise Thai-US ties

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/02/2018

  » The 37th Cobra Gold annual multilateral military exercise ended last week with one major outcome -- the depoliticising of Thai-US relations which have been held captive since the May 2014 coup.

• OPINION

  EU-Asean relations fall under a curse again

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 06/03/2018

  » Each time that Asean-EU ties appear to be on an upward curve, some mishap occurs. In the past year, due to major geopolitical shifts regionally and globally, particularly over transatlantic ties, the EU has paid more attention to Asean, wanting to strengthen ties beyond trade and investment, including on security and strategic matters. Likewise, scenting the US backsliding from multilateral forums, Asean is looking toward the EU as the new stabilising force for the region's economic progress, peace and prosperity. It is still a tall order, as the EU is searching for the right approach to win hearts and minds in the world's second-most successful regional grouping.

• OPINION

  Australia's new strategy towards Asean

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/03/2018

  » When Australia looks to the north, what does it see? Southeast Asia, of course. But the region is no longer the geographic landmass in its front yard comprised of 10 countries governed by different political systems and cultural values to its own. From next week onward, Southeast Asian countries, each with a unique domestic dynamic, will become the nexus of Australian foreign policy.

• OPINION

  Two Koreas saga: Keep your fingers crossed

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/03/2018

  » When the two leaders from Korea meet in Panmunjom later next month, new histories of East Asia will be narrated and written. North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un will travel from Pyongyang to the demilitarised zone at Panmunjom. His car will pass the Panmon Gak on the northern side and proceed to cross the DMZ line to the Peace House (Pyeonghwa jib) a few metres away southward. With South Korean President Moon Jae-in waiting there, he will greet his younger counterpart once he arrives with a big smile. Before the two shake hands, Mr Kim will by then have already made history as the first North Korean leader to step foot on South Korea since the war ended in 1953.

• OPINION

  Ten ways to sidestep fault lines in Asean

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/03/2018

  » Given the unsettled international environment, great powers' competition and regional dynamism, the current Asean chair, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, urged the regional grouping to "maintain its centrality and relevance" in his recent speech at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

• OPINION

  Hun Sen's legacy hinges on his 'borami'

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/04/2018

  » The Khmer phrase <i>mian borami</i> is common these days in one of the most vibrant capitals in Asean. Ask Cambodians at random in the Central Market or Monivong Boulevard (or, if you fancy, Mao Zedong or Lenin Boulevard) their feelings about Samdech Decho Hun Sen, and chances are they will answer, "Hun Sen has supernatural powers and strength". In Cambodian culture, someone with borami -- or charisma -- has earned respect, recognition and authority from years of work for their neighbourhood and service to the community. They are perceived as extraordinary individuals who have supernatural powers to change things. That is how Cambodians think of Hun Sen. At least for now.

• OPINION

  Making sense of Asean's view on Rakhine

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/04/2018

  » With Singapore as the chair, Asean's every word and move must be meticulously crafted and choreographed. There can't be any loose ends. There is no exception when it comes to the delicate situation in Myanmar's Rakhine State where violent clashes erupted back in October 2016 have forced nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to escape to Bangladesh.

• OPINION

  20-year strategy plan under scrutiny

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/04/2018

  » For the first time in its history, Thailand is coming out with a national strategy that directs the country's economic and social development over the next 20 years.

• OPINION

  Five priorities at the 32nd Asean summit

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/04/2018

  » When the Asean leaders converge on the Lion City later this month for their 32nd summit, a myriad of challenges awaits their deliberations formally and informally. Here are five key priorities that they are expected to tackle:

• OPINION

  Korean thaw will have Asean impact

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 01/05/2018

  » It was amazing to watch South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un make their historic handshake and then hug and share smiles on Friday at Panmunjom, the truce village located in the Demilitarised Zone that separates the two Koreas. From now on, the simmering tension on the Korean Peninsula, which the world has become used to over the last 65 years, may quickly fade away. The two Koreas have pledged to cease hostilities and cooperate in their denuclearisation efforts.

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