Recent Commentary
Thailand’s Military Junta Comes Gunning for Rising Political Star
While the results of Thailand’s March 24 elections are somewhat undetermined, the advent of a new progressive pro-democracy voice has ruffled the feathers of the ruling class. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the multimillionaire leader of the upstart…
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Hun Sen Fears Civil Society Revolt in Cambodia
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen repeatedly lashed out at opponents last week in an attempt to respond to critics or potential rivals that could upend him in a coup d’etat.…
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Three Catalysts for Thai Civil Society
In December, Thailand’s military junta lifted the ban on political activities in the country– including as gatherings of over five people–ending some of the most draconian assembly laws in Southeast Asia.…
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Four Critical Questions About Thailand’s Upcoming Election
In recent weeks, Thailand’s ruling military junta has taken a number of steps to host the country’s first election since 2014, with the Election Commission announcing that they would roll back restrictions on political speech…
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Who Will Monitor Thailand’s Upcoming Election?
As Thailand’s 2019 election approaches, some in the country have begun to call for foreign observation of the country’s polls, scheduled for February 24. In a partisan split, Thailand’s Election Commission has somewhat supported the…
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POW Diplomacy Won’t Ease Tensions Between Cambodia and Washington
Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry has announced that it had offered to resume cooperation in an effort to search for remains of Americans killed during the bloody Vietnam War, resuming a program that ended more than a…
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Three likely developments in democracy-free Cambodia
In late July, Cambodia participated (sort of) in the General Election, without having the option to choose the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which had been dissolved by the Supreme Court last November. The…
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Statelessness: Thailand’s Silent Crisis
Earlier in July, the news media extensively covered the rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach from the flooded Tham Luang in northern Thailand. After an elite group of divers brought the Wild…
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Japanese Diplomacy in Cambodia Looks Well Beyond the 2018 Election
The international community has all but abandoned support for Cambodia’s national elections, scheduled for July 29. A string of events have outraged Western governments and unnerved already strained relations. Last September, the Hun Sen-led government…
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Small Signs of Resistance to Chinese Dominance in Southeast Asia
When the American strategic ‘pivot’ to Asia collapsed, China took the mantle of hegemonic leadership in Southeast Asia. The question of how to respond to an assertive and confident China is a conundrum shared by…
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