Southeast Asia Globe is member-supported publication featuring in-depth journalism that promotes a more informed, inclusive and sustainable future. Members work with our team to shape our editorial direction and hold us accountable.
While we welcomed some new faces to our editorial team this week, we also tackled fake news in Cambodia, the fight for UN recognition in Myanmar, and took a ride with taxi drivers on the front lines in Ho Chi Minh City
By
Alastair McCready
- Sep 04, 2021
In late-July, the US-funded CambodiaCheck project would be launched to counter misinformation surrounding the Kingdom. Less than a month later, the fact checking initiative would be cut short, standing accused of spreading the very thing it set out to counter
By
Alastair McCready
- Sep 03, 2021
This week Weilee Yap made an impressive introduction as she published her first piece with the Globe looking at the plight of Singapore’s elderly amid the ‘new normal’. While we also delved into the crash of Adam Air flight 574, a disaster that speaks to not only mistakes made by the pilots that day, but to wider corruption in Indonesia’s aviation industry that continues on in 2021
By
Alastair McCready
- Aug 07, 2021
This week we looked at three groups of Cambodian women, all of whom are facing struggles exacerbated by the pandemic
By
Alastair McCready
- Jul 31, 2021
Once a bustling port of the British Empire, by the late 1960s George Town was a city in decline. But 1972 would prove to be the turning point for Penang, transforming the island once again into a Malaysian economic powerhouse
By
Alastair McCready
- Jul 08, 2021
Environmental conservation is a political tightrope in Cambodia. The conviction of Mother Nature activists shows the consequences of pushing things too far, while the close relationship between major NGOs and authorities illustrates the risks of too much compliance
By
Alastair McCready
- Jun 25, 2021
The Globe team has been slugging away for a long time now without much let up. To take some time to reflect on the direction of our publication, as well as preserve all of our sanity, we’ll be taking a one week break from publishing
By
Chia Chi Hsu
- Jun 14, 2021
Today the crumbling Hotel Renakse sits empty in the shadow of Phnom Penh's Royal Palace, being slowly reclaimed by nature. But in the early 1990s, the hotel played host to three decisive moments in the reintroduction of press freedom to Cambodia
By
Alastair McCready
- Jun 04, 2021
The Mekong region countries were until recently heralded as exceptional cases in controlling the spread of Covid-19. But recent weeks have seen cases explode across Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, leaving Vietnam on high alert and observers asking what's gone so wrong
By
Alastair McCready, Wanpen Pajai and Govi Snell
- May 07, 2021
The ousting of the National League for Democracy in the February 1 coup triggered a major shift in power dynamics between Myanmar's ethnic groups. Now, with talk of a federal army and government growing, minority groups are pushing the Bamar majority for real change
By
Allegra Mendelson and Alastair McCready
- Apr 23, 2021
An artist has caused uproar and anguish after photoshopping smiles onto the faces of inmates photographed at notorious Khmer Rouge prison camp S-21. Here, the brother of Khva Leang, incorrectly introduced as Bora in the piece, tells the true story of his long-lost kin
By
Andrew Haffner and Alastair McCready
- Apr 12, 2021
Controversy erupted last week after CNN embarked upon a military-guided press tour in Myanmar. Watching this unfold was especially powerful for us. You see, we knew something that no one else did at this point – we also had a reporter on this trip
By
Chia Chi Hsu
- Apr 07, 2021
This week we tackled perhaps the region’s biggest issue right now, the prospects for peace in Myanmar. We also covered hot huskies and child protestors in Bangkok, while we have a very exciting project on the go that we can’t quite announce yet
By
Chia Chi Hsu
- Mar 27, 2021
This time last year, as I sat in a vacated newsroom, the Globe had truly hit rock bottom. In all kinds of trouble, we called on our readers for support, rolling out our membership programme. Today, we’re entering the most exciting period in the Globe’s 14-year history
By
Chia Chi Hsu
- Mar 22, 2021
The 1962 coup d'etat is Myanmar's nation-defining moment, plunging the country into military rule, the effects of which are unfolding today. Taken in 1960, these striking images show pre-coup Myanmar, back when the country's trajectory could still have been different
By
Alastair McCready
- Mar 15, 2021
The role of UN Special Rapporteur monitoring human rights in Myanmar has never been an easy one. But now, following a military coup on February 1, this crucial line of defence in documenting and preventing rampant abuses in the country looks set to get even harder
By
Alastair McCready
- Feb 03, 2021
While Cambodia is among the world's least impacted nations health-wise by the pandemic, common perception is that this is more by luck than design. But new data, along with epidemiologist Michael Kinzer, suggest there's more behind this success than meets the eye
By
Alastair McCready
- Jan 27, 2021
Post-WWI, aerial photography became central to French rule over Indochina as the colonial administration charted remote corners of the region. Here, images taken by a French air force pilot show the empire's dying days, providing a bird’s-eye view of Cambodia and Vietnam
By
Alastair McCready
- Jan 25, 2021
Long-regarded as invaders and colonisers in the national narrative, the historically potent enmity shown by many Cambodians towards the Vietnamese is on the wane as the Kingdom's political and economic landscape dramatically shifts
By
Alastair McCready
- Jan 07, 2021
With a revoked Cambodian passport in hand and a ruling party intent on blocking her return, Cambodian National Rescue Party deputy leader Mu Sochua has called on King Sihamoni to 'be courageous' and ensure her right to a fair trial
By
Alastair McCready
- Jan 05, 2021
As Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Rhona Smith has faced criticism for being too strong in her assessments by some, while labelled too weak by others. Entering the final six months of her mandate, Smith reflects on the evolution of democracy and human rights in the Kingdom during her tenure
By
Alastair McCready and Andrew Haffner
- Dec 04, 2020
Almost six months since her brother was snatched off the streets of Phnom Penh, the sister of missing Thai dissident Wanchalearm Satsaksit has arrived in the Cambodian capital seeking answers on her brother's whereabouts
By
Andrew Haffner and Alastair McCready
- Nov 25, 2020
This week we delve into the world of art and culture, raising the curtain with Mandalay-based socially-conscious performing arts school Inwa, teaching progressive values to rural youth in Myanmar. We then explore themes of identity and belonging with Lao American author Bryan Woah Thao Worra, publishing four selected poems from his recently-released new book, ‘Before We Remember We Dream’
By
Alastair McCready
- Nov 21, 2020
The sixth book of celebrated Lao American poet Bryan Thao Worra, Before We Remember We Dream, explores diverse aspects of the diaspora experience – from political campaigning, citizenship exams and childhood toys
By
Alastair McCready
- Nov 18, 2020
Grand Industry 4.0 visions have long been on the agenda of regional leaders, from Thailand 4.0 to Make in Vietnam campaigns. But in Cambodia, still heavily reliant on an unskilled workforce, just how to create a tech-driven economy for the benefit of all remains unclear
By
Alastair McCready
- Oct 30, 2020
News site New Naratif has been subject to a police investigation in recent weeks for reportedly violating Singapore's election laws. In an interview with the Globe, co-founder and Managing Director PJ Thum spoke out against the harassment he and New Naratif are facing
By
Alexi Demetriadi and Alastair McCready
- Oct 08, 2020
Refuse collectors in Phnom Penh ended a five-day strike on October 7, with mounds of trash set to be cleared from the capital's streets, but the future of refuse collection in capital remains up in the air
By
Andrew Haffner and Alastair McCready
- Oct 07, 2020
The vendors plying their trade on Phnom Penh's streets play an invaluable but under-appreciated role supporting life in the capital. But using their makeshift riverside studio, two photographers set out to place these overlooked workers in the spotlight
By
Alastair McCready
- Oct 06, 2020
This collection of archive images depicts Phnom Penh in April 1953, offering an insight into Cambodia on the brink of independence, a country yet to be touched by the heady development of the 60s or the tragedy of the 70s
By
Alastair McCready
- Sep 17, 2020
Today, Manila is a sprawling metropolis largely dominated by anonymous high-rise condominium blocks, shopping malls and traffic-clogged highways. But back in the 1960s, more evident was a clean, sleek and modernising city displaying an abundance of character
By
Alastair McCready
- Sep 04, 2020
With the former Phnom Penh home of visionary Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann on the market, its potential sale to private investors provides few guarantees over its preservation as a Cambodian cultural artefact and heritage site
By
Alastair McCready
- Aug 03, 2020
This week we peak under Vietnam's toupet and examine the causes behind the country's fast receding hairline. Among the fastest-ageing populations in the world, how will Vietnam handle its growing cohort of elders? We also look ahead to the recently announced Myanmar elections. Five years since her landmark 2015 victory, Aung San Suu Kyi has firmly fallen from grace in the eyes of the international community – will her domestic downfall be next?
By
Alastair McCready
- Jul 23, 2020
Though Vietnam is rapidly changing by virtually every metric, it's the country's ongoing demographic shift that could prove most pivotal. With birthrates dropping and life expectancy rising, Vietnam is among the world's most rapidly ageing societies
By
Alastair McCready
- Jul 21, 2020
This week we look into why there are roving gibbons and hornbills in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. The answer, somewhat unsurprisingly, has to do with elite privilege and nepotism. We also mark four years since Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte's inauguration by asking why the divisive strongman is so reviled by his detractors, yet so loved by his supporters.
By
Alastair McCready
- Jun 29, 2020
While China is often criticised for the negative influence it wields over Southeast Asian affairs, Japan's role in backing authoritarian regimes and promoting rights abuses in the region remains far less publicised, but arguably no less pernicious
By
Alastair McCready
- Jun 26, 2020
This week we mark World Rainforest Day with an op-ed from the Rainforest Alliance, in which they explain how Indonesia's indigenous communities play a crucial role in preserving their life-giving effects. We also mark the one year anniversary of the deadly Sihanoukville building collapse, which claimed 28 lives last June. We ask, despite new legislation, has anything substantively changed in the Cambodian building sector?
By
Alastair McCready
- Jun 22, 2020
The shutdown of world travel has hit tourist-reliant Siem Reap hard, with visitors to Angkor Wat dropping dramatically. But inside the park it's Cambodian visitors who are the beneficiaries, as they enjoy a brief moment of tranquility at this sacred cultural heritage site
By
Alastair McCready
- Jun 16, 2020
Consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft has ranked Cambodia 28th in the world and the highest risk in Southeast Asia for the use of child labour in its 2020 index. The Southeast Asia region as a whole faired poorly, with seven countries deemed at 'extreme' or 'high' risk
By
Alexi Demetriadi and Alastair McCready
- Jun 12, 2020
When Thai activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit was bundled into a car in Phnom Penh on June 4, he became merely the latest in a string of forced disappearances in the region. With several authoritarian governments coexisting in close proximity, the peculiarly Mekong country issue of activist kidnapping shows no sign of abating
By
Alastair McCready
- Jun 11, 2020
This week we pay tribute to the late, great Anthony Bourdain. Two years since his sudden passing, the chef's legacy across Southeast Asia is still visible to this day. We also turn to the Moken people of the Andaman Sea, a culture of sea nomads that has found a new lease of life through the pandemic.
By
Alastair McCready
- Jun 08, 2020
This week, the Globe marks two significant dates in Vietnamese and Cambodian history. On April 29 1970, US and South Vietnamese troops entered Cambodia to fight the Viet Cong, a campaign that would ultimately result in a significant political victory for growing maoist rebels the Khmer Rouge. April 30 1975 would also see Saigon fall to North Vietnam, with South Vietnam's government surrendering unconditionally, ending the war. As ever, we're also calling for submissions for our Tales of the Pandemic series looking at how life has been impacted across the region due to Covid-19. Get in touch with your personal essay!
By
Alastair McCready
- Apr 27, 2020
With the Covid-19 death toll reaching into the hundreds-of-thousands, the people behind the figures become easily obscured. Here, the Globe's editor Alastair McCready talks about losing his father this month, unable to speak to or visit him in the south London isolation ward where he passed
By
Alastair McCready
- Apr 20, 2020
From dire International Monetary Fund economic forecasts, to Khmer New Year being moved online to respect social distancing, this is how countries across Southeast Asia are faring with the ongoing global pandemic
By
Alastair McCready
- Apr 17, 2020
We want to hear from you! As part of our Tales of the Pandemic series, we are publishing a selection of personal essays from across Southeast Asia, looking at how life has been impacted by Covid-19. If you’d like to submit your own reach out to a.mccready@globemediaasia.com
By
Alastair McCready
- Apr 03, 2020
This week, under the ever-looming shadow of COVID-19, we marked the 5th anniversary of the death of Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. We also delved into the world of type-faces in Southeast Asia – with these seemingly innocuous characters having a monumental impact on the way people live and communicate across the region
By
Alastair McCready
- Mar 27, 2020
As COVID-19 brings the global economy to a grinding halt, industry insiders warn that Cambodian workers face factory closures and job suspensions as the demand for goods falls in the West
By
Alastair McCready
- Mar 23, 2020
This week, under the gloom of COVID-19, we've largely focused our attention away from the present and have taken a look at several significant events past and future. Among these is arguably Cambodia's most consequential occurrence, the 1970 coup d'etat that would change the course of the Kingdom's history
By
Alastair McCready
- Mar 20, 2020
Despite being Southeast Asia's largest economy, Indonesia's children are among the most stunted and malnourished in the world. The Globe looks at the causes of this public health crisis in the vast archipelago nation
By
Alastair McCready
- Feb 27, 2020
In the eighth and final instalment of Southeast Asia Globe's collaboration with Future Forum on the Cambodia 2040 project, we sit down with the think-tank's founder Ou Virak to hear his reflections on the series. In the decades to come, does he believe that the Kingdom will successfully address the pressing issues raised?
By
Alastair McCready
- Jan 22, 2020
After more than two years facing charges of treason, Cambodia's embattled former opposition leader Kem Sokha is set to finally receive his day in court on Wednesday. Southeast Asia Globe spoke with his daughter Monovithya, as well as those who have worked closely with him over the years, to learn about the man behind the politics
By
Andrew Haffner and Alastair McCready
- Jan 14, 2020
As a new decade dawns, Southeast Asia is a region on the brink of dramatic growth and change. Looking at our four pillars – Power, Money, Life and Earth – Southeast Asia Globe outlines some of the biggest stories, trends and events to watch out for in the region in the coming year
By
Alastair McCready
- Jan 07, 2020
From civil war and genocide, to US refugees and deportees, Cambodia’s emerging breakdancing and hip-hop scene has been more than four decades in the making, moulded by profound social forces
By
Alastair McCready
- Dec 24, 2019
