ASEAN Today

We publish daily commentaries on issues that matter across the ASEAN region: politics, business, fintech & more. Got a pitch or query? [email protected]

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The recent violence between Israel and Palestine creates a challenge for Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei’s covert relationships with Tel Aviv, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/tCugLjFqZz

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

The Myanmar military’s arrest of US citizen and journalist Danny Fenster is the latest step in the junta’s attempt to extinguish independent media.

https://t.co/xzHs6zMmG7

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

The region’s poor and working classes are bearing the brunt of economic fallout from the latest wave of #COVID19. Long-term social protection schemes could help reduce impacts moving forward, writes @FryeZachary

https://t.co/AhQxsX02wa

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

#COVID19 surge in Thai prisons is a warning to other countries in Asia: The emergence of thousands of cases in Thailand’s jails underscores the threat posed by overcrowded prisons across Asia, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/Dxw7XsDYgu

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Worker deaths show toxic chemical use continues on Lao banana farms: Two workers on a Chinese-owned banana farm in Laos have reportedly died from toxic chemical exposure as the government struggles to enforce environmental regulations.

https://t.co/O7XXRZDQAP

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Myanmar’s military is reportedly developing a local intranet system to limit access to the internet. However, it is unlikely to succeed as it lacks technological sophistication and growing international and domestic resistance, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/EvLlfqiz20

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Indonesia’s move to proffer up a small island to Space X as a would-be site for a spaceport faces major objections as critics say it falls into a pattern of economic extraction and exploitation and the West Papua region.

https://t.co/q4vhgUXjHc

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

On #DiversityDay 2021, experts are calling on leaders in the region to protect nature amid continued deforestation and habitat degradation, writes @FryeZachary

https://t.co/ODIss6h9bI

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Myanmar’s military regime has suspended 1000s of academics for refusing to work. With the military set to continue its clampdown on the education sector, hopes are that Myanmar’s academics won't give in to the junta’s demands, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/rBOSPuGkzm

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

News of a US$18 billion merger between Indonesia’s largest tech startups—@gojekindonesia and @tokopedia—Southeast Asia’s tech industry is continuing on its path to make a global impact and transform the regional economy.

https://t.co/3rgccGpMaw

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Sara Duterte, continue to insist that she will not run in next year’s presidential election. However campaigns in support of her potential candidacy are growing, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/YbbIVihI8F

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

The impacts of climate change in Southeast Asia are pushing people to change their livelihoods. Reports of farmers in the #Mekong Delta converting their land from rice to shrimp production show the complexity of these economic shifts.

https://t.co/E0cSWM5Oia

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Vietnam has been praised globally for containing #COVID19 outbreaks but the latest wave of cases poses a threat to the country’s economic growth, particularly as it jeopardizes plans to reopen international tourism, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/uKld72azJd

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

The Myanmar government has approved a $2.5b energy project which observers say is likely a Chinese BRI investment. If so, it shows Beijing is working with the junta despite the political crisis and attacks on existing Chinese investments in the country.

https://t.co/0rbUwQsJmb

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

As fighting intensifies between Myanmar’s military and ethnic rebel groups, civilians are being forced to flee their homes to Thailand and India. A humanitarian crisis with regional implications could erupt if the trend continues, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/YReclEeizk

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Despite noble intentions, a community pantry relief initiative in the Philippines isn't exempt from the harsh realities of domestic politics. Yet it remains a national symbol of compassion & solidarity, bringing out the best of Filipinos during #COVID19.

https://t.co/gvpvv1Yda1

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

The ASIAN Network joins push for social impact tech in SE Asia: Forward-looking investments focusing on power of technology can help reduce inequality & expand opportunity, but regional governments must move beyond mere hype, writes @FryeZachary

https://t.co/gwg5UlqxVy

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

A new push to vaccinate residents of a dense, low income Bangkok neighborhood - Khlong Toei - shows what might be possible if Thailand adopts a more equitable #COVID19 pandemic response.

https://t.co/1gttPmWBxQ

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Philippines to benefit from Pakistan’s counterterrorism experience: Pakistan has made major gains in its fight against terrorism and the Philippines has indicated that it hopes to learn from Islamabad’s experiences and capabilities, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/yCYR1lDJFl

[ASEAN Today @asean_today]

Report says Myanmar junta vulnerable to sanctions on foreign cash flow: While calls mount for sanctions on the Myanmar military’s cash flows, analysts believe such tactics will not help change the junta’s actions, writes @UmairJamal15

https://t.co/4bHYqgmnE1