Southeast Asia

On 19 March, the Global Climate Strike Day, activists from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand share their priorities for climate action in the region in 2021, the second year of the Corona virus pandemic.

Bangkok residents are finding more options for plant-based meat, with names like ‘More Meat’, ’Never Meat’ or ‘Let’s Plant Eat’, in groceries. In Manila, a government agency ran a contest for creating plant-based versions of native dishes. Over in Vietnam, social media influencers are urging followers to think sustainability through their food habits.

From its bloody war on drugs to its fight against terrorism and the lingering communist insurgency, the Duterte administration has exhibited a steadfast resolve to address the Philippines’ security challenges. One striking observation is its heavy dependence on the armed forces to accomplish its security goals, albeit at great cost to the nation’s democracy.

For the working people of ASEAN, East Asia and the Asia-Pacific, the RCEP’s arrival is puzzling. It has not received a warm welcome from the people at the grassroots. This is so because past and existing FTAs have not delivered the promised gains from a free-trade arrangement: full employment, social protection and  well-being for the working people. 

What can Southeast Asia learn from nearly a year of responses to COVID-19? A key question, not yet answered, is how to find the elusive balance between public health concerns and economic curbs, and achieve the right balance between stringent safety measures and open borders.

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.

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.

2020 is an outstanding year in every respect. Despite current events turning the world upside-down, it is also the anniversary of a number of historic events that changed the world and people’s lives: 30 years of German reunification, 45 years of diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Germany (former West Germany) and Vietnam

As institutions claimed themselves as concerning with gender equality, we would assume that gender and women’s issues are in the center of its development efforts as shown on the website of ADB, World Bank and AIIB: many women’s and children faces.

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.