Life

Putting people at the heart of the story.

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • Nov 02, 2020 • 4 min read

Conservation Saving Angkor Wat: Cambodia’s ninja gardeners tame jungle growth

By Suy Se/AFP • Nov 02, 2020
Stacking a ladder against the towering spires of Cambodia's archaeological marvel Angkor Wat, a crack team of gardeners are gingerly scaling the ancient temple's exterior to hack away foliage before it damages the ancient facade

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • Oct 29, 2020 • 3 min read

Podcast The Anakut podcast: What does it mean to be Cambodian?

By Andrew Haffner • Oct 29, 2020
On Anakut this week we delve into identity and culture, asking that grandest of questions: what does it mean to be Cambodian in 2020? Joining Meng and Andrew in the studio to unpack this are festival organiser Lomorpich Rithy and budding reporter Phannaro Nhem

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • Oct 28, 2020 • 4 min read

Artist ‘Pioneer’ octogenarian Vietnamese artist gets first solo exhibit

By Alice Philipson • Oct 28, 2020
Internationally celebrated 89-year-old Vietnamese artist Mong Bich, who specialises in silk paintings of daily life and ordinary people, is gaining recognition in her home country, opening her first solo exhibition in Hanoi this month

Life • Oct 28, 2020 • 6 min read
Linguistics

The great debate: A peek into Timor-Leste’s history through language

Timor-Leste's long history of colonisation and occupation has left its linguistic mark on the country. Today, with two official languages and two working languages in operation, a debate over what tongue to use and when is underway in the tiny island nation
By Aashna Jamal • Oct 28, 2020

Life • Oct 27, 2020 • 8 min read
Covid-19

Life on hold for region’s refugees as resettlement shrinks during pandemic

An already lengthy process, refugee resettlement has taken a major hit during the pandemic. With the US and Australia announcing further quota cuts in recent weeks, the chance of a new life for many refugees stuck in Southeast Asia looks slimmer than ever
By Tara Abhasakun • Oct 27, 2020

Life • Oct 26, 2020 • 6 min read
Radicalisation

Shunted off Facebook, Indonesia’s extremists turn to Instagram

With more than 130 million users in Indonesia alone, Facebook has long been the platform of choice for extremists in the archipelago. But with Facebook tightening its controls over extremist content, many are turning to Instagram to promote the cause
By Ainur Rohmah • Oct 26, 2020

Life • Oct 21, 2020 • 2 min read
Covid-19

Thailand welcomes first tourists since March

October 20 saw the first tourists to arrive in the Land of Smiles in seven months, an experiment to see if a wider opening is possible as Thailand attempts to reinvigorate its battered economy
By Agence France-Presse • Oct 21, 2020

Life • Oct 21, 2020 • 14 min read
History

Who hijacked Malaysia Airlines 653? Revisiting the mystery 43 years on

On December 4, 1977, Malaysia Airlines flight 653 crashed into a swamp in Johor state, killing all 100 people onboard in what was then the deadliest plane hijacking in history. 43 years later, while the identity and motivations of the person behind the crash remain a mystery, an unearthed report sheds new light on the tragedy
By Kylan Dempsey • Oct 21, 2020

Life • Oct 20, 2020 • 3 min read
Education

World-Class Education grows in Cambodia

The Giving Tree celebrates its 12th anniversary with IB PYP Authorization
By The Giving Tree International School • Oct 20, 2020

Life • Oct 19, 2020 • 8 min read
History

The Jakarta Method: How US-backed communist purges shaped our world

Recently released book The Jakarta Method documents the deadly game of trial and error practiced by the CIA in 1960s Indonesia, as the Southeast Asian nation's US-backed mass killings would become the model for anti-communist purges around the globe
By Shanti du Rocher • Oct 19, 2020

Life • Oct 15, 2020 • 3 min read
Podcast

The Anakut podcast: Women in the Kingdom

Anakut: The podcast about Cambodia's future dissects the big issues impacting the Kingdom. This week, feminist figurehead Chak Sopheap and the next generation Ham Pidor discuss a topic directly impacting the lives of 50% of Cambodians – women's rights
By Andrew Haffner • Oct 15, 2020