Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia • STORY OF THE DAY • Sep 23, 2020 • 6 min read

Opinion As Cambodia cracks down, youth must increase their social media activism

By Kimkong Heng • Sep 23, 2020
While youth-led protests grow in neighbouring Thailand, a spate of arrests of Cambodian activists in recent months has been met with a muted response. Researcher Kimkong Heng believes it's high-time that the Kingdom's youth reengaged through social media

Southeast Asia • STORY OF THE DAY • Sep 15, 2020 • 2 min read

Religion Dungeons and dragons: Thai temples put quirky spin on Buddhism

By Agence France-Presse • Sep 15, 2020
A dragon encircles a tower, wretched souls face torture, superheroes scale a mosaic wall – these may seem like scenes from a half-remembered dream, but are in fact famed temples in Thailand

Southeast Asia • Sep 15, 2020 • 8 min read
Opinion

‘An all-time low’: Cambodia’s search for peace and democracy continues

Cambodia has undergone a shrinking of democratic space and human rights in recent years, with this gathering pace again with the arrest of Rong Chhun and other activists in recent months. This Democracy Day, CCHR's Chak Sopheap marks the occasion by outlining where the Kingdom is going wrong
By Chak Sopheap • Sep 15, 2020

Southeast Asia • Sep 10, 2020 • 1 min read
Covid-19

Jakarta to reimpose partial lockdown as virus cases surge

Indonesia on September 9 reported at least 203,342 confirmed cases and over 8,336 deaths due to the coronavirus, with Jakarta set to reimpose lockdown. With some of the world’s lowest testing rates, the true scale is widely believed to be much greater.
By Agence France-Presse • Sep 10, 2020

Southeast Asia • Sep 03, 2020 • 3 min read

DARK MATTER EXHIBITION BY DONVIRAO

Sofitel around the world makes it a point of honour to promote art and culture, particularly inspiring local talent, and the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is no exception. We are excited to announce the opening of the Dark Matter Exhibition by Donvirao
By Daniel Marchette • Sep 03, 2020

Southeast Asia • Sep 03, 2020 • 5 min read
Women's rights

The Buddhist nun challenging misogyny in Myanmar

In a society that urges every woman to "regard her son as her master and her husband as her god", Buddhist nun Ketumala is an outlier. The 40-year-old walked away from traditional expectations of marriage and children as a teen, and has instead spent more than two decades as an advocate for the importance of women in religion
By Agence France-Presse • Sep 03, 2020

Southeast Asia • Sep 01, 2020 • 2 min read
Rohingya rights

Nearly 300 Rohingya migrants come ashore in Indonesia

Nearly 300 Rohingya migrants came ashore on Indonesia’s Sumatra island early Monday, authorities said, in one of the biggest such landings by the persecuted Myanmar minority in the Muslim-majority nation in years. The migrants, including more than a dozen children, were spotted at sea by locals who helped them…
By AFP • Sep 01, 2020

Southeast Asia • Aug 27, 2020 • 4 min read
Philippines democracy

Is Duterte behind calls for ‘revolutionary government’ in the Philippines?

A group of high-profile Rodrigo Duterte supporters have called for a "revolutionary government" to be established in the Philippines, led by the highly controversial strongman, causing unease among large sections of society
By Sara Gomez Armas/EFE-EPA • Aug 27, 2020

Southeast Asia • Aug 17, 2020 • 2 min read
Thai economy

Thailand’s economy shrinks most in more than 20 years

Thailand's economic growth contracted by 12.2% in the second quarter of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the steepest drop for the tourism-driven economy since the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis
By Agence France-Presse • Aug 17, 2020

Southeast Asia • Aug 17, 2020 • 13 min read
Myanmar history

The enduring legacy of Karen revolutionary leader Saw Ba U Gyi

The history and legacy of revolutionary leader Saw Ba U Gyi is little-known outside, or inside, Myanmar. But 70 years since his death, the fight first forged by the beret-wearing father of the Karen nationalist movement continues on
By Oliver Slow • Aug 17, 2020