Recent Commentary
How Far Will Free Expression Fall Under Thailand’s New Emergency Decree?
After whirlwind protests that saw thousands of people take to the streets of Bangkok on Tuesday, Oct. 14, the next morning saw the Royal Thai government issue a “severe” emergency decree while at the same…
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The age of government (dis)information in Thailand
Social media giant Twitter last week blocked nearly one thousand accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army, which were in violation of its policies on manipulation of information. According to a statement released by Twitter,…
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Cambodia a Focus of Sino-Nippon Rivalry
Last week, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, speaking at the opening of a US$85 million amusement park funded by a Chinese company in Kandal Province (and repeated in a barely-noticed tweet, posed a simple question,…
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On the Thai economy, Prayut Wants a Convenient Scapegoat
Thailand’s embattled Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha blamed anti-government protesters for some of the country’s economic malaise on Monday, noting that in order for the economic situation to be resolved, the country — namely the protesters…
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Thailand’s Generals, As Usual, Fail to Understand Democracy
When new Royal Thai Army chief General Narongpan Jittkaewtae took his post on Oct. 1, he and military commander-in-chief General Chalermpol Srisawat made a point to discourage the press and the public to assume that…
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Remember the Thammasat Massacre as an act of organised hate
Thailand’s military rulers have long had difficulties sharing uncomfortable stories. The painful anniversary of the massacre at Thammasat University on October 6, 1976 has never been reconciled, buried in a kind of “organised forgetting.” As…
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Land Rights in Cambodia and the Long Persecution of a Buddhist Monk
During a speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council on October 2, Luon Sovath, a Buddhist monk and human rights activist was repeatedly interrupted by Cambodia’s Permanent Representative in Geneva, An Sokkhoeurn, who questioned…
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The art of political jiu-jitsu and Thailand’s student revolution
After several major protests in Bangkok, authorities have practiced a degree of restraint, despite the dismantling of a long-held social taboo of voicing public criticism of Thailand’s once-revered monarchy.…
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Obstacles and Opportunities on the Long Road to Peace in Afghanistan
The long 19-year war in Afghanistan has been costly, both in human and financial terms. Since the United Nations began tracking Afghan casualties in 2009, more than 100,000 Afghans have been killed. U.S. military casualties…
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Adapting to Hong Kong’s grim reality
Hong Kong residents are scrambling to pick up the pieces after the implementation of the draconian national security law of 30 June 2020. As China’s new Iron Curtain descended around Hong Kong, pro-democracy activists either…
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