Life

Putting people at the heart of the story.

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • Feb 18, 2016 • 11 min read

Suspicious psychology Are conspiracy theorists misguided – or onto something?

By David Hutt • Feb 18, 2016
From Vietnam’s secret powers and the Jewish plot for world domination to the calculated spread of HIV, the conspiracy theory is alive and well in Southeast Asia. The thing is, some experts say they might not be as fanciful as we imagine

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • Feb 12, 2016 • 11 min read

Zouk KL Inside Asia’s biggest nightclub

By Dene Mullen • Feb 12, 2016
Zouk KL welcomes 17,000 clubbers a week and attracts the world’s biggest DJs. The men behind the business share the secrets behind Asia’s largest nightclub

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • Feb 11, 2016 • 12 min read

Thailand Nationalism and the rise of Buddhist extremism

By David Hutt • Feb 11, 2016
As a campaign to make Buddhism the state religion of Thailand ramps up, concerns about radicalism have come to the fore, along with concern over how this renewed religiosity could be used in an already divided country

Life • Feb 01, 2016 • 9 min read
Urban art

Hitting a wall: Phnom Penh’s street art

After a world-class street artist left his mark on a drab wall in Phnom Penh, the government stamped its authority by painting over the mural within days. The decision has sparked a debate over the merits of street art and its place in Cambodia
By Daniel Besant • Feb 01, 2016

Life • Jan 29, 2016 • 3 min read
Indonesia's military re-enactments

Blast from the past

Military reenactments are sweeping Indonesia, where enthusiasts recreate battles from World War Two to the country’s fight for independence
By Hosea Aryo Bimo W.N. • Jan 29, 2016

Life • Jan 22, 2016 • 9 min read
Military bootcamp

Thailand’s humiliating hazing rituals

At universities and colleges across Thailand a dangerous tradition of hazing through initiation rites is leaving students exposed to injuries and damaging democratic values
By David Hutt • Jan 22, 2016

Life • Jan 20, 2016 • 3 min read

Phnom Penh's street art

Street art is popping up across the Cambodian capital, with work by famous names and local artists too
By Daniel Besant • Jan 20, 2016

Life • Jan 16, 2016 • 10 min read
Aliens

The believers: Southeast Asia’s UFO enthusiasts

UFOs were first reported in the region in 1810. Nowadays, aliens are calling on the telephone, cloning using only their fingers and preparing to lend a hand in the aftermath of World War Three. Welcome to the hospitable world of Southeast Asia’s UFO enthusiasts
By David Hutt • Jan 16, 2016

Life • Jan 13, 2016 • 4 min read
Interview

The politics of imagination: Patrick Samnang Mey

Comic book creator Patrick Samnang Mey discusses the difficulties he faced in having his work published and why there is so little political art in Cambodia
By David Hutt • Jan 13, 2016

Life • Dec 30, 2015 • 11 min read
Suharto and Indonesia

A bloody legacy

Fifty years ago, one of the most violent episodes in recent history took place across the Indonesian archipelago. Under General Suharto, an estimated 500,000 people were murdered in just two years, and the effects of the dictator’s rule are still reverberating through society
By Nithin Coca • Dec 30, 2015