The times are uncertain but the Globe keeps turning — and in this case, hiring! Big things are happening behind the scenes and we have an opening for an editorial position on the team. Are you someone who’s passionate and knowledgeable about Southeast Asia, comfortable wrangling stories into shape and keen to learn more about all of the above? If so, we want to hear from you! Check out the official job posting on our site and send us your CV if you’re interested in joining our crew.
In further Globe news, you’ll find a changeup in our regular programming next week as we work to reimagine some parts of our publication. I’ll leave it to our EiC Alastair McCready to explain more in a Monday editorial, but suffice it to say you’ll be seeing a new kind of Globe in the months ahead. Speaking of programming, the production of our podcast Anakut is now in full swing! Expect our first episode of Season 2 to debut in a few weeks time, with a new voice at the mic alongside yours truly. Meanwhile, you can catch up with all the episodes of Season 1 through this link.
This week isn’t just Globe news, of course. We have a roster of hard-hitting features from the team, starting off with a dual-effort from Globe reporters Allegra Mendelson and Kiana Duncan, who teamed up to learn more about the infowar in post-coup Myanmar.
Dissenters of the Myanmar military have long feared the pervasive influence of informants lurking often in plain sight. With the advent of new technology, activists now resisting the coup are on the alert for more sophisticated infiltration online — and even from the skies thanks to a network of military drones. But have the eavesdroppers truly gone virtual? Read the piece to hear what activities are seeing on the cyber-street.
Heading south, the bright lights of Bangkok attract migrants from all over Thailand seeking their fortunes in the big city. That’s the old story, anyway, but now thanks to Covid-19 the typical flow of internal migration has been thrown into reverse, pushing now-jobless migrants back into the provinces. Wanpen Pajai dove into the demographics of the pandemic, hit the link to learn what she found.
Land is a precious commodity and, in southern Thailand, it’s one that people are willing to kill for. In this latest piece from Globe columnist Mark Cogan, we go deep on a brutal campaign to push smallholder farmers from their lands in Surat Thani province. Give this one a read, it’s well-worth your time.
Over the border in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province, we find the iconic Angkor Wat — and, until last year, hordes of foreign tourists. Thanks to Angkorian temples, Siem Reap has been the crown jewel of the mass tourism model that has come to form a pillar of the national economy. But with dwindling numbers of visitors coming to see the Kingdom even before the pandemic slammed the door shut on international travel, is it time to rethink the way Cambodian operators do business? Some great insights here from Darlin Nay, a lecturer at the Royal University of Phnom Penh and a young researcher at Phnom Penh-based think tank Future Forum, on where the Cambodian travel industry might go next.
Finally, in our last piece of the week, we hop over to the city-state of Singapore, the spotless little land of sidewalks and, on its face, a distinctive urban harmony. So where does the national population of free-roaming cats fit into this unwrinkled social fabric? Though well-mannered urbanites might recoil from these so-called strays, contributor Stephanie C. Heng is putting out a call for a kinder, gentler acceptance of these community felines. So next time you spot a cat lazing in the sun of a Singaporean high-rise, just remember — it’s their home too!
Closing out with some news from Globe-world. You’ve heard a lot by now about our fundraiser, but I want to plug it yet again to thank everyone who’s donated and, of course, to ask you to please consider chipping in if the Globe has provided some meaningful content to your life at any time over our 14-year-run. We’re here to stay and want to deliver an even-better experience to each of you. But we can’t do it without your help, so do give us a thought (and maybe a few dollars!) if you can.
