Upcoming Events
Toilets and Cities: From NYC to Phnom Penh
Call for applications: CKS Scholar-in-Residence Fellowship 2019
"Call Her Ganda" Film Screening and Talk with PJ Raval
Call for proposals to the 14th Conference of the International Association of Genocide Scholars
Call for panels: EuroSEAS Conference 2019
Call for applications: The Asia Studies Fellowship at the East-West Center
Call for Papers: CFP | Debt, Freedom, and Development: Insights from Asia
Call for applications: USINDO Summer Studies 2019
New & Noteworthy
Economy and Environment Program for Southeast AsiaSelf-protection against flood in Cambodia
Self-protection against flood in Cambodia
This research investigated (1) the change in Cambodian’s preference for self‑protection against natural disasters, (2) how groups can influence communities toward self‑protection, (3) the collective community investments to reduce the expected losses associated with natural disasters, and (4) the existing social institutions in Cambodian communities that improved their voluntary contribution to the protection against disasters’ interdependent risk.
The Culture TripTop 10 Filipino Contemporary Artists & Where to Find Them
Top 10 Filipino Contemporary Artists & Where to Find Them
With the exception of a few established artists on the international stage, the Filipino art scene was long confined to an insular environment – until about a decade ago. After a 50-year hiatus, the Philippines participated in the 2015 Venice Biennale with a national pavilion, which drew attention to the region and brought a new wave of local artists into the limelight. We profile ten contemporary Filipino artists you should know.
The New York TimesMyanmar Peace Talks Begin, High in Symbolism and in Skepticism
Myanmar Peace Talks Begin, High in Symbolism and in Skepticism
Asia Maritime Transparency InitativeWhat Countries are Taking Sides After the South China Sea Ruling?
CSIS Analysis of Who is Taking Sides in the South China Sea after Hague Ruling
Frontier MyanmarLaw reform: A daunting challenge
Law Reform: A Daunting Challenge
A commission headed by former parliament speaker Thura U Shwe Mann has been reviewing the nation’s laws, but some say more clarity – and consultation – is needed from the government on its legal reform plans.
Asian American Writers' Workshop Viet Thanh Nguyen: Anger in the Asian American Novel
Viet Thanh Nguyen: Anger in the Asian American Novel
The Vietnam War ended 40 years ago. A new regime rose from the battlefields. Families like mine fled across the Pacific. Many died at sea. Others wish they had. There’s no happy ending to this story—not when the losers ceaselessly obsess over their defeat by a people they regard as having little value for human life. This obsession, of course, dominates the ways Americans tell and retell their “intervention” in the Vietnamese peoples’ struggle for freedom.
Foreign PolicyMonkeys and Small Children Have Thai Officials on High Alert Ahead of Referendum
Monkeys and Small Children Have Thai Officials on High Alert Ahead of Referendum
Schoolgirls and macaques have come under the scrutiny of the military junta, which has been accused of intimidating those opposed to the referendum.
Thai business heads give the government passing marks
Thai business heads give the government passing marks
Somkid has adjusted tax incentives for 10 industrial clusters, each focusing on a new industry, to be located in the Eastern Economic Corridor along Thailand's east coast industrial belt. The private sector is particularly keen to see whether the government can push its ambitious plans by next year, when an election is planned.
The Isaan Record“It’s not wrong to campaign”
It’s not wrong to campaign
A newly formed activist group gathered at Si Than Lake on Khon Kaen University campus to protest against the ban on public campaigns to reject the draft constitution and military government’s intimidation of activists.
IPT1965Final Report of the International People's Tribunal on 1965 Killings in Indonesia
Final Report of the International People's Tribunal on 1965 Killings in Indonesia
The International People’s Tribunal on the 1965 Crimes Against Humanity (IPT 1965) has concluded that the Indonesian government had committed acts of genocide, as stipulated in the 1948 International Genocide Convention, during the 1965 communist purge, which reportedly led to the death approximately 500,000 people. The IPT is not legally binding, but the judges are sending their report to the UN with an eye on further action being taken.
Rising conservatism in M’sian Islam not just from Arabisation
Rising conservatism in M’sian Islam not just from Arabisation
A useful analysis of the rising conservatism in Malaysian Islam. The author argues that blaming Wahhabism misses just as important local and political reasons.
International Crisis GroupThe Philippines: Renewing Prospects for Peace in Mindanao
The Philippines: Renewing Prospects for Peace in Mindanao
The southern Philippines is potentially closer to peace than at any time in the four decades since Muslim insurgents started fighting for independence, but the substantial progress over the past six years is also fragile.
Washington MonthlyGenocide in Burma
Washington Monthly Explores the Genocide in Burma
The Rohingya may well be the most persecuted people on the planet, and nobody, including the United States, is lifting a finger to help.
Carnegie CouncilIslam and Pluralism in Indonesia
Podcast on Islam and Pluralism in Indonesia
Devin Stewart of the Carnegie Council discusses Islam, democracy and challenges in contemporary politics in Indonesia with Margaret Scott.
Institute for Policy Analysis of ConflictRebuilding after Communal Violence: Lessons from Tolikara, Papua
Rebuilding After Communal Violence in Papua
Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict takes a look at what has happened since violence broke out in Tolikara, Papua.
Pages
NYSEAN Voices
Human Rights and Duterte’s War on Drugs
The Philippine president sees drug dealing and addiction as “major obstacles to the Philippines’ economic and social progress,” says John Gershman Read more
Asian Views on America’s Role in Asia at Columbia University
Watch the full video of the panel discussion here Read more
China, Japan, and America: Three Tigers on One Mountain?
Carnegie Council's Devin Stewart talks with Richard McGregor, a journalist and author specializing in East Asia. He is working on a new book that... Read more
The Saudis Are Coming
In 1980, Saudi Arabia started an all expenses-paid university in Jakarta. The Institute for the Study of Islam and Arabic (LIPIA)... Read more
Pluralism and Diversity: Best Practices from Singapore and Southeast Asia
Representative Zafar and Minister Zulkifli discussed current trends in the regional-level approaches to cultivating mutual respect in diverse... Read more
Podcast: What to Make of Duterte's Philippines
John Gershman of NYU discusses with Carnegie Council’s Devin Stewart the state of Filipino politics since the election of Rodrigo Duterte and where the country may be headed. Topics covered include the Philippines’ anti-drug campaign, extrajudicial killings, climate change vulnerability, and diplomatic relations with China, the U.S., and ASEAN. Read more
Interview: On the United Nations and Youth Policy in Myanmar
It is often difficult for members of local organisations to voice their concerns, especially about the shortcomings of international aid agency approaches. They may rely on funding partnerships, or simply find it difficult to communicate directly to international groups about the concerns they have. Yet their insights can be important. Today we hear from a staff member from a local organisation in Shan State on the U.N. and youth policy. Read more
Thailand's Ambiguous Referendum Result
Thailand's junta can breathe a sigh of relief, but only for the moment. The result of its Aug. 7 referendum on a new constitution has to be measured against a similar poll held in 2007: on both occasions, voters approved a charter drafted by a military-appointed committee created in the wake of a coup d'etat... Read more