Power

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

Power • STORY OF THE DAY • Aug 09, 2021 • 8 min read

Analysis ASEAN’s Myanmar dilemma isn’t over with new special envoy

By Hunter Marston • Aug 09, 2021
Last week, Brunei's Erywan Yusof was confirmed as ASEAN's new special envoy to Myanmar, in a move towards finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis. But a middle-ground candidate from the autocratic sultanate, his appointment offers limited hope for progress

Power • STORY OF THE DAY • Aug 06, 2021 • 7 min read

Analysis Thailand’s human rights narrative runs contrary to reality, even at the UN

By Mark S. Cogan • Aug 06, 2021
Despite cases of lèse-majesté piling up and pro-democracy protesters facing serious charges like sedition, Thailand’s third time through the Universal Periodic Review later this year will most likely be as inconsequential as previous UN human rights inspections

Power • STORY OF THE DAY • Aug 04, 2021 • 2 min read

Malaysia Malaysian Prime Minister rejects mounting calls to quit

By Agence France-Presse • Aug 04, 2021
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin rejected citizen's calls for resignation after poor governance but will face a no-confidence vote in parliament

Power • Aug 03, 2021 • 22 min read
Aviation safety

Killed by corruption: Graft in Indonesia’s aviation industry and Adam Air 574

Indonesia sits among the worst ranking nations globally for fatal airline crashes, with Adam Air 574 offering a stark example of why. Though 14 years have passed since this devastating accident, few lessons, it seems, have been learned
By Kylan Dempsey • Aug 03, 2021

Power • Aug 02, 2021 • 2 min read
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Mahathir, Anwar shelve rivalry to protest PM

Political heavyweights put aside long-running animosity and joined the opposition protest against a two-week shutdown of parliament and the resignation of the country's embattled premier resign
By Agence France-Presse • Aug 02, 2021

Power • Jul 30, 2021 • 3 min read
Myanmar coup

What’s happening in Myanmar, six months after the coup?

It has been six months since Myanmar's turmoil after the military deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's government and ended the country's decade-old experiment with democracy, what now?
By Agence France-Presse • Jul 30, 2021

Power • Jul 29, 2021 • 2 min read
Politics

Malaysian PM urged to quit after rare royal rebuke

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin urged to step down after being accused of treason by the king, denouncing his crisis-hit government for misleading parliament
By Agence France-Presse • Jul 29, 2021

Power • Jul 23, 2021 • 11 min read
History

José Ramos-Horta talks Timorese independence and Nobel Prize win, 25 years on

In 1975, Indonesian forces invaded Timor-Leste in an occupation that lasted nearly 25 years. During that time, future president and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate José Ramos-Horta navigated Cold War dynamics as he travelled the world lobbying for international support
By Allegra Mendelson • Jul 23, 2021

Power • Jul 22, 2021 • 2 min read
Thai democracy

Dozen Thai student activists charged with royal defamation

Thai pro-democracy student activists faces defamation and sedition charges over a rally last year that demanded reforms to Thailand's monarchy
By Agence France-Presse • Jul 22, 2021