Archive: Sep 2020



STORY OF THE DAY • Sep 16, 2020 • 7 min read

Human rights Pinoy Lives Matter: Duterte’s drug war rages on through pandemic

By Niko Vorobyov • Sep 16, 2020
Rodrigo Duterte's drug war has claimed the lives of thousands in the four years he's been in power in the Philippines. Despite strict stay-at-home measures in place during much of the pandemic, with millions under lockdown, the rate of killing has only increased

STORY OF THE DAY • Sep 15, 2020 • 2 min read

Religion Dungeons and dragons: Thai temples put quirky spin on Buddhism

By Agence France-Presse • Sep 15, 2020
A dragon encircles a tower, wretched souls face torture, superheroes scale a mosaic wall – these may seem like scenes from a half-remembered dream, but are in fact famed temples in Thailand

STORY OF THE DAY • Sep 15, 2020 • 8 min read

Opinion ‘An all-time low’: Cambodia’s search for peace and democracy continues

By Chak Sopheap • Sep 15, 2020
Cambodia has undergone a shrinking of democratic space and human rights in recent years, with this gathering pace again with the arrest of Rong Chhun and other activists in recent months. This Democracy Day, CCHR's Chak Sopheap marks the occasion by outlining where the Kingdom is going wrong

Sep 14, 2020 • 8 min read
Public spaces

Saigon has always lacked public space. Here’s how we can remedy that

Ho Chi Minh City is famous for many things – great food, culture and historic architecture. What it is not known for, however, is its green spaces. How should local government and developers set about remedying this?
By Michael Tatarski/Saigoneer • Sep 14, 2020

Sep 14, 2020 • 6 min read
Ethnic minorities

In Thailand, Akha tribe straddle identity and integration

An ethnic minority group in Thailand, the Akha hill tribe is navigating an ongoing dilemma between remembering their cultural roots, and integrating into Thai society with all the benefits and costs that accompany life in the modern world
By Tara Abhasakun • Sep 14, 2020

Sep 14, 2020 • 3 min read
Editorial

Hardship and love

After some delay, we’re back on our regular schedule from today on, bringing the latest from across our corner of the Globe
By Andrew Haffner • Sep 14, 2020

Sep 11, 2020 • 2 min read
Domestic workers

Singapore airport chairman quits amid fury over maid case

Liew Mun Leong, the chairman of Singapore's airport operator, stepped aside late on September 10 after he faced a public backlash when a judge cleared an Indonesian maid accused of stealing from his family. The case has raised questions about the treatment of domestic workers in the city-state
By Agence France-Presse • Sep 11, 2020

Sep 11, 2020 • 7 min read
Art and politics

Art reflecting life: The boundary-pushing work of Thai artist Baphoboy

Through smiles and sexualised ultra-violent imagery depicting authority figures, the controversial and striking work of young Thai artist Baphoboy holds a mirror up to the kingdom's elite with the aim of drawing a wider audience to politics
By Wanpen Pajai • Sep 11, 2020

Sep 10, 2020 • 1 min read
Covid-19

Jakarta to reimpose partial lockdown as virus cases surge

Indonesia on September 9 reported at least 203,342 confirmed cases and over 8,336 deaths due to the coronavirus, with Jakarta set to reimpose lockdown. With some of the world’s lowest testing rates, the true scale is widely believed to be much greater.
By Agence France-Presse • Sep 10, 2020

Sep 10, 2020 • 8 min read
Myanmar politics

For Rohingya politicians, Myanmar’s election lies increasingly out of reach

The upcoming parliamentary contest is seen as a crucial milestone in the democratisation of ultra-diverse Myanmar. But the country’s lingering embrace of ethnic-based levels of citizenship stands to make the ballot yet another barrier to those suffering state repression
By Andrew Haffner • Sep 10, 2020

Sep 10, 2020 • 8 min read
Malaysian ecotourism

When Covid-19 resets ecotourism

The loss of international tourists due to Covid-19 has shackled the ecotourism industry, but is it also bad for conservation? This is the first of a two-parter in the Taking Stock series looking at the impact of the global pandemic on ecotourism in Malaysia's Sabah state
By Sl Wong/Macaranga • Sep 10, 2020