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Cambodia’s ‘quiet king’ must find his political voice

The recent abdication of Malaysia’s Sultan Muhammad V after his controversial marriage to a 25-year-old Russian beauty queen has raised questions about the moral authority and responsibilities of Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni. Seasoned Southeast Asia observers are asking whether the Cambodian ruler could be the next monarch to abdicate. There...

Duterte: Human rights groups out to destroy gov’t

President Rodrigo Duterte. AP FILE MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has accused human rights groups of seeking to destroy the government as they allegedly deem his administration as their enemy. In a speech in Dimasalang town in Masbate on Wednesday, Duterte slammed the silence of rights groups over the brutal...

Complaint: Indonesian mayor promotes anti-gay discrimination

A human rights organisation is protesting an anti-LGBT initiative by the mayor of the West Javan city of Depok, saying that he is encouraging anti-gay discrimination. Depok mayor Mohammad Idris defends himself against accusations of anti-gay discrimination. (Photo courtesy of Wartakotalive.com) By Lloyd Copper Mohammed Idris, the mayor of Depok in the...

Eric Paulsen is Malaysia’s new rep to Asean human rights commission

(From left) Eric Paulsen, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Edmund Bon at the appointment of Paulsen as Malaysia’s representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) for the 2019-2021 term. — Picture via Facebook/Eric-Paulsen KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — Human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen has been appointed Malaysia’s representative...

With its $3.85b mine takeover, Indonesia inherits a $13b pollution problem

The Indonesian government has acquired a majority stake in the operator of the Grasberg mine, one of the world’s biggest copper and gold mines. The $3.85 billion deal has been lauded as a move toward resource sovereignty, but there’s been little mention of who inherits the massive pollution legacy left...

An ASEAN Giant Mulls the Region’s Future

Indonesia’s former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa’s new book on the regional grouping’s relevance grapples with its manifold challenges. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Marty Natalegawa, a seasoned Indonesian diplomat who last served as foreign minister under former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has long been regarded as one of the champions of the...

Myanmar court rejects Reuters appeal

A court in Myanmar has rejected the appeal for two Reuters reporters who were jailed for seven years after a farcical trial that has brought further international condemnation on the military-controlled country. The journalists were entrapped with classified government documents and found to be in violation of the colonial-era Official...

ASEAN, Myanmar to formalise cooperation on refugee repatriation

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi (front) arrives at Sittwe Airport in Rakhine State on Monday. Photo: EPA The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the government on Tuesday discussed the Terms of Reference (ToR) that will formalise their cooperation in the repatriation of...

Asean meeting under Thai chair to discuss contentious issues next week in Chiang Mai

Asean foreign ministers will next week gather in the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai to brainstorm on various vexing issues, including the Rakhine crisis, South China Sea, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and an Indo-Pacific Strategy aiming to maintain its “centrality” for regional security architecture. The January 17-18 meeting...

Myanmar journalists lose appeal against sentence

Chit Su Win (L) and Pan Ei Mon (R), wives of jailed Myanmar journalists Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone leave the Yangon Regional High Court on 11 January, 2019 after a Myanmar judge dismissed an appeal by their husbands. (Sai Aung Main / AFP Photo) Two Reuters journalists jailed...