tier-1



STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 02, 2021 • 11 min read

Immigration Here’s what Vietnam’s visa crackdown tells us about the country

By Govi Snell • Jul 02, 2021
One of the world's poorest countries three decades ago – Vietnam has made a quick push to middle-income status. While the expertise of outsiders was necessary to this growing prosperity, a new clampdown on foreign workers showcases the country's evolution

STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 01, 2021 • 4 min read

Covid-19 Tourists land in no-quarantine Phuket despite Thailand Covid-19 surge

By Pathom Sandwongwanich and Jonathan Klein/AFP • Jul 01, 2021
Tourist hotspot Phuket welcomed its first set of international travellers on Thursday July 1 as part of Thailand's quarantine-free project, despite the country battling its worst Covid-19 outbreak

STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 01, 2021 • 15 min read

Myanmar military My time at the Myanmar military’s propaganda arm, The New Light

By Jessica Mudditt • Jul 01, 2021
In Myanmar, military paper The New Light is infamous, reporting on the mundane and the pleasant as it's remained absurdly quiet on the coup. Back in 2015, author Jessica Mudditt got a glimpse into the propaganda machine, becoming one of the paper's first foreign editors

STORY OF THE DAY • Jun 30, 2021 • 4 min read

Myanmar coup ‘Revolution Love’ sweeps Myanmar protest barricades

By Natalia Che/with Ei San/AFP • Jun 30, 2021
Since the coup, regular life in Myanmar has been interrupted. With bars closed and dating apps difficult to use with regular internet blackouts, young people have started finding love in the midst of the anti-coup protests

Jun 30, 2021 • 3 min read
Podcast

Anakut Season 2 is here! First up, Cambodia’s LGBTQ+ community

Welcome to Season 2 of the Anakut podcast! As June is the Pride Month, we're kicking off with Cambodia's LGBTQ+ community, discussing the hopes and challenges facing individuals today. Joining us is Skyler Ros, a transgender fashion designer, and Seng Reasey, executive director of rights group SILAKA
By Andrew Haffner • Jun 30, 2021

Jun 29, 2021 • 3 min read
Myanmar coup

Myanmar jade industry becoming ‘slush fund’ for junta

Myanmar's multi-billion-dollar jade mines are on the verge of becoming a "slush fund" for the military junta, as consumers are urged to boycott purchasing any gemstones
By Agence France-Presse • Jun 29, 2021

Jun 29, 2021 • 11 min read
Thai democracy

Amid politics and pandemic, Thai democracy movement attempts revival

By late 2020, the Thai pro-democracy movement looked set to bring about major changes. But in the months since, legal warfare from authorities and a public health crisis has ground protests to a halt. Now, activists are returning to the streets, but is momentum gone?
By Wanpen Pajai • Jun 29, 2021

Jun 28, 2021 • 13 min read
Fintech

The secret to advanced fintech in Southeast Asia’s poorest countries

In Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, three of Southeast Asia's least-developed and most unbanked nations, unique socio-economic contexts have contributed to the growth of fintech that wouldn't look out of place in some of the world's most developed economies
By Kiana Duncan • Jun 28, 2021

Jun 26, 2021 • 3 min read
Editorial

For sale: Cambodia’s national parks

We dove right back into things on our first week back from the publishing holiday with a look at at Cambodia’s vanishing national parks, the endless land struggle of the indigenous Orang Asli of Malaysia and the bittersweet life of Saiful, a hopeful 10-year-old Rohingya who died last month off the shore of the far flung Bhasan Char island.
By Andrew Haffner • Jun 26, 2021

Jun 25, 2021 • 2 min read
Environment

A rare, giant barking deer has been spotted in Cambodia

A giant barking deer has been spotted in Cambodia's Ratanakiri province for the first time, a promising sign for the country's wildlife preservation efforts, officials said Friday June 25
By Agence France-Presse • Jun 25, 2021

Jun 25, 2021 • 13 min read
Environmentalism

The politics of conservation in Cambodia

Environmental conservation is a political tightrope in Cambodia. The conviction of Mother Nature activists shows the consequences of pushing things too far, while the close relationship between major NGOs and authorities illustrates the risks of too much compliance
By Alastair McCready • Jun 25, 2021

Jun 24, 2021 • 3 min read
Philippines politics

Philippines’ ex-president ‘Noynoy’ Aquino dies at 61

Former Philippines' president Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, who hailed from one of the country's most powerful political families and served in office from 2010 to 2016, died Thursday June 24
By Agence France-Presse • Jun 24, 2021