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International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Indonesia’s 2026 UN Human Rights Council Presidency: a bebas-aktif status bet with domestic reputational costs

This article analyzes Indonesia’s 2026 presidency of the UN Human Rights Council as a strategic middle-power move rather than a symbolic moral endorsement. It argues that procedural leadership offers Indonesia reputational leverage in a fragmented global order, consistent with its bebas-aktif tradition. However, the presidency also creates a “two-level legitimacy dilemma,” as domestic governance debates, particularly around the new criminal code, intersect with heightened international scrutiny, testing Indonesia’s credibility as a steward of global human rights governance.

16 Feb 2026
Aniello Iannone

International Relations South and Central Asia

The Stateless of Tomorrow: Why the World Must Recognise Climate Refugees

This article highlights the urgent need for international legal recognition of "climate refugees". Individuals displaced by environmental disasters and long-term climate degradation. It critiques the 1951 UN Refugee Convention for its narrow focus on persecution, which leaves millions of climate-displaced people in a "global governance gap" without legal protection or status. By examining the cascading effects of climate change in the Global South, the text argues for legal reform and increased financial accountability from developed nations to manage migration with dignity and prevent a future humanitarian crisis.

13 Feb 2026
Arisha Parvez

International Relations South and Central Asia

Under Sea Cables: Veiled Threats in Hybrid Warfare

This article examines undersea cables as a critical yet vulnerable backbone of global digital connectivity, increasingly targeted within grey-zone and hybrid warfare. It explores how geopolitical rivalries are reshaping submarine cable routes, investments, and security strategies, with special attention to the Baltic region, the Indo-Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. Focusing on India’s growing centrality in global data superhighways, the article highlights multi-pronged risks, regulatory gaps, and the urgent need for coordinated international, public-private, and multilateral governance frameworks to protect undersea infrastructure amid intensifying strategic competition.

09 Feb 2026
Angana Guha...

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

Disaster, Climate Change, and Public Budget

This article examines Indonesia’s transition from reactive emergency disaster spending to a structural, climate-responsive fiscal framework. It argues that with disasters becoming a "budgetary force majeure," the state must move beyond simple "on-call" reserves toward Climate-Responsive Budgeting (CRB) and Climate Budget Tagging (CBT). By analyzing the roles of the BNPB and the Audit Board (BPK), the text highlights how transparency, independent oversight, and citizen participation are no longer just administrative goals, but essential components for maintaining public trust and national resilience.

06 Feb 2026
Hadi Prayitno

Thinkers East Asia and the Pacific

Beyond GDP: Why Sumatra’s Disasters Demand a New Measure of Progress

This article argues that recurring disasters in Sumatra expose the limits of GDP as a measure of development. By linking floods, fires, and landslides to extractive growth models that ignore ecological degradation, it shows how economic “progress” can mask rising vulnerability and social costs. Drawing on political economy, ethics, and alternative development metrics, the article calls for moving beyond GDP toward greener and more inclusive measures of prosperity that account for nature, justice, and long-term resilience across the Global South.

02 Feb 2026
M Nadzirummubin

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Nourish Children, Nourish Citizenship Will the Free-Meals Program Teach Democracy?

This article examines the global rise of school meal programs, specifically analyzing Indonesia’s newly launched Free Nutritious Meal Program (Makan Bergizi Gratis/MBG) beyond its nutritional goals. Drawing on policy feedback theory, it argues that these programs function as "unintended" instruments of political education and "civic classrooms." Aldi and Ashari emphasize the quality of implementation, ranging from transparency to food safety, directly shapes the youth's trust in the state and their future political efficacy. The article reminds that while successful delivery can foster a critical, active citizenry, systemic failures may breed a generation of political skepticism and apathy.

30 Jan 2026
Aldi Nur...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Apple Developer Academy in South Sulawesi: Global South Digital Transformation Opportunities in the Midst of Global Technology Inequality

This article examines the Apple Developer Academy in South Sulawesi as a strategic intervention in addressing digital inequality across the Global South. It situates the program within broader structural gaps in digital access, skills, and infrastructure, arguing that non-state initiatives can help bridge talent deficits where public systems fall short. At the same time, it cautions that meaningful digital transformation requires integration with public policy, digital justice, and local development agendas to avoid reproducing new forms of technological dependence.

26 Jan 2026
Matthew Anggi...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

The New World Order on the Basis of Dynamic Equilibrium and Indonesia's Role as a Middle Power

This article highlights the shifting global structure from a unipolar hegemony to a complex "Multiplex World Order," characterized by intersecting power centers and fragmented global networks. By re-examining the concept of "Dynamic Equilibrium," it analyzes the strategic role of Indonesia as a middle power and the importance of ASEAN centrality in navigating the rivalry between major powers like the US and China. It discovers that traditional adversarial models are insufficient; instead, an adaptive, institutional process is required to manage interdependence and reduce conflict risks. Ultimately, the findings emphasize the urgent need for strengthening the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and implementing multi-level hedging policies to ensure regional stability and common prosperity.

23 Jan 2026
Abdullah Akbar...

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

Dhurandhar and the Politics of Bollywood Propaganda

This article examines Dhurandhar not merely as a commercial Bollywood spy thriller, but as a cultural artifact that reflects the growing entanglement between popular cinema and nationalist ideology in South Asia. It argues that the film simplifies complex geopolitical realities by portraying Pakistan and regions like Balochistan through reductive security narratives, while erasing historical context, counter-terrorism experiences, and civilian realities. By situating the film within recent India–Pakistan tensions, the article highlights how cinematic myth-making risks reinforcing hostility and narrowing the space for dialogue, nuance, and regional coexistence.

19 Jan 2026
Farwa Imtiaz

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Mapping the Digital Economics and Global Trends with the Indonesian Perspective

This article highlight the development of IT that has been influential on trade and economic interaction, which reshape social dynamics. By employing a mixed-method approach, it analyses relationship between the adoption of digital technology and economic growth in various regions. It discovered that digital divide, both between and within nation, is one of the critical issues in digital economy. Ultimately, the findings emphasize the urgent need for adaptative regulations, robust cybersecurity and inclusive policies. Bridging these gaps is essential for fostering sustainable, competitive and equitable global economic development

16 Jan 2026
Kaamiliaa Dewi

Thinkers South and Central Asia

Honouring the Indian Revolutionary Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak: Impact on Feminist Identity Discourse

This article explores Spivak's contribution to political and intellectual legacy. It draws attention to a number of concepts developed and used by Spivak like strategic essentialism, subalternity, and planetarity to see how these help her to resist determinate and essentialized versions of identity politics, by highlighting the responsibility implied by the critical representation of others. The article also discusses Spivak's critique of Western feminism, globalization and an essentialist reading of the Subaltern Studies school, and the need to think through a more encompassing, ethical, and culture-sensitive feminist politics.

12 Jan 2026
M.J. Vinod

Environment and Sustainability Africa

When Peace Becomes a Supply Chain: The DRC - Rwanda Deal and the Politics of Critical Minerals for a Clean Future

This article examines the DRC–Rwanda peace accord through the lens of critical mineral politics, arguing that diplomacy framed as conflict resolution is increasingly intertwined with global competition for green energy resources. It shows how the push for cobalt and copper risks reproducing extractive inequalities, sidelining local communities and justice in the name of climate transition. The piece questions whether “green peace” can be sustainable when stability is pursued without accountability, reparations, or inclusive resource governance.

09 Jan 2026
Muhammad Ibrahim...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

Post-Flood Food Price Spikes and Economic Vulnerability: A Case Study of Padang, West Sumatra

This article offers a comparative reflection on how Islam has historically engaged with indigenous worlds, challenging colonial and reformist assumptions that portray non-Arab Islam as derivative or superficial. By placing Bedouin indigeneity and Malay cosmology in dialogue, the author shows that Islam does not erase local traditions but reshapes them through ongoing processes of negotiation, reinterpretation, and ethical reorientation. Drawing on Qur’anic discourse, classical thought, and postcolonial scholarship, the essay reframes indigeneity as a dynamic medium through which Islam becomes locally grounded.

07 Jan 2026
Bala Muhammad...

History East Asia and the Pacific

Islam and the Colonial Imaginations of Indigeneity: A Comparative Reflection

05 Jan 2026
Auf A....

International Relations Middle East

Gaza Between Trial and Promise: A World’s Crisis of Conscience

This article explores Gaza’s devastation as both a humanitarian tragedy and a global moral crisis, rooted in decades of displacement and recurring violence. It highlights a fragile opening for peace driven by renewed diplomacy, growing international recognition of Palestine, and the strategic restraint of Gulf states. While emphasizing hope and nonviolent statecraft, the article warns that unresolved challenges, security guarantees, governance, and political legitimacy, threaten to derail progress, risking a return to prolonged conflict if global commitment falters.

02 Jan 2026
Obaidurrahman Mirsab

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

Circular Economy: A lifestyle not just Economic concept

This article examines how youth-led, digitally networked movements are reshaping protest politics in South Asia, focusing on recent cases in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It argues that unlike earlier party-driven and ideologically structured movements, contemporary protests are decentralized, leaderless, and rapidly mobilized through social media, enabling broad participation but limiting long-term sustainability and policy impact. The article concludes that while digital activism amplifies dissent and challenges entrenched elites, lasting transformation depends on translating spontaneous mobilization into institutionalized leadership, governance reform, and inclusive political pathways.

31 Dec 2025
Muhammad Atif...

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

From Bans to Business: How Afghan Women Use Social Commerce to Survive in 2025

This article explores how Afghan women are using social commerce as a survival strategy amid sweeping bans on education and formal employment. Drawing on original interviews and recent UN and media reports, it shows how digital platforms enable women to sustain households, reclaim dignity, and quietly resist exclusion. The piece situates these individual stories within Afghanistan’s broader economic collapse, arguing that women’s online entrepreneurship is not charity-driven resilience but a critical, if fragile, pillar of survival and economic continuity.

29 Dec 2025
Ziyada Hafizi

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

Mountain Forests as Water Guardians: Addressing Climate-Induced Drought in Central Afghanistan

This article examines why forest-based approaches remain critical for addressing climate vulnerability and water insecurity despite weak governance and ongoing climatic stress. It argues that reforestation and watershed restoration offer locally grounded, low-cost solutions that function even where centralized institutions and large-scale infrastructure fail. By linking ecological resilience with community stewardship, the article reframes forests as a foundational survival strategy rather than a secondary environmental concern.

26 Dec 2025
Asef Jafari

Business and Economy South and Central Asia

Critical Mineral Smuggling Finance Illegal Armed Conflict in Global South

This article examines how the illicit smuggling of critical minerals has become a major source of financing for illegal armed groups across the Global South, undermining governance, environmental protection, and human security. Focusing on Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, it traces how weak institutions, porous borders, and global supply chain pressures enable criminal networks and insurgent groups to exploit mineral wealth. The article concludes by assessing emerging international regulatory frameworks and cooperative mechanisms aimed at strengthening transparency, traceability, and accountability in critical mineral supply chains.

24 Dec 2025
Angana Guha...

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

How Youth and Digital Networks Are Transforming Movements in South Asia

22 Dec 2025
Muhammad Aquib

Business and Economy East Asia and the Pacific

Poverty and Uneven Development in the Philippines: Understanding a National Crisis Through Local Realities

This article argues that poverty and uneven development in the Philippines persist not despite economic growth, but because of structural inequalities rooted in elite capture, weak redistribution, and profit-driven development models. Focusing on Cavite, it illustrates how industrial expansion and urban growth coexist with underemployment, informal settlements, and inadequate services. The article concludes that addressing Philippine poverty requires equity-centered governance, inclusive social investment, and a fundamental rethinking of growth paradigms that place social justice above capital accumulation, not growth alone.

19 Dec 2025
Jonel Ocampo...

History East Asia and the Pacific

The Plundered Philippines: Extraction, Memory, and the Global Logic of Neglect

This article examines how historical plunder in the Global South has evolved into modern systems of economic exploitation rather than disappearing. It shows how colonial extraction was transformed into postcolonial elite capture and global financial dependency. In doing so, it explains why inequality persists and why meaningful reform requires confronting entrenched power structures.

17 Dec 2025
Joellyn Faye...

Business and Economy South and Central Asia

Breaking the Dollar Dilemma: The Global South’s New Fight for Financial Sovereignty

This article explores how the Global South is reevaluating its dependence on the US dollar and pursuing new forms of monetary sovereignty. It examines how digital currencies, regional payment systems, and South–South cooperation are reshaping global finance and challenging long-standing hierarchies. By tracing both the opportunities and the geopolitical risks, the article argues that true financial independence requires more than alternatives to the dollar, it demands structural transformation and collective strategy.

15 Dec 2025
Abdul Akbar

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

Afghanistan’s Exclusion from COP30: A crisis of climate Justice

This article exposes the injustice of Afghanistan’s exclusion from COP30 despite being one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries with almost no responsibility for global emissions. It shows how political non-recognition of the Taliban has effectively silenced millions of Afghans in climate negotiations, blocking access to finance, policy coordination, and global support. Ultimately, the article argues that depoliticizing climate governance is essential to uphold climate justice and ensure no vulnerable nation is left behind.

12 Dec 2025
Sayed Anwar...

International Relations Africa

Selective Justice: How Veto Power Undermines Accountability in Syria

This article examines how the UN Security Council’s veto power has enabled impunity in Syria, exposing a structural flaw in the global justice system. It argues that geopolitical interests, particularly the 2014 Russia-China veto blocking an ICC referral, have transformed justice from a universal principle into a privilege of powerful states. By highlighting the uneven application of international law, the article calls for urgent reforms to limit veto use in cases of mass atrocities and protect the credibility of global governance.

10 Dec 2025
Gilbert Nayigizente

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

Privatizing Faith and Religion: Weighing Freedom, Equality, and Social Peace

This article examines proposals to privatize religion not as neutral policy ideas, but as sweeping interventions that reshape freedom, identity, and public life. It traces how a total ban on public religious expression would clash with international human rights law, risk deep social resentment, and push faith practices into secrecy rather than resolve tensions. In doing so, it questions whether such restrictions can ever foster equality and peace, or whether they ultimately erode pluralism and democratic stability.

08 Dec 2025
Muhammad Younus

Business and Economy East Asia and the Pacific

The Cost of Phasing Out Coal in Indonesia: Who Will Pay?

This article examines the challenging path for Indonesia to meet its net-zero goals given its heavy reliance on coal. The transition involves substantial multidimensional costs, including stranded assets, grid modernization, and funding a just social transition for workers. Ultimately, the article argues that no single entity can bear this financial burden alone, necessitating a shared-cost model involving the Indonesian government, international finance (like the JETP), and the private sector to achieve a credible and equitable phase-out.

05 Dec 2025
Muhammad Ayoub

International Relations South and Central Asia

Can Science Diplomacy Bridge Disagreements?

This article explores the concept of science diplomacy as a tool to bridge diplomatic disagreements and advance shared global interests, highlighting continued cooperation in fields like space exploration despite geopolitical tensions. It analyzes the challenges of utilizing science diplomacy amid global uncertainties and transactional foreign policy, drawing inspiration from historical and current initiatives like CERN and SESAME. The piece emphasizes the increasing importance of science diplomacy for the Global South, noting contributions from countries like India in areas such as resilient infrastructure, health equity, and space programs.

03 Dec 2025
Angana Guha...

History East Asia and the Pacific

Beyond Autonomy: Why Bangsamoro’s Struggle Is Not About Recognition but Reclamation

This article re-examines Bangsamoro autonomy by demonstrating how it functions within the boundaries that maintain the Philippines state authority rather than restoring historical authority. It moves from the region’s precolonial political traditions to a critique of modern constitutional 3arrangements, arguing that autonomy masks instead of resolving the underlying important question of sovereignty. Building on the lens of Resurgencism, the piece concludes that the Bangsamoro struggle is ultimately a project of reclamation that is based in an unbroken moral and historical continuity.

01 Dec 2025
Datu Al-Zahid...

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

When the Storms End, the Struggle Begins: The Emotional Burden of Climate Change on Women in Pakistan

This article highlights the significant emotional and mental health burden that climate change disproportionately places on women in vulnerable communities, particularly in low-income countries like Pakistan. It explains that climatic shocks like floods and droughts intensify women's daily responsibilities like collecting water and managing food, leading to high rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma that often go unaddressed due to lack of access to care and social stigma. The piece calls for an urgent shift in policy to include funded, gender-sensitive mental health support in national climate plans, recognizing that women's emotional well-being is fundamental to the resilience and successful recovery of families and communities

28 Nov 2025
Sahar Manzoor

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Beyond the Mayor: Who is Mamdani, Really?

This article uncovers how the political ascent of Zohran Mamdani cannot be understood without returning to the intellectual shockwave created by his father, Mahmood Mamdani’s Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, written in a moment when challenging the post-9/11 narrative was an act of great personal and scholarly risk. It shows how the father dismantled the binary that divided Muslims into “good” and “bad” through a structural reading of Cold War geopolitics, while the son now deploys the same framework to expose the engineered roots of poverty and inequality in American cities. Through the path of exile, resistance, as well as the unlikely meeting of TikTok and theory, the piece argues that what resembles political charisma, it is actually the inheritance of a tradition built on confronting the systems that moral arguments are designed to hide.

26 Nov 2025
Saemah Shamim

Business and Economy Africa

Between Hope and Hazard: Can Nigeria’s Carbon-Credit Gamble Deliver Wins at Home and Abroad?

This article analyzes Nigeria’s attempt to convert carbon credits into tangible benefits for communities already confronting rising tides and shrinking livelihoods. It shows how the effort sits at the intersection of global demands for high-integrity credits and a complex domestic bargaining arena where oil-state governors, forest communities, regulators, as well as project developers must align or the market will collapse under distrust. It argues that only credible foundations that includes; conservative baselines, digital monitoring, nested REDD+ systems, methane rules, and transparent community agreements can actually turn Nigeria’s climate gamble into a strategic win instead of another broken promise.

24 Nov 2025
Muhammad Ibrahim...

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

Sports as a Proxy Tool in Foreign Policy- A Perspective from Asia

This article traces how a tense India-Pakistan cricket game, complete with a no-handshake standoff and political undertones, illustrates how sports tend to bear the burden of unresolved regional disputes. It then proceeded ahead to situate this moment within a longer history of sports diplomacy, from ancient Olympic truces to Cold War ping-pong and iconic Asian mega-events that reshaped national identity and also international outreach. Overall, it shows how sports can serve as very vital platforms that open doors for dialogue even as they risk becoming stages where rivalry, nationalism, as well as strategic messaging collide

21 Nov 2025
Angana Guha...

Business and Economy East Asia and the Pacific

Beyond Numbers: Ensuring Food Safety in Indonesia’s MBG

This article examines how Indonesia’s MBG program, while reaching more than 30 million students, still faces a number of systemic food-safety risks that numbers alone cannot reveal. It reveals how gaps across the entire length supply chain, ranging from hygiene literacy to fragility in cold-chain and storage facilities can gravely compromise the promise of the program, as seen in various local incidents and also global evidence on foodborne disease. It argues that sustainable long term success will require far more stronger implementation, localized networks, coupled with shared responsibility from farmers to policymakers to ensure that every meal is actually very safe.

19 Nov 2025
M. Ikhsan...

Politics and Society Middle East

Pakistan-Saudi Arabia SMDA: A New Chapter of Global South Cooperation

This article explains how the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), signed just days after the Doha airstrike and in the midst of Riyadh’s fraying defence ties with Washington. It shows how the pact binds Saudi capital to Pakistan’s nuclear-backed military expertise, anchoring joint defence production, research, as well as industrial cooperation through institutions. It argues that this agreement is more than a reaction to regional tension, as it is a very deliberate step in a wider Global South push for strategic autonomy grounded in capability, sovereignty, and postcolonial self-determination.

17 Nov 2025
Farrel Ananda...

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

Resisting Erasure: Afghan Women’s Struggle for Education and Agency in Post-2021 Afghanistan

This article examines how Afghan women have transformed the struggle for education into a powerful form of intellectual, digital, and moral resistance under Taliban rule since 2021. Moving beyond narratives of victimhood, it highlights the emergence of clandestine study circles, online universities, and transnational learning networks that sustain women’s knowledge production despite systemic erasure. Drawing on Paulo Freire’s “education as liberation” and feminist theories of agency, the paper argues that Afghan women are rebuilding education as a collective, political, and emancipatory project, creating a digital underground of learning that challenges both authoritarian repression and the limitations of global institutional responses.

14 Nov 2025
Farahnaz Amini

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Restructuring the Post-Conflict Future: Special Autonomy as a Path to Decolonization and Prosperity in Aceh and Bangsamoro

This article explores how special autonomy in Aceh and Bangsamoro serves as both a peacebuilding mechanism and a pathway toward sustainable decolonization in post-conflict Southeast Asia. It argues that autonomy, when rooted in cultural recognition, inclusive governance, and local empowerment, enables these regions to transform histories of marginalization into foundations for development and justice. Drawing from the experiences of Aceh’s institutional reforms and Bangsamoro’s ongoing political consolidation, the article highlights how local and international collaboration can strengthen post-conflict reconstruction and long-term peace.

12 Nov 2025
Syarifah Huswatun...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

“Code Green” Public Policy to Implement Zero Emissions and Decrease Climate Change in West Java Province

This article defines Code Green as a model of public policy that incorporates the principles of the emergency-response into climate governance. It strongly demonstrates how the integration of climate data, local planning, and community participation can accelerate an equitable transition toward zero emissions, using West Java as well as Indonesia as a case study. By linking urgency with justice, it shows how environmental policy can move from symbolic pledges to a very highly coordinated, system-wide action.

10 Nov 2025
Kusdarmawan Nur...

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Exclusion as Harmony: The Governance of Bodies in Malaysia

This article examines how Malaysia’s political economy sustains social harmony through exclusion, particularly by regulating race, religion, and gender. It argues that the state’s dual legal and moral framework criminalises and marginalises migrant and non-Malay women in the hidden economy while simultaneously subjecting Malay-Muslim women to moral surveillance under the guise of protection. Through this dynamic, exclusion becomes a tool of governance—preserving the illusion of order while reinforcing structural hierarchies of patriarchy, race, and religion.

07 Nov 2025
Nur Hadirah...

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

Innovation and the Invisibilisation of Gender: What the Global Innovation Index Misses?

This article critiques the Global Innovation Index (GII) for overlooking gendered dimensions of innovation, particularly in the Global South. It argues that the GII’s reliance on formal metrics like patents and corporate R&D obscures women’s contributions, undervalues informal and social innovation, and distorts policy priorities in Southeast Asia. By calling for gender-disaggregated data, broader definitions of innovation, and inclusive institutional reforms, the article makes a strong case for rethinking how innovation is measured to reflect the full spectrum of creative labour sustaining equitable development.

05 Nov 2025
Priyanka Garodia

International Relations Africa

Displaced in Their Own Land: The Politics of Humanitarian Aid in Sudan

This article examines how the global silence over Sudan’s humanitarian crisis reveals enduring hierarchies of compassion within the international system. It argues that humanitarian responses remain shaped by historical legacies and geopolitical interests, where some crises are amplified while others are conveniently ignored. By unpacking this selective morality, the article calls for rethinking global solidarity that recognises all lives as equally grievable.

03 Nov 2025
Syeda Dur-e-Nayab

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Artificial Intelligence and Geopolitical Uncertainty: The Indonesian View

This article examines the way artificial intelligence is transforming global power through the intertwined forces of technology, resource control, and governance. It looks at Indonesia’s efforts to significantly transform its mineral strength into strategic influence in the midst of an escalating U.S - China technological rivalry. The analysis also expands to ASEAN, where questions of sovereignty, inequality, and regional alignment define Southeast Asia’s evolving place and future in the AI-driven world.

31 Oct 2025
Affabile Rifawan

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

ASEAN Neutrality in the Age of Naked Imperialism

This article reexamines the meaning of ASEAN neutrality in light of renewed global imperial rivalries, urging a return to the anti-colonial and anti-imperial spirit of the 1955 Bandung Conference. It argues that ASEAN’s shift from neutrality as autonomy to neutrality as impartiality has rendered the region complicit in sustaining colonial legacies and internal oppression. Calling for a decolonial reinterpretation of neutrality, the author contends that true regional autonomy must align with struggles for liberation and self-determination across Southeast Asia.

29 Oct 2025
Christopher Choong...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Kuala Lumpur 2025: ASEAN Between Renewed Centrality and Structural Fragility

This article analyzes the geopolitical and institutional significance of the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia. It explores how the simultaneous participation of the United States and China, alongside Timor Leste’s long-awaited accession, exposes ASEAN’s struggle to balance autonomy, inclusivity, and effectiveness amid intensifying great-power rivalry. Ultimately, the piece argues that the summit will serve as a test of whether ASEAN can transform its symbolic centrality into real strategic agency—or remain a passive stage for others’ power plays.

27 Oct 2025
Aniello Iannone

International Relations South and Central Asia

Deepfake: Disinformation by Design

This article examines how deepfakes have evolved from isolated digital hoaxes into instruments of political as well as geopolitical manipulation. It traces their spread across Asia’s election cycles and security flashpoints, revealing how AI now shapes narratives as effectively as policy. The piece also explores emerging legal, regional, and technological efforts to build collective “trust infrastructure” against this new form of information warfare.

24 Oct 2025
Angana Guha...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Scepticism in the Global South and Contestation over the Humanitarian Norm: The Responsibility to Protect

This article critically examines the evolving contestation of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) norm within the Global South, highlighting how postcolonial experiences and sovereignty concerns shape scepticism toward humanitarian intervention. It traces the historical development of R2P, from its UN endorsement in 2005 to its erosion following the NATO-led intervention in Libya, which blurred the boundary between protection and regime change. Through the perspectives of African states, India, China, Brazil, and Mexico, the article reveals how divergent interpretations and geopolitical interests have constrained the norm’s operationalization, challenging its legitimacy and future relevance in global governance.

22 Oct 2025
Antony Joseph

International Relations Middle East

The Gulf Future and Fracture Region Institution

This article contends that Trump’s high-value diplomacy in the Gulf reignited both economic opportunity as well as institutional fragility within the GCC. As Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE deepen their ties with Washington while maneuvering themselves around Beijing, the region’s unity is increasingly defined by competition instead of more cooperation. The analysis reveals that the Gulf’s future hinges on whether its leaders can strongly transform transactional alliances into a sustainable framework for collective stability.

20 Oct 2025
Alwi Akbar

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

The Promise of EU-ASEAN Partnership as a Pathway for the Global South

This article examines how the EU-ASEAN partnership has significantly evolved from routine diplomacy to a field where climate goals, industrial needs, as well as digital ambitions are constantly negotiated. It depicts how cooperation built on friction between Europe’s green standards and Southeast Asia’s developmental urgency can still produce innovation and trust. The piece argued that, collectively, these dynamics reveal a quiet transformation in which the Global South no longer absorbs global rules but instead, participates in rewriting them.

17 Oct 2025
Jason Fernando

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Prabowo’s Foreign Policy Choices: Balancing Domestic Legitimacy and Global Ambition

This article examines how President Prabowo Subianto seeks to combine Indonesia’s traditional bebas-aktif (free and active) doctrine with a renewed emphasis on hard power and global visibility. It highlights how Prabowo’s military background and strategic partnerships, particularly with Türkiye and BRICS, reflect a more assertive and pragmatic approach to foreign policy. Ultimately, the piece argues that Prabowo’s diplomacy aims to strengthen Indonesia’s global stature while maintaining domestic legitimacy and a delicate balance between independence and alignment.

15 Oct 2025
Tufan Kutay...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

China, ASEAN, and Indonesia's Green Test

This article analyzes how China’s ambitious green transition serves not only environmental goals but also a strategic industrial and geopolitical agenda. It shows how Beijing’s dominance in clean energy technologies and supply chains is reshaping Southeast Asia’s energy landscape, fostering both opportunities and technological dependencies. The author warns that for ASEAN countries like Indonesia, the success of the green transition will depend less on foreign investment and more on domestic institutional capacity, technological sovereignty, and policy coordination.

13 Oct 2025
Virdika Rizky...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

Divided Climate Diplomacy: Trump's Rejection vs. Prabowo's Responsibility in the Climate Crisis at the UN General Assembly

This article traces how the 2025 UN General Assembly turned into a test of climate responsibility, when Donald Trump’s dismissal of the crisis collided with Prabowo Subianto’s call for moral action. It looks critically at Indonesia’s bid to turn pledges into policy building renewables and restoring forests while also still trapped in coal dependence as well as uneven governance. The article argued that the climate debate unfolds as a struggle over justice itself: who bears the cost, who reaps the gains, and also whose promises decide the planet’s fate.

10 Oct 2025
Abdullah Akbar...

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

All Eyes on Indonesia and Nepal: The Multi-Actor Relations in the Political Battleground

This article examines how technology has become a highly contested field of power in Indonesia and Nepal, where states, platforms, as well as citizens struggle to define control and legitimacy. By analysing Indonesia’s attempts to discipline digital dissent and Nepal’s experiments with online political participation, it reveals how technological spaces are increasingly blurring the boundaries between governance at one end and resistance on the other. In doing so, the article illustrates that political authority today is not only demonstrated in parliaments or streets, but it is also being negotiated in the invisible digital codes and infrastructures that shape public life.

08 Oct 2025
Ahmad Fajar...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Prabowo at the UN: Between Anti-Imperialism and Global Interdependence

This article takes a look at how Prabowo’s UN address revived Indonesia’s anti-imperialist ideals on the global stage even as it revealed the contradictions shaping its diplomacy. Behind calls for Palestinian justice lie expanding trade links with Israel, exposing the uneasy coexistence of moral identity and economic need. The article situates this paradox within Indonesia’s larger struggle to balance its legacy of Palestine solidarity with the realities of today's world and global interdependence.

06 Oct 2025
Aniello Iannone

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Islam, Politics, and Pancasila: In Search of National Harmony

This article takes a deep dive into Indonesia’s evolving struggle in trying to balance Islam’s moral force with its Pancasila’s civic ideals. It follows the country’s shifting democratic models from independence to the reform era, depicting how religion and politics continually negotiate influence through law, culture, as well as leadership in Indonesia. The piece strongly argues that Indonesia’s stability depends not on separating faith from governance, but on harmonizing them within a mutually shared ethical and national vision.

03 Oct 2025
Muhammad Adib...

International Relations Middle East

Gulf Power Play: Diplomacy, Development, and the Middle East in 2025

This article explores how Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have emerged in 2025 as influential global players, reshaping narratives that once confined the Middle East to instability and dependence on oil. It highlights Saudi Arabia’s growing diplomatic assertiveness through Vision 2030 reforms, mediation efforts, and bold foreign policy moves, alongside Qatar’s strategic role as a mediator in regional and global conflicts. Together, their actions signal a new era where the Gulf is not just reacting to global events but actively shaping economic, diplomatic, and security outcomes for the wider world.

01 Oct 2025
Obaidurrahman Mirsab

International Relations South and Central Asia

Armenia’s Proactive Hedging Strategy

This article examines Armenia’s blocked bid to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) by Pakistan, despite recently opening diplomatic ties, a contradiction that exposes the fragility of regional politics. It depicts how external pressures and entrenched rivalries still continue to limit Yerevan’s ability to leverage its strong strategic position. The article proposes Proactive Hedging as a highly promising framework that could help a lot in expanding Armenia’s partnerships and asserting greater agency in Eurasia.

29 Sep 2025
Ararat Kostanian

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

Can Ecological Fiscal Transfers Transform Indonesia’s Environmental Finance? Possibilities and Policy Insights

This article looks at how Indonesia’s provinces with extensive biodiversity face very heavy conservation costs but yet receive little fiscal support under the current transfer system. It introduces Ecological Fiscal Transfers (EFT) as a highly innovative way to help correct this significant imbalance by tying central government funding to ecological indicators such as protected areas. By doing so, the piece argues that, EFT could fairly compensate local governments, incentivize conservation, and at the same time align fiscal policy with Indonesia’s environmental goals despite challenges of data and political buy-in.

26 Sep 2025
Esa Bayu...

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

The Generation That wouldn’t wait: How Nepal’s Gen Z Redefined Protest Politics

This article examines how Nepal’s Generation Z transformed a government-imposed social media ban into a nationwide movement for accountability, inclusion, and democratic renewal. It highlights how young people redefined the role of student unions, reframed internet freedom as a political right, and linked digital access to broader issues like corruption, gender equity, and minority rights. The essay argues that while the protests carried risks of disruption, they represent a generational shift in Nepal’s political culture, pushing the country toward transparency and institutional reform.

24 Sep 2025
Saemah Shamim

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

The Small Island Crisis: The Interplay between Climate Change and Privatization in Pari Island

This article examines how climate change and privatization intersect to create crises for small islands in Indonesia, with Pari Island serving as a key case study. It shows how rising seas, restricted access to fishing grounds, and land disputes with private companies have undermined local livelihoods and worsened community vulnerability. The piece argues for inclusive governance that empowers local residents in decision-making to balance conservation, food security, and sustainable development.

22 Sep 2025
Gigih Prihantono

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Indonesia’s New Ballistic Missile: Why It Won’t Ignite an Arms Race

This article examines Indonesia’s recent acquisition of the Turkish-made KHAN short-range ballistic missile and addresses concerns that it could trigger an arms race in Southeast Asia. While the missile marks a notable step in Indonesia’s defense modernization, its range and capabilities remain limited, and its deployment in East Kalimantan signals a defensive posture rather than offensive intent. The piece argues that alarmist narratives exaggerate the threat, stressing that transparency and defense diplomacy are key to maintaining regional trust and stability.

19 Sep 2025
Yusya' A...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

The Axis of Upheaval: How U.S. Tariffs Backfire

This article explores how U.S. tariffs, intended to strengthen leverage and protect domestic industries, are instead fueling geopolitical realignments and strengthening rival blocs. It shows how Washington’s economic nationalism is alienating key partners like India while accelerating cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The piece argues that unless U.S. policy recalibrates, tariffs risk isolating Washington and reinforcing the very “axis of upheaval” it seeks to contain.

17 Sep 2025
Obaidurrahman Mirsab

International Relations South and Central Asia

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Women’s Rights in Afghanistan After 2021: Between Humanitarianism and Gender Silence

This article explores how the OIC, despite its authority to challenge the Taliban’s restrictions on Afghan women, has confined its response to food aid and cautious diplomacy. By prioritizing relief over rights, the organization has left Afghan women without allies in their struggle. The silence also exposes the OIC’s deeper crisis of credibility as the widely proclaimed “collective voice of the Muslim world.

15 Sep 2025
Farahnaz Amini

Thinkers East Asia and the Pacific

Nusantara IKN: Green Promises, Grey Reality

This article critically examines Indonesia’s new capital project, IKN, which is promoted as a futuristic “forest city” built on principles of sustainability. While the government promises vast green spaces and smart-city technologies, the reality involves deforestation, biodiversity loss, and displacement of Indigenous communities. It argues that IKN’s green narrative amounts to political greenwashing, masking environmental damage and social injustice.

12 Sep 2025
Muhammad Maulidan

Thinkers East Asia and the Pacific

The Brew of a Nation: Indonesia’s Tea Paradox Between Tradition, Global Trends, and Global South Realities

This article traces how Indonesia’s everyday teh botol and the booming taste for imported matcha expose a deeper divide between colonial legacies and global soft power. It shows how this paradox leaves the nation caught between bulk tea exports, rising imports, and the pressures of sustainability. The piece argues that Indonesia’s tea future depends on reimagining both brews through local innovation instead of inherited dependency.

10 Sep 2025
Darynaufal Mulyaman

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

The Trump Effect: How U.S. Retreat from the Paris Agreement Reshapes Global Climate Leadership

This article analyzes how Trump’s second time withdrawal from the Paris Agreement depicted an eclectic blend of economic protectionism, political calculation, as well as ideological skepticism toward climate science and policy. It shows how this move weakened the credibility of U.S. commitments, placed disproportionate reporting and compliance pressures on developing countries, and at the same time stalled momentum on cooperative emission reductions. By comparing America’s wealth with its below-average environmental performance, the piece depicts how the retreat of a superpower exposed the fragility of global climate governance.

08 Sep 2025
Joko Susilo

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

Policy on Paper, Disaster in Practice: Lessons from Pakistan’s Climate Crisis

This article critically analyses Pakistan’s worst floods ranging from the 2010 Flood, to Sindh’s devastating 2022 floods, where villages vanished underwater and millions were forced from their homes as food prices spiraled beyond reach. By 2025, the same story repeated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with aid tied up in loans and disaster plans collapsing before the rain even stopped. It argues that Pakistan’s greatest climate risk is not rainfall, but leaders recycling failure in the face of catastrophe and a global system that refuses to learn.

05 Sep 2025
Shaza Khalid

History East Asia and the Pacific

Building Malay Hegemony Through Education and Language Policy: Lessons from Malaysia’s 1969 Riots

This article shows how the 1969 riots pushed Malaysia’s leaders toward the routinization of the 1961 Education Act instead of major reforms. By phasing out English-medium schools, limiting Chinese education, and also binding national identity to Malay, classrooms became central to consolidating political dominance. It highlights how this continuity of policy rather than innovation reshaped ethnic relations and left a legacy that is still felt in Malaysia’s struggles over language and nationhood.

03 Sep 2025
Esa Bayu...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

Climate Justice for Small Islands: Holding Corporations Accountable for Rising Seas

This article examines the climate vulnerabilities of Pari Island in Indonesia, where rising seas have already disrupted livelihoods, destroyed infrastructure, and also contaminated freshwater. It looks at the islanders’ lawsuit against Holcim in Switzerland as a landmark example of climate litigation, raising very critical questions of legal as well as moral accountability for transnational corporations. The discussion situates this case within the broader debate on climate justice, illustrating the existing unequal burdens and at the same time, the urgent need for corporate responsibility in addressing loss and damage.

01 Sep 2025
Ahmed Mehmood...

International Relations Middle East

Recognition of Palestine: A Political Bargain Disguised as Diplomacy

This article examines how the 2025 recognition of Palestine by Western states is shaped less by solidarity than by conditions aimed at restructuring Gaza’s leadership. It depicts how sidelining Hamas and elevating the position of the Palestinian Authority reflects external calculations that lack domestic legitimacy and consent of the people. By tracing the donor dependence of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the geopolitical bargains at play, the piece reveals recognition as a tool of control instead of a step that is geared towards genuine sovereignty.

29 Aug 2025
Anza Zahya...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

Ocean Privatization and its Implications: A Case Study on the Pari Island Agrarian Conflict, Thousand Islands

This article traces how Pari Island in Jakarta’s Thousand Islands Regency, became the stage for ocean privatization, where corporations claimed 90% of the island and also criminalized residents defending their homes, beaches and livelihoods. It reveals how this everyday struggle goes beyond land grabs to also include broader issues of climate injustice, as islanders confront both encroaching seas and a lawsuit against a global cement giant. Together, these battles show how coastal privatization and the climate crisis collide to redefine survival for island communities.

27 Aug 2025
Irkham 'Ainnur...

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Religiousity Against or Supporting Bullying at Schools?

This article explores how religiosity in Indonesia, while rooted in values of peace and unity, can sometimes reinforce discriminatory practices and bullying in schools, particularly against religious minorities. Drawing on cases of forced religious conformity, harassment, and even fatal bullying incidents, it highlights how teachers, school authorities, and societal attitudes contribute to the spread of intolerance among children. Ultimately, the author calls for stronger counselling services, inclusive education, and the promotion of diversity as essential steps to prevent bullying and foster harmony in Indonesia’s pluralistic society.

25 Aug 2025
Fanny Syariful...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

Between Paradise and Peril: Ecotourism, Conservation, and Food Security in Indonesia’s Fragile One Thousand Islands

This article explores how ecotourism in Indonesia’s Thousand Islands generates both opportunity and vulnerability, sustaining local incomes while intensifying pollution, privatization, and ecological risk. Based on field visits and community interactions, it illustrates how women leaders and small-scale fishers address climate change and corporate encroachment as daily survival issues instead of an abstract policy. It argues that genuine sustainability requires moving beyond simplistic “trade-offs” to governance models that puts community agency at the center of conservation and food security.

22 Aug 2025
Alida Putri...

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Aceh at the Crossroads: Hope for Peace and Political Challenges in a New Era

This article explains Aceh's efforts to balance high expectations with real challenges and its desire to steer the region toward a more prosperous future. It depicts that the 2005 Helsinki agreement has enabled Aceh to enjoy significant stability and security, but the region still faces such domestic social, political, and economic issues. The analysis argues that Aceh needs a visionary and inclusive approach to managing and developing peace through institutional improvements and community participation to make it not only a bastion of peace but also a thriving and prosperous region.

20 Aug 2025
Syarifah Huswatun...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Trump’s Tariffs and Global Inequality: Rethinking Indonesia’s Position

This article shows how the United States’ 19% tariff on Indonesian exports celebrated as a great diplomatic win, masks trade-offs that will hit factory workers, small farmers, and poorer regions the hardest. It traces how various concessions such as billions in US farm imports and 50 Boeing aircraft purchases deepen dependency and also widen domestic inequalities. The analysis warns that without some strong labor protections along with fairer investment distribution, such deals risk locking Indonesia into the same kind of unequal role it has long sought to escape.

15 Aug 2025
Muhammad Nurun...

Politics and Society Africa

Living Under Siege: How Nigeria’s Insecurity Crisis is Rewriting Everyday Life in the North

This article examines Nigeria’s northern insecurity crisis as more than a collapse of law and order, but a deep social and economic unraveling. It traces how insurgency, banditry, and state neglect have turned education into a dangerous gamble, women into targets, and farmland into battlegrounds. In doing so, it questions whether government responses, often militarized and reactive, can address the roots of the crisis or merely perpetuate the harm.

13 Aug 2025
Fahad Babangida

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

The Thailand - Cambodia Crisis and the Contradictory Anatomy of ASEAN Regionalism

This article reflects on the Thailand–Cambodia border dispute, capturing it as more than a contest over territory, but a mirror of how Southeast Asian states use sovereignty in times of internal strain. Drawing on the Preah Vihear temple clashes and their political aftershocks, it examines how domestic fragility in both countries turned the border into a symbolic stage, whereas ASEAN’s principle of non-interference as well as its consensus-driven diplomacy seeks for preservation of stability without challenging entrenched power structures. In doing so, the article questions whether regionalism in Southeast Asia serves as an engine for strong structural transformation, or a tactic to preserve the status quo.

11 Aug 2025
Aniello Iannone

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

The Perils of not negotiating as a bloc: Global South countries and their reactions to the latest trade tariffs

This article examines how the absence of coordinated trade negotiations among Global South countries has left them vulnerable to disproportionately high U.S. tariffs. It highlights the strategic disadvantage of bilateralism, contrasting it with the leverage enjoyed by more unified blocs like the European Union. The piece concludes by urging the Global South to harness its collective economic power, resources, and strategic assets to negotiate from a position of strength.

08 Aug 2025
Liang Yan...

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Lessons for the Fizzling Homegrown Tech Industry to a National AI Excellence

This article explores Indonesia’s potential to develop a sustainable national AI industry amid global competition and domestic tech challenges. It examines whether recent government efforts such as K–12 curriculum reforms and AI policy roadmaps signal meaningful transformation or short-term populism. The article argues that lasting success requires long-term investment in talent, data governance, and inclusive innovation tailored to Indonesia’s needs.

06 Aug 2025
Muhammad Al...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

Two Presidents, Different Realities: Comparison of How Biden and Trump Define the Climate Crisis

This article compares how U.S. Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump have defined and responded to the climate crisis, revealing the profound influence of political leadership on global environmental outcomes. It argues that while Biden views climate change as both a threat and an economic opportunity, Trump frames it as a regulatory burden and threat to energy independence. For the Global South, the divergence between these two climate approaches underscores the risks of relying on unstable leadership from major powers and highlights the need for consistent, equitable climate commitments from industrialized nations.

04 Aug 2025
Syiva Amadea...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Turkey-Indonesia’s KAAN Agreement: ‘Trickle-Down’ Strategic Autonomy Pursuit

This article explores the strategic implications of the Indonesia–Turkey defence cooperation marked by the KAAN fighter jet MoU. It argues that Turkey’s rising defence industry enables a “trickle-down” model of strategic autonomy among middle powers like Indonesia. The piece also examines how President Prabowo’s pursuit of military modernisation blends national security goals with geopolitical ambition and personal prestige.

01 Aug 2025
Tufan Kutay...

Business and Economy South and Central Asia

Integrating the Global South through BRICS

This article critically analyzes the 17th BRICS Summit communique, highlighting its vision for a reconfigured global economic order led by an expanded Global South alliance. While it acknowledges the communique’s emphasis on people-to-people cooperation, especially through education and youth engagement, it critiques the lack of concrete mechanisms to realize these goals. The author proposes creating a Brain Circulatory Network (BCN) to foster sustainable knowledge exchange among BRICS nations and beyond, positioning education as a strategic tool for South-South solidarity.

30 Jul 2025
Natasha Agarwal

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

Our unprecedented impact on the Oceans: Is Marine life close to extinction?

This article explores the devastating impact of human activities such as plastic pollution, commercial fishing, whaling, and trawling on marine ecosystems. It argues that these unsustainable practices are pushing marine species toward extinction and threatening the planet’s ecological balance. The author calls for urgent, large-scale ocean protection, warning that the collapse of marine life will have dire consequences for humanity.

28 Jul 2025
Aamina Urooj

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Unlocking the Potential of Indonesia-Hungary Economic and Social Cooperation: Pathways to Emerging Power Partnership

This article reveals how Hungary, a country that is frequently overlooked in EU trade politics, is stealthily becoming Indonesia's backdoor route to a regulatory bloc that is resisting its palm oil and nickel ambitions. By examining bilateral cooperation in green tech, infrastructure, and also education, it depicts how the two countries are using diplomatic flexibility to bypass gridlock and build a new middle-power alliance. Their evolving relationship offers Indonesia a strong strategic foothold in EU trade talks as well as a concrete channel to align its industrial ambitions with those of Europe, redefining the economic diplomacy of the country through quiet leverage instead of open confrontation.

25 Jul 2025
Affabile Rifawan

Politics and Society South and Central Asia

Silent Revolution in the Mindset of Citizens of Pakistan Regarding the Democratic Structure Since the Ouster of Imran Khan

This article discusses the implications of the removal of Imran Khan and how it triggered a final rupture in Pakistan’s civil-military consensus, exposing cracks in long-standing narratives that existed around patriotism, sacrifice, and national security. Viewed through the perspective of digital activism, intergenerational memory and political action, it documents how citizens are renegotiating the relationship they currently hold with the state authority. The piece identifies a shifting public mood that is less deferential, and more defiant, as a very strong force shaping Pakistan’s political future.

23 Jul 2025
Muhammad Younus

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Thailand, Hun Sen, and the Death of ASEAN Norms

This article examines how a leaked phone conversation between the Cambodian strongman Hun Sen and Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, revealed not only diplomatic friction, but also a very broad pattern of informal power politics within ASEAN. It argues that behind the bloc’s conflict-management paralysis lies a silent new kind of coup, one where elites strategically exploit regional norms and diplomatic backchannels to consolidate their authority, at the expense of transparency, interstate trust as well as democratic accountability in the region.

21 Jul 2025
Lutfia Harizuandini

Business and Economy Africa

Lessons Indonesia’s Digital Rupiah Can Learn from Nigeria’s e-Naira Experience

This article explores what Indonesia’s upcoming Digital Rupiah can learn from the e-Naira’s failed rollout in Nigeria. It argues that despite technological promise, public trust, usability, and integration with existing fintech platforms are crucial for widespread adoption. The author urges Bank Indonesia to prioritize transparency, real incentives, and collaboration with private players to avoid creating a digital currency that remains unused.

18 Jul 2025
Abdulkadir Sadiq

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

“Jangan Ganggu Bapak Aing” (Don’t Disturb Our Father): How Digital fandom Fuels Anti-Critique in West Java's Populist Politics

This article explores how digital fandom surrounding West Java Governor Kang Dedi Mulyadi (KDM) fuels a growing culture of anti-criticism in Indonesia's online political discourse. It shows how KDM’s performative populism on social media fosters emotionally charged support that treats critique as a personal offense. The piece warns of the democratic risks posed by this trend, where viral appeal may overshadow substantive governance and suppress dissent.

16 Jul 2025
Moch Dimas...

International Relations East Asia and the Pacific

Thailand, Cambodia, and the Limits of ASEAN Conflict Management

This article examines the 2025 border crisis between Thailand and Cambodia, triggered by a skirmish in the contested Chong Bok highlands, and unpacks how the incident exposed the limits of ASEAN’s conflict management framework. It argues that the crisis, driven as much by domestic political maneuvering as by territorial disputes, reveals ASEAN’s deep structural paralysis, as the organization’s commitment to non-interference and consensus prevents it from effectively mediating escalating tensions among its own member states.

14 Jul 2025
Aniello Iannone

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Climate Crossroads from Jakarta to Seoul: Navigating Global South, Human Security, and Pop Culture in a Warming World

This article explores how climate change is reshaping global security, diplomacy, and culture especially in the Global South by intensifying human insecurity through environmental, economic, and political disruptions. Centering Indonesia and South Korea, the authors advocate for a new form of climate diplomacy that blends regional cooperation, grassroots resilience, and pop culture to reclaim narrative power and foster global solidarity in a warming world.

11 Jul 2025
Darynaufal Mulyaman

Business and Economy East Asia and the Pacific

Bridging the Divide: How Indonesia Can Turn Economic Growth into Inclusive Prosperity

This article explores how Indonesia can transform its steady economic growth into inclusive prosperity by addressing structural inequality. Focusing on digitalization, foreign direct investment (FDI), and equitable education, it argues that meaningful reform is essential to ensure all citizens benefit from the country’s progress. The piece calls for targeted, people-centered policies that bridge economic divides and empower marginalized communities.

09 Jul 2025
Joko Susilo

Thinkers East Asia and the Pacific

The Slowly Drowning City: Rethinking Climate Governance from Below

This article examines how communities in Pekalongan, Indonesia, are responding to chronic tidal flooding through everyday, locally driven adaptation strategies. Drawing from participatory fieldwork, it reveals the limitations of top-down climate governance and calls for a shift toward decentralised, community-centered approaches. The piece underscores the urgency of empowering local actors with resources, authority, and inclusion in decision-making processes.

07 Jul 2025
Kerkulah P...

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

CBAM and the Trade-Off Between Climate Responsibility and Economic Growth: The Role of Trade Openness in a Divided Global Order

This article critically examines the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as a climate policy tool designed to curb carbon leakage and align global trade with decarbonization goals. While CBAM aims to create a level playing field between domestic and foreign producers, it raises concerns about trade protectionism, economic inequality, and its disproportionate impact on developing economies in the Global South. The article calls for a more inclusive and balanced approach that supports climate justice, technology transfer, and sustainable growth for vulnerable countries.

04 Jul 2025
Noor Ul...

International Relations Middle East

The Geopolitical Implications of the Israel-Iran Rivalry: Security, Alliances, and the Future of the Middle East

This article explores the deep-rooted and multifaceted rivalry between Israel and Iran, analyzing how ideological conflict, military doctrine, and nuclear tensions have shaped the Middle East's security landscape. It highlights how this protracted antagonism has evolved into a broader geopolitical struggle involving regional alliances, proxy wars, cyber conflict, and global power dynamics between the U.S., Russia, and China. As the rivalry intensifies, the article underscores its profound implications for international stability, diplomacy, and the future of global order.

02 Jul 2025
Syeda Tatheer...

International Relations Middle East

The Death of International Law

This article critically examines the U.S.–Israel strike on Iran’s nuclear sites as a turning point in the unraveling of international legal norms. It argues that the operation, conducted without UN authorization or legal justification, reveals how international law has become a tool of selective enforcement that protects the powerful while disciplining the Global South. The piece calls for a bold reimagining of the global order led by the Global South where legality, sovereignty, and justice are no longer subordinated to geopolitical dominance.

30 Jun 2025
Virdika Rizky...

International Relations Middle East

China’s Balancing Act in the Iran–Israel Conflict: Energy, Diplomacy, and Global South Alignments

This article examines how China is navigating its strategic partnerships with both Iran and Israel amid the escalating 2025 conflict. It highlights Beijing’s shift from neutral diplomacy to overt support for Iran, driven by energy interests, geopolitical rivalry with the West, and ambitions to lead Global South diplomacy. The piece explores how this balancing act exposes the limits of China’s influence and the risks of growing polarization in Asia and beyond.

27 Jun 2025
Syarifah Huswatun...

International Relations Middle East

How Multilateralism Crumbles in the Face of the Red Sea Crisis

This article explores how the Red Sea crisis, escalated by geopolitical rivalries, Houthi attacks, and the Israel-Iran conflict, has exposed the limitations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the erosion of global multilateralism. As great powers and regional actors prioritize strategic competition over cooperation, the IMO’s capacity to ensure maritime stability is increasingly undermined. The piece calls for a multipolar and inclusive approach to reform global maritime governance and restore order in one of the world's most vital shipping lanes.

25 Jun 2025
Nia Deliana

International Relations Middle East

War Criminal Calls for More Wars

This article takes a critical look at how Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, with international indictment and prosecution looming at home, leverages geopolitical instability in order to extend his political survival while also manipulating Western alliances and moral narratives to justify his highly aggressive regional policies. Drawing insights from psychological theory, lobbying influence, as well as fragmented Muslim world responses, it presents the argument that the so-called rules-based order is increasingly turning out to be hollow due to selective silence and strategic inaction.

23 Jun 2025
Mohammed Ahmed...

Environment and Sustainability East Asia and the Pacific

Sacred Islands at Risk: The Faithful Fight Against Extractive Greed

This article confronts the human and ecological cost of Indonesia’s nickel boom, exposing how the drive to go green is not only clearing coastal settlements, polluting water supplies but also hollowing out very sacred island landscapes. Under the guise of sustainability, these extractive policies have instead, actually resulted in higher levels of inequality, spiritual dislocation, and environmental collapse in some of the most vulnerable parts of the country.

20 Jun 2025
Hening Parlan

Politics and Society East Asia and the Pacific

Indonesia at the Edge: The Fragile Foundations of Prabowo’s Presidency

This article analyzes the fragile foundations of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration amid economic instability, rushed policy changes, and costly populist programs. It highlights growing concerns over governance, environmental degradation, and the politicization of Indonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund. The piece situates Indonesia within a broader Global South pattern of populist centralization and democratic erosion.

18 Jun 2025
Geo Dzakwan...

Environment and Sustainability South and Central Asia

Sacrificing Sulawesi’s Blue Paradise for Electric Vehicle Ambition

This article examines the way in which the electric vehicle ambitions of Indonesia are replacing Indigenous cultures, ecosystem, and livelihoods of the Bajau People of Kabaena Island in Southeast Sulawesi. Through the lens of nickel mining, it reveals a slow-motion crisis in which disregard for the environment, legal loopholes, and even the silence of the state are transforming coastal regions into collateral damages.