Welcome to hbs Southeast Asia

Beyond Water Data Sharing, Mekong-Lancang River Needs Accountable Water Governance

In 2019, and again in 2020, the Mekong River – known as the Lancang River in China - has experienced low flows that has caused hardship for millions of people whose livelihoods depend on it.

By Carl Middleton

Recent Articles

Nuclear Power Trend in Southeast Asia and Its Contested Discourses on Climate Change

Article

Currently, there is no nuclear power station that operating commercial electricity in Southeast Asian countries. However, pro-nuclear comes up with many reasons aiming to materialize the nuclear power which ranging from growing of domestic power demand to boost economic activities, reducing the electricity cost – in the case of the Philippines[3], to producing no Green House Gases emission, in particularly CO2.

By Tipakson Manpati

Dynastic Appeal

Article

Political dynasties are not the sole clutch of the Philippines. In Southeast Asia alone, there are many examples of dynastic entrenchments in society — from monarchies to the informal designation of political bailiwicks. Cultural conditioning portrays running the government, overseeing the economy, or being an emblem of the nation as tasks that demand the so-called familial touch. This explains why these political dynasties inspire confidence in some people and trigger exasperation in others.

By Jose Santos P. Ardivilla

No Women, No Peace

Speech

It was a long way before the implementation of UN Resolution 1325 on the prevention of war and sexual violence against women got on track. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the resolution, Barbara Unmüßig speaks about what steps and actions have to be taken to approach the goal of female participation in phases of conflict.

Indonesia Misses Once-in-A Lifetime Opportunity to Build Back Better by Passing Controversial Deregulation Law

Article

In a global race to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic with a stronger and more resilient economy by putting the environment first, Indonesia is set to be left behind as lawmakers recently passed a deregulation law proposed by the government.

By Hans Nicholas Jong

COVID-19, Health Borders, and the Purity of the Thai Nation

Article

This article examines the ad-hoc policy and regulation applied by the Thai government in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The Thai government erected a ‘health border’ to control mobility of the people, as well as set up a governing body, the Center for Resolution for Emergency Resolution COVID-19 under the emergency decree.

By Jiraporn Laocharoenwong

Finding Timor-Leste’s Stolen Children at the 11th Hour

Article

Juliãon is one of a handful of survivors who have been able to find their way to return to Timor-Leste. Without assistance, it is difficult for survivors to gather enough resources and courage to try to relocate their lives.

By Galuh Wandita

Climate Change and the Geopolitics of the Mekong River with Dr. Carl Middleton

The Mekong-Lancang River is a trans-boundary commons, it has to be shared between different actors along the river.

Dr. Carl Middleton

Special Event #MYLCOY2020

The Virtual “Malaysian Local Conference of Youth 2020 (MY LCOY 2020): Mobilising for a Green Post COVID-19 Recovery” Is Open for Registration!

Event

MYD calls on youth from Malaysia and across Southeast Asia to take up the opportunity to learn about climate change and climate action by participating in MY LCOY 2020.

By Julian Theseira

Insect Atlas 2020

Facts and ﬁgures about friends and foes in farming

Native Honey Bees of Southeast Asia and Conservation Challenges

Article

The disappearance of the honey bee is widely publicized, especially in Europe and North America, with colony collapse disorder observed in apiaries of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. Much less interest, however, has been paid to Southeast Asian native honey bees whose fate also deserves attention. This article explores the conservation challenges of the eight native honey bee species of Southeast Asia.

By Eric Guerin

Insect Atlas

The Insect Atlas explains why the industrial agricultural industry in particular is threatening the habitats of insects so massively, what ways out are possible and many other exciting aspects. It provides data and facts about beneficial and harmful insects in agriculture, formulates criticism of the overly hesitant policy

Web-dossier at boell.de

A Passion for Pollinators in Thailand

Article

I have been on a journey of about two years so far to learn more about pollinators, native bees, and how we can help restore the health of their populations. On one hand this has become a personal journey. Now every day I observe flowers in bloom that I find in my garden or wherever I am to see if there are any pollinators, and if so, what species I find, and if there are few or many.

By Michael B. Commons

Pollinator-Friendly Yards: How You Can Help Protect Pollinators

Our Alliance Next Door: We Need to Save Bees or Perish with Them

Pollinators in Peril, Our Food System in Crisis, and the Potential for Restoration

Insect Atlas 2020: ON INSECTS, AGRICULTURE AND THE WORLD

Interview Videos on Climate Change

Climate Crisis happened, we have to take action before it's too late.

Nguy Thi Khanh - Vietnam

We have to reduce plastic usage and consumption in our society.

Tara Buakamsri - Thailand

We are in a Climate Crisis and the way these big projects are coming at us, we need to counter this with our own development agenda.

Rayyan Hassan - The Philippines

For the rest of our life, fight hard in saving Mother Earth. That's the only chance that we have.

Dr. Dewi Candraningrum - Indonesia

Dossier: 70 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 - 2018

Click Here for Articles and Videos on 70 Years of UDHR

The UDHR and Migrant Workers Rights in ASEAN - Jolovan Wham

The UDHR and Human Rights in ASEAN - Dr. Dinna Wisnu

The UDHR and Democracy in ASEAN - Dr. Naruemon Thambhumpon

The UDHR and LGBTI Rights in ASEAN - Dr. Dédé Oetomo

Human Rights After Seventy Years: The View from the South

Article

Seventy years after the adoption of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and twenty-five years of the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programmes of Action (VDPA), human rights are found in country’s constitutions and also incorporated in regional instruments. However, there is no issue as heated as the universality character of human rights.

By Yuyun Wahyuningrum

Rethinking the Mobility (and Immobility) of Queer Rights in Southeast Asia: A Provocation

Article

Seventy years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly, what we have witnessed is that its claim of universality has been consistently challenged. While all human beings are deemed born automatically free with equal rights, the very definition of human itself in practice is not always neutral.

By Hendri Yulius

Messages in the Social Media Bottle

Article

In the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines tops the list as the highest in terms of remittances from their exported labor. In 2015, the country received more than US$30 billion in remittances — which makes it the third highest in the entire world. While many of the emerging economies as well as industrialized nations rely on these remittances and foreign workers, many stories filter out from certain nations of exploitation and abuse inflicted upon these migrant workers.

By Jose Santos P. Ardivilla

Human Rights Against Populism: A Progressive Response to the Politics of Duterte and Mahathir

Article

As the world celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 2018–2019, the region of Southeast Asia highlights two compelling political phenomena: the emergent ‘authoritarian populism’ of Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines and the return to the ‘Asian Values’ of Mahathir Mohamad in Malaysia.

By Bonn Juego

Ecology & Social Justice

From Aspiration to Application, There is a Long Way to Go: On Gender and International Financial Institutions’ Safeguards Policies

Save Kendeng Mountains: A Persistent Environmental and Ecological Justice Movement in Indonesia

COVID-19 and the Climate Crisis in Southeast Asia

Indonesian Communities File an OECD Complaint against HeidelbergCement with German Government

Democracy & Participation

Somewhere beyond Berlin and Hanoi: Revisiting German-Vietnamese Realities in Historic Perspective

In the Philippines, Distance Learning Reveals the Digital Divide

Sport in Southeast Asia: More than Medals, It’s the ‘We’ Feeling

The Politicisation of the SEA Games: Sporting Nationalism, Patronage and Capitalism Since the 1950s

Articles and Podcasts on 50 Years of ASEAN

Blogs

Air Quality Measurement - Click here to follow our station!

ASEAN explained in 5 Minutes

50 Years of ASEAN - Still Waiting for Social and Ecological Justice

Within 50 years of existence, ASEAN has made progress on environmental policies – at least on paper. On the ground, paradigms around economic development and growth still shape realities of the people who find it literally harder and harder to breathe.

Forest fires and the haze, daily traffic routines and large-scale industry make the extent of environmental damage in Southeast Asia visible. In this podcast series, we look behind ASEAN´s promises to be sustainable and people-oriented and find that the institution still falls short of social and ecological justice.

State of Democracy in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia: Where Democracy is Much More Than A Vote

Podcast

Welcome to this podcast by the Heinrich Böll Foundation. It is part of the ’State of Democracy in Southeast Asia’ series, and this is your host, Johanna Son. In this episode, we take a look at the elections lined up in the region. Can democratic mechanisms like elections lead to more authoritarian rule? We step back to look at what this trend says about the quality of the democracies in our midst.

By Johanna Son

The State of Democracy in Southeast Asia

Article

While observers of the state of democracy agree that democracy has been in decline in the recent years, its trajectory in the Southeast Asian region has at least shown mixed results. Elections are still treated as the ultimate yardstick for “democracy” in Southeast Asia.

By Deasy Simandjuntak

Publication

Recent Publications

Leaving behind ADB’s dirty energy legacy: Civil society critical reflections and recommendations

This research looks into Asian Development Bank's 2009 Energy Policy, which justified its carbon-intensive energy lending portfolio for the past decade. It outlines CSOs critical review of ADB's energy policy and portfolio, urging the bank to take on its catalytic role in Asia's energy transformation by formally imposing a coal ban as the first step towards full decarbonization.

pdf

Perspectives Asia #9: Two Sides of the Medals

This issue of Perspectives Asia examines the intersections of sports and politics. We look at how, through sports, identities are shaped, myths and heroes are born, and unconventional truths are buried.

pdf

Community Guide to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was established to provide financing for infrastructure projects across Asia. The bank hit the ground running in 2015 with a bold agenda to create a “lean, clean and green” multilateral development bank for the 21^st century. That vision included a commitment to create an Environmental and Social Framework containing policies that would bind the bank, and standards that AIIB clients are expected to uphold in their projects. In late 2018, the AIIB took the next step towards accountability when it approved its policy for the Project-affected People’s Mechanism, which facilities dispute resolution or investigates the bank’s compliance with its environmental and social policies.

pdf

Safeguarding People and the Environment in Chinese Investments (Second Edition): A Reference Guide for Advocates

This publication provides a practical guide to the policies, standards and guidelines for Chinese outbound investment. The updated guide builds on our 2017 edition, adding new details on the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s new vision for enhancing global connectivity, along with updates to administrative guidance from China’s central state agencies on outbound investment. It also covers new guidelines on rubber, agriculture, infrastructure projects and more. The guide explains the key actors involved in Chinese overseas investment and describes the environmental and social standards and guidelines that apply. It provides practical tips on how these standards can be used in advocacy with relevant Chinese actors and institutions.

pdf

Afraid of the Light: Unmasking the Discourse on Irregular Migration and Its Implications for Migration Governance in ASEAN

This paper attempts to investigate the issue of irregular migration in the ASEAN region. The space and attention given to a burgeoning reality of irregular migration is yet to be given its due space at national policy-level and regional discussions. The primary objective of the paper is to function as a baseline study for future advocacy on protection of the rights of undocumented migrants in the region. Primarily, it focuses on the governance of migration, or the lack thereof, by contextualising the current status of irregular migrants in major destination countries of the ASEAN region, being Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

pdf

ATLASES

Plastic Atlas

Plastic is ubiquitous: we use it for life-saving medical devices, clothing, toys and cosmetics; we use it in agriculture and industry. But we also know the growing risk of plastic waste in the environment, landfills and the oceans.

pdf

Agrifood Atlas – Facts and figures about the corporations that control what we eat

The list of the world’s largest 500 companies by turnover contains a huge number of firms engaged in agriculture and food. And the trend continues towards a further concentration of power. Agrifood corporations are driving industrialization along the entire global value chain, from farm to plate. Their purchasing and sales policies promote a form of agriculture that revolves around productivity. The fight for market share is achieved at the expense of the weakest links in the chain: farmers, and workers.

pdf

Soil Atlas: Facts and figures about earth, land and fields

We are using the world’s soils as if they were inexhaustible, continually withdrawing from an account, but never paying in. For it takes several thousand years to build a thin layer of fertile topsoil, but only an hour of heavy rain to lose it. The average European needs 1.3 hectares – two football pitches – to produce all of the food and other products he or she consumes each year. That is about six times more than is available to each Bangladeshi. Almost 60 percent of the area consumed by Europeans lies outside the European Union.

pdf

Ocean Atlas: Understanding the threats to our marine ecosystems

Without the ocean there would be no life on our planet. But the future of this unique ecosystem faces a grave threat today. The Ocean Atlas 2017 delivers with its 18 contributions and 50 graphics the relevant facts and figures about the ocean.

pdf

Coal Atlas: Facts and figures on a fossil fuel

Global demand for coal is still rising: EU member states have been reluctant to take action against coal projects and continue to subsidize coal related business with almost 10 billion euros per year. King Coal also generates 43 percent of Germany’s total energy.

Our Coal Atlas contains the latest facts and figures on the use of coal and its environmental and social consequences. With more than 60 detailed graphics, the atlas illustrates the coal industry’s impact on nature, health, labour, human rights and politics.

pdf

Meat Atlas

The publication sheds light on the impacts of meat and dairy production, and aims to catalyse the debate over the need for better, safer and more sustainable food and farming.

pdf

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Beyond Water Data Sharing, Mekong-Lancang River Needs Accountable Water Governance

Recent Articles

Nuclear Power Trend in Southeast Asia and Its Contested Discourses on Climate Change

Dynastic Appeal

No Women, No Peace

Indonesia Misses Once-in-A Lifetime Opportunity to Build Back Better by Passing Controversial Deregulation Law

COVID-19, Health Borders, and the Purity of the Thai Nation

Finding Timor-Leste’s Stolen Children at the 11th Hour

The Virtual “Malaysian Local Conference of Youth 2020 (MY LCOY 2020): Mobilising for a Green Post COVID-19 Recovery” Is Open for Registration!

Insect Atlas 2020

Facts and ﬁgures about friends and foes in farming

Native Honey Bees of Southeast Asia and Conservation Challenges

Insect Atlas

A Passion for Pollinators in Thailand

Pollinator-Friendly Yards: How You Can Help Protect Pollinators

Our Alliance Next Door: We Need to Save Bees or Perish with Them

Pollinators in Peril, Our Food System in Crisis, and the Potential for Restoration

Infographics of the Insect Atlas

Interview Videos on Climate Change

Dossier: 70 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 - 2018

The UDHR and Migrant Workers Rights in ASEAN - Jolovan Wham

The UDHR and Human Rights in ASEAN - Dr. Dinna Wisnu

The UDHR and Democracy in ASEAN - Dr. Naruemon Thambhumpon

The UDHR and LGBTI Rights in ASEAN - Dr. Dédé Oetomo

Human Rights After Seventy Years: The View from the South

Rethinking the Mobility (and Immobility) of Queer Rights in Southeast Asia: A Provocation

Messages in the Social Media Bottle

Human Rights Against Populism: A Progressive Response to the Politics of Duterte and Mahathir

Ecology & Social Justice

From Aspiration to Application, There is a Long Way to Go: On Gender and International Financial Institutions’ Safeguards Policies

Save Kendeng Mountains: A Persistent Environmental and Ecological Justice Movement in Indonesia

COVID-19 and the Climate Crisis in Southeast Asia

Indonesian Communities File an OECD Complaint against HeidelbergCement with German Government

Democracy & Participation

Somewhere beyond Berlin and Hanoi: Revisiting German-Vietnamese Realities in Historic Perspective

In the Philippines, Distance Learning Reveals the Digital Divide

Sport in Southeast Asia: More than Medals, It’s the ‘We’ Feeling

The Politicisation of the SEA Games: Sporting Nationalism, Patronage and Capitalism Since the 1950s

Heinrich Böll (1917-1985)

ASEAN explained in 5 Minutes

50 Years of ASEAN - Still Waiting for Social and Ecological Justice

State of Democracy in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia: Where Democracy is Much More Than A Vote

The State of Democracy in Southeast Asia

Publication

Recent Publications

Leaving behind ADB’s dirty energy legacy: Civil society critical reflections and recommendations

Perspectives Asia #9: Two Sides of the Medals

Community Guide to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Safeguarding People and the Environment in Chinese Investments (Second Edition): A Reference Guide for Advocates

Afraid of the Light: Unmasking the Discourse on Irregular Migration and Its Implications for Migration Governance in ASEAN

ATLASES

Plastic Atlas

Agrifood Atlas – Facts and figures about the corporations that control what we eat

Soil Atlas: Facts and figures about earth, land and fields

Ocean Atlas: Understanding the threats to our marine ecosystems

Coal Atlas: Facts and figures on a fossil fuel

Meat Atlas