Democracy

With a population of under half a million located on a total land area of 5,765 sq. km, Brunei is uniquely positioned to use its small-nation status for its management of the pandemic. Small in size and number, it has been able to leverage on transparency and an openness of information from health authorities to address public concerns. Besides the health sector, other ministries have taken the cue to increase engagement, communications and accountability to the public.   

The circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted the striving of women and LGBTIQ+ activists worldwide. The Global Feminist Pitch 2021 introduces eleven feminists who will pursue nine projects on feminist resistance and resilience on social media, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) had the potential to be the most consequential congress since 1986, when the party adopted the Doi Moi reforms that began Vietnam’s opening to the world.

Populism, nationalism, and an intensifying rivalry between the United States and China are testing the cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As its 10 member States battle the effects of Covid-19 amid political and territorial crises, the group has struggled to overcome internal differences and address profound external challenges.

Rodrigo Duterte’s term as President of the Philippines ends on June 30, 2022. Many Filipinos and foreigners who have witnessed Duterte’s shocking antics, including presidents, pope, magistrates who have been the subject of Duterte’s abrasive talk and behavior over the past five years wonder how the Duterte presidency will end, and what is in store for the Philippines beyond?

On the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), the scholar-activist Dédé Oetomo from Indonesia explores the contrast between contemporary homophobia and transphobia and the more tolerant or accepting past and how this can give support to the LGBTIQ+ community.

More than a year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the virus continues to ravage the Asia-Pacific with catastrophic human, social, economic, and developmental costs. Many LGBTIQ+ persons experienced increased vulnerability on top of systemic human rights violations and social inequity many currently shoulder as the pandemic places more stress on health systems and social safety nets. 

The internet we have today has become as real as any social spaces we occupy in-person. So much of our lives are integrated digitally now and opting out of the digital space is no longer a choice for us. Today, to be online is to exist and to be seen.

Migrant workers amidst the pandemic in the Global South have gone through the same experience as those who are displaced. The health crisis has brought the plight of migrant workers to another level, in what it is considered here as ‘abandonment’.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are one of the cornerstones of gender equality. Access to abortion is one important part of SRHR and the way women’s bodies are regulated reflects on how a society values women and gender equality. Both, Cambodia and Thailand have legalized abortion until the 12th week.