Martial arts The fight outside the ring
The career of a Kun Khmer fighter is marred by physical and mental obstacles. What motivates these men to put their bodies on the line?
yesterday • 12-minute read
20 January 2020
THIS WEEK IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Boom or bust.
This week we look at the shifting fortunes of communities across Southeast Asia, starting with the Vietnamese city of Hai Phong. In recent years, the once traditional industrial port has increasingly shifted to become a modern economic hub leading Vietnam’s foreign direct investment drive. While on Wednesday we wrap up our eight-week collaborative series with Future Forum with an interview with the think-tank’s founder Ou Virak, where he discusses his predictions for Cambodia in the decades to come. On Thursday we look at the latest happenings in Cambodia’s Sihanoukville, with the once-boom-town now shaken as Chinese investors and residents leave the city in droves. Read last week’s editorial
ALSO THIS WEEK
Into the future
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Power
Political reporting and analysis on the big questions facing the region.
Cambodia has once again ranked the lowest in Southeast Asia on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.
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Money
Business insights and innovation, from industry to entrepreneurs.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s upcoming Jan. 17 visit to Myanmar, his first yet, seems to herald a renewed friendship between the two nations. Xi is expected to push forward ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) plans in the country, which include a special economic zone on the Indian Ocean. The BRI is a big story in Southeast Asia, so read more with our coverage below.
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Life
Putting people at the heart of the story.
In the wake of the U.S. killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, Phillippine President Rodrigo Duterte has alerted his military to a potential rescue of Filipino workers in both west Asian countries. Though more than 1 million Filipino workers reside in the Persian Gulf states, the island nation counts thousands of its citizens in the conflict area. We’re taking a look at the ties in both work and conflict between the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Earth
How environmental change is shaping Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asians are turning against single-use plastic bags. In line with a new regulation signed by the Jakarta governor in late-2019, Indonesia’s sprawling capital city will ban the bag by the middle of this year. Thailand has also done the same, with that country’s ministry of environment reporting that Thais already cut back 2 billion bags last year. Check out our coverage of the fight against plastics pollution to learn more about what’s being done for a cleaner tomorrow.
