Archive: Jun 2020



STORY OF THE DAY • Jun 04, 2020 • 8 min read

Analysis The importance and power of the arts during a global pandemic

By Ashley Tan • Jun 04, 2020
Art is so often regarded as non-essential and frivolous, an indulgence reserved for times of ease and comfort. But for Singaporean student Ashley Tan, this global pandemic has highlighted the importance and centrality of the medium in all of our lives

Jun 03, 2020 • 10 min read
Cambodian history

From colonial emblem to refugee camp: A brief history of Hotel Le Royal

As Phnom Penh’s landscape has changed beyond recognition in recent years, one hotel has remained a constant feature. As Le Royal traverses its 90th year, Jonathan Evans looks back over the rich but turbulent history of this iconic colonial structure
By Jonathan Evans • Jun 03, 2020

Jun 02, 2020 • 12 min read
International sanctions

Despite sanctions, how active is North Korean business in Southeast Asia?

The deadline to adhere to UN sanctions on North Korean businesses passed in late-2019, with notable efforts made to close ventures across Southeast Asia. But with attention elsewhere and the pressure off, sanctions adherence may fall on the backburner
By Alexi Demetriadi • Jun 02, 2020

Jun 02, 2020 • 3 min read
Covid-19

First Rohingya refugee dies from coronavirus in Bangladesh

A Bangladeshi health official confirmed that a 71-year-old Rohingya refugee is the first recorded person to die from Covid-19 in the country's crowded refugee camps in Cox's Bazar
By Shafiqul Alam/Agence France-Presse • Jun 02, 2020

Jun 01, 2020 • 5 min read
Tales of the Pandemic

[Photos] Night-time cycle rides through locked-down Singapore

Singapore's partial lockdown under "circuit breaker" mode has made the simple act of leaving the house a luxury for its citizens. For writer Toh Ee Ming, her long-ignored bicycle has become her lifeline, casting the city-state in a new light on her night-time rides
By Toh Ee Ming • Jun 01, 2020

Jun 01, 2020 • 3 min read
Editorial

North Korean business and the grande dame

This week we investigate whether North Korean business, reportedly all but squashed in Southeast Asia in compliance with UN sanctions, is alive and well in the region. Trip Advisor restaurant reviews certainly suggest so. We also take a look at the rich and turbulent history of the Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh, which has survived war and strife to become an ever present feature of the capital's landscape.
By Chia Chi Hsu • Jun 01, 2020

Jun 01, 2020 • 3 min read
Myanmar cuisine

‘Little Chef’ charms Myanmar with lockdown cooking classes

From boiled catfish soup to spicy fried frog, an eight-year-old in pyjamas and a chef's hat is delighting Myanmar with her culinary prowess in online classes to a nation still told to stay at home due to the coronavirus pandemic
By Lapyae Ko/AFP • Jun 01, 2020