Power

Political reporting and analysis on the big questions facing the region.

Power • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 14, 2023 • 12 min read

Long-form ‘Riot Island’: The brutal arc of Singapore’s prison experiment

By Amanda Oon • Jul 14, 2023
Established in the last years of colonial Singapore, Pulau Senang was supposed to be a different, more progressive kind of prison. Six decades after the island collapsed into nightmarish conditions, a recent documentary has pulled its story back into the city-state’s public memory

Power • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 13, 2023 • 7 min read

Reported explainer The hard road to government for Thailand’s Move Forward Party

By Ian Hollinger • Jul 13, 2023
The progressive opposition, headed by the relatively youthful Pita Limjaroenrat, won a decisive victory at the polls in May. But today’s parliamentary vote for a new prime minister could show that its biggest challenges are still ahead

Power • Jun 28, 2023 • 5 min read
Editorial

Philippines drugs crackdown continues as Marcos Jr. marks first anniversary

As Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. marks his first anniversary as president of the Philippines, the country's brutal war on drugs continues despite his pledges to move away from the crackdown of his predecessor strongman Rodrigo Duterte
By Chris Fitzgerald • Jun 28, 2023

Power • Jun 23, 2023 • 4 min read
Analysis

Hasty Thai meeting with Myanmar leaders baffles ASEAN

Overtures to include Myanmar junta leaders in a bloc gathering raised eyebrows and highlighted divisions in the regional grouping toward the raging, post-coup conflict
By Beatrice Siviero • Jun 23, 2023

Power • Jun 21, 2023 • 8 min read
Activism

Ongoing attacks on activists bring Laos into the spotlight

The news of attacks on Lao political activists, Anousa “Jack” Luangsuphom and Bounsuan Kitiyano, have cast an ominous light on the persecution of those daring to criticise authority, whether they remain on home soil or attempt to seek safety in neighbouring Thailand
By Beatrice Siviero • Jun 21, 2023

Power • May 28, 2023 • 4 min read
Explainer

With Timor-Leste election win, Xanana Gusmão is back on top

The independence-era hero was the country's very first president and one of the main conflict-era figures who still dominate the Timorese political landscape. With a popular victory on last weekend's ballot, Gusmao will face daunting challenges as the likely next head of government
By Beatrice Siviero • May 28, 2023

Power • May 26, 2023 • 9 min read
Cyberspace

Stopping the scroll: Vietnam threatens TikTok ban

Hanoi has launched an unusually thorough probe of the video-sharing platform's local operations. As authorities brand the app a social ill, concerns loom over both domestic speech restrictions and sovereignty issues with China
By Govi Snell • May 26, 2023

Power • May 24, 2023 • 8 min read
Interview

The fight to bring human rights to the Thai ballot box

Pro-democracy activist Chonthicha ‘Lookkate’​ Jangrew, 30, won a constituency seat for the opposition Move Forward Party in Thailand’s recent general election. In this Q&A, Chonthicha describes her journey to activism from a military upbringing, as well as her hopes for change through political engagement
By Beatrice Siviero • May 24, 2023

Power • May 19, 2023 • 10 min read
Comparative politics

A tale of two elections in Cambodia and Thailand

This week brought vastly different political news to the neighbours, which saw a major opposition win at the polls in Thailand and a further tightening of electoral space in Cambodia. In this Q&A, author and Professor Lee Morgenbesser compares the situations in both countries and puts them in broader context
By Leila Goldstein • May 19, 2023

Power • May 17, 2023 • 4 min read
Analysis

Thai elections mark declining public interest in nationalism, patronage politics

This week's election results handed a surprising victory to the opposition Move Forward Party. While it remains to be seen if the conservative establishment will allow them to actually take power, the vote signals a turning point in the mindset of the Thai public
By Titipol Phakdeewanich • May 17, 2023