Archive: Nov 2020



STORY OF THE DAY • Nov 16, 2020 • 5 min read

Food security Growing fear: Anxiety mounts over Vietnam’s food staples

By Alice Philipson and Tran Thi Minh Ha/AFP • Nov 16, 2020
Vietnam's fragrant noodle soups and fresh spring rolls have won fans across the globe, but mounting food safety scandals on the country's streets are sparking a rising tide of anxiety among millennials about what they eat

STORY OF THE DAY • Nov 16, 2020 • 8 min read

Analysis Who rules Thailand, the military or the monarchy?

By Mark S. Cogan • Nov 16, 2020
As Thailand's monarchy is rocked by unprecedented public protests, what would a diminished royal institution mean for the power and influence exerted by the kingdom's military?

STORY OF THE DAY • Nov 14, 2020 • 2 min read

Editorial Waiting for Biden

By Andrew Haffner • Nov 14, 2020
While the US election result remains officially undeclared, the Democrats look to have won the race. Since 2016, the Trump administration's stance towards Southeast Asia has been erratic at best – what could the next four years look like under Biden?

STORY OF THE DAY • Nov 13, 2020 • 3 min read

Myanmar elections Suu Kyi’s party wins absolute majority in Myanmar polls

By Su Myat Mon and Richard Sargent/AFP • Nov 13, 2020
Official results on November 13 showed that Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party had secured an absolute majority in Myanmar's general election. But the country's former ruling military-aligned party has called the polls neither free no fair

Nov 13, 2020 • 5 min read
Opinion

Malaysia’s “Stand United” budget heading into testy debate

Malaysia’s 2021 budget, labelled the “Stand United, We Shall Prevail” budget, strikes a conciliatory tone, but it will face some vigorous debate when it reaches parliament
By Kevin Zhang and Dr Lee Hwok-Aun • Nov 13, 2020

Nov 13, 2020 • 10 min read
US elections

Watching and waiting: What’s to come under Biden for Southeast Asia?

While the US election result remains officially undeclared, the Democrats look to have won the race. Since 2016, the Trump administration's stance towards Southeast Asia has been erratic at best – what could the next four years look like under Biden?
By Andrew Haffner • Nov 13, 2020

Nov 13, 2020 • 9 min read
Industry 4.0

Bridging the gap: Reshaping tomorrow for the young Cambodian workforce

With the future of work highly uncertain in a Cambodia increasingly shaped by the looming Industry 4.0 revolution, and now the heavy disruption caused by the ongoing pandemic, how should we prepare and equip the Kingdom's youth for what's to come?
By Pagna Ukthaun • Nov 13, 2020

Nov 12, 2020 • 4 min read
ASEAN

Huge China-backed trade pact to be signed at Southeast Asian summit

The world's largest trade pact is set to be signed today the 37th ASEAN summit in Hanoi. The Chinese-led pact, seen a major coup boosting Beijing's influence in the region, will loop in 10 Southeast Asian economies
By Alice Philipson and Martin Abbugao/AFP • Nov 12, 2020

Nov 12, 2020 • 3 min read
Podcast

The Anakut podcast: Beyond aid and the future of foreign money

A reliance on development assistance has been a feature of the post-war Cambodian economy. But as the Kingdom moves towards upper middle-income status, should foreign investment replace foreign aid? Author Dr Ear Sophal joins Andrew in the booth to discuss
By Andrew Haffner • Nov 12, 2020

Nov 11, 2020 • 5 min read
Covid-19

The fight against child malnutrition in rural Cambodia during Covid

Since the pandemic began, children in rural Cambodia have been hardest hit by the knock-on effects of the virus, with a worrying increase in malnutrition that is threatening to reverse the Kingdom's progress made in child health over the last decade
By Joe Patchett • Nov 11, 2020

Nov 10, 2020 • 4 min read
Myanmar elections

Myanmar Muslim MP-elect vows to be rights champion

After five years of no representation in parliament, Sithu Maung, Myanmar's first Muslim to win a seat in November 8 election has vowed to fight for the rights of the oppressed in a country with rampant discrimination
By Richard Sargent and Su Myat Mon/AFP • Nov 10, 2020

Nov 10, 2020 • 10 min read
City planning

As wetlands are filled, Phnom Penh ignores Bangkok’s flooding lessons

As Bangkok attempts, at high cost, to reverse much of the damage done to the flood-prone city by restoring a more porous landscape, next door in Phnom Penh, wetlands are filled and skyscrapers erected as the Cambodian capital runs the risk of being submerged
By Wanpen Pajai • Nov 10, 2020