New & Noteworthy
PBS NewshourAs Cambodia’s economy grows, low-income residents left behind
As Cambodia’s economy grows, low-income residents left behind
Cambodia has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, with a booming manufacturing industry and agricultural exports. But a burgeoning real estate market is causing displacement among farmers and low-income Cambodians, as the government grants large swaths of territory to companies for commercial projects.
The New York TimesHow ISIS Got a Foothold in the Philippines
How ISIS Got a Foothold in the Philippines
For about two weeks now, dozens of Islamist militants have faced off against the Philippine armed forces in the city of Marawi, on the southern island of Mindanao, where most of the Philippines’ Muslim minority lives. The pitched battle, which is unusually fierce even by the standards of this conflict-prone part of the country, indicates that the Islamic State is now also a Southeast Asian problem and that the Philippine government may be the region’s weak link in addressing it.
PBS NewshourDeported from U.S., Cambodians fight immigration policy
Deported from U.S., Cambodians fight immigration policy
Every year, the U.S. deports thousands of immigrants who are convicted of crimes after they serve their prison terms -- including green card holders and those granted asylum. The policy dates back to the Clinton and Bush administrations as part of their efforts to step up national security.
The New YorkerThe Murder of an Honorable Lawyer in Myanmar
The Murder of an Honorable Lawyer in Myanmar
On January 29th, Ko Ni, sixty-three years old, was assassinated at the airport in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. He had just returned from a democracy conference in Indonesia and was waiting for a taxi curbside, while holding his young grandson, when a gunman in sandals sauntered up and pumped a bullet into Ko Ni’s head at close range. Nay Win, a taxi driver who tried to chase down the assassin, was also shot to death.
Asia and The Pacific Policy SocietyA great place to have a war
A great place to have a war
On the new Policy Forum Pod, Josh Kurlantzick discusses his new book on the CIA’s secret war in Laos, and how the legacy of the conflict still echoes through US foreign policy today.
Institute for Policy Analysis of ConflictMothers to Bombers: The Evolution of Indonesian Women Extremists
Mothers to Bombers: The Evolution of Indonesian Women Extremists
The Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict's latest report focuses on the evolution of the role of women in Indonesian extremist organizations. The report follows the December 2016 arrest of two Indonesian women as would-be suicide bombers and examines how their desire for action coincided with the decision of ISIS leaders in Syria that in emergency conditions, women could be tactically deployed in jihad operations.
Asean Studies ProgramUnholy Alliance: Ultra-Conservatism and Political Pragmatism in Indonesia
Unholy Alliance: Ultra-Conservatism and Political Pragmatism in Indonesia
Luthfi Assyaukanie, a researcher and scholar of Islam and politics, offers his view of how hard-line Islamists have been able to capture the national stage.
New MandalaJustice by Numbers
Justice by numbers
Sana Jaffrey explores why vigilantism is on the rise in Indonesia and how the massive anti-Ahok street mobilizations in Jakarta fit into this trend.
Nikkei Asian ReviewRakhine conflict changes Myanmar's game
Rakhine conflict changes Myanmar's game
Gwen Robinson explain how the international outcry over the escalating military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims puts fresh pressure on Myanmar's de facto leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
Dr. Marcus Mietzner discusses why Islamists are taking politics to the street in Indonesia and why the target is President Jokowi
We sat down with Dr. Marcus Mietzner after his talk at NYU Wagner to discuss the future of Jokowi's presidency and the recent political developments in Indonesia
Council on Foreign RelationsPodcast: The Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia
Podcast: The Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia
On this week’s Asia Unbound podcast, Victor Cha, director of Asian studies and D.S. Song-Korea Foundation professor of government and international affairs at Georgetown University, delves into the formation of U.S. alliances with Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines after World War II described in his new book Powerplay: The Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia.
The Cambodia DailyFinal Guilty Verdict Validates $260M Tribunal
Final Guilty Verdict Validates $260M Tribunal
The Isaan RecordIsaan Lives: “Are We Holier Than Thou?” – Struggling against the convoluted views of Thailand’s modern ‘life-savers’
Isaan Lives: “Are We Holier Than Thou?” – Struggling against the convoluted views of Thailand’s modern ‘life-savers’
A medical student from Thailand's Northeast discusses the political and social involving his profession
Asian Nikkei ReviewJakarta protests complicate Widodo re-election prospects
Jakarta protests complicate Widodo re-election prospects
Blasphemy trial of Indonesian president's former ally may help political rivals
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NYSEAN Voices
Podcast - Caring for Strangers: Filipino Medical Workers in Asia
If you’ve been hospitalized in Europe, North America, Australia or the Middle East in recent years, chances are that at some point a nurse from the Philippines has had some part in your treatment. As Megha Amrith writes in the introduction to Caring for Strangers: Filipino Medical Workers in Asia (NIAS Press, 2017), Filipinos today comprise one of the largest global diasporas of medical workers, with the Philippines having over 400 nursing colleges, many of them aimed primarily at preparing graduates for work abroad.
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Endy Bayuni Assesses the Jokowi Administration
Endy Bayuni, the chief editor of the Jakarta Post, recently spoke at Columbia University, giving his assessment of the Jokowi administration at the halfway mark. Bayuni described how Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has gone from being an outsider elected president in 2014 to being the most powerful president to date in 2017. Initially, Jokowi struggled to gain support even from his own party, the PDIP (Partai Indonesia Perjuangan). Gradually, according to Bayuni, Jokowi employed strategic political moves and transformed his weak position into one of strength and now presides over the parliament, the cabinet, and even the national police.
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Thailand Update 2017
In recent months, public life in Thailand has been overshadowed by the momentous October 13, 2016 passing of long-reigning King Bhumibol, and the December 1 accession of the King Vajiralongkorn to the throne. Although a popular referendum approved the 2016 draft constitution last August, that constitution has yet to pass into law, and no date has been set for the next general election. As the ruling military junta completes its third year in power, freedom of expression remains severely constrained, and Thailand faces a range of economic and social challenges. During this third Columbia Thailand Update event, eight speakers will present their research and views on the latest developments and prospects, at a crucial juncture in the country’s history.
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