2021/01/25 |
Singapore’s Government Says Workers Are Pulling Ahead. Here’s What They Won’t Say.
Last week, a Singapore government minister said that the wages of lower-income and median-income Singaporeans have increased in the last 10 years. But when we compare Singapore with other wealthy, advanced countries, the situation does not look so rosy.
2021/01/25 |
Beijing’s “Wolf Warriors” Score Own Goals
An online spat over the origins of kimchi shows the Chinese Communist Party has made people at home hungry for news of China’s dominance.
2021/01/22 |
Philippines: Armed Forces University Ban Canceled
The Philippine government has canceled a long standing agreement that barred armed forces from entering the country’s leading university, University of the Philippines.
2021/01/22 |
Japan To Cancel Tokyo Olympics — Report
A member of Japan’s ruling coalition has said the Games will have to be canceled, according to a British newspaper. The Olympics is due to start in July, but 80% of the Japanese population are against hosting the event.
2021/01/21 |
How Covid-19 Is Straining Human Rights in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines
Covid-19 outbreaks have worsened human rights issues in much of Southeast Asia, as countries scramble to revive economies.
2021/01/20 |
Thailand: Woman Handed Record 43-Year Sentence for Defaming Monarchy
A former civil servant has been convicted of 29 counts of violating Thailand’s strict lese majeste law. She pleaded guilty to posting audio clips of a podcast produced by a prominent critic of the monarchy.
2021/01/19 |
Indonesian Government Official Threatens Legal Trouble For Those Who Refuse Covid-19 Vaccine
An Indonesian government official has spoken of penalizing citizens who refuse mandatory Covid-19 vaccination. Human rights organizations and experts have condemned the idea.
2021/01/19 |
Rethinking Japan’s Refugee and Asylum Policy
Japan is unlikely to expand its refugee intake in the near future despite international criticism.
2021/01/15 |
Indonesia Delays Migrant Worker Fee Exemption
Indonesia’s state agency in charge of migrant worker protection announced today that it will delay the implementation of the “exemption of placement fee policy” by six months.
2021/01/11 |
US State Department Ends Restrictions on Contacts With Taiwan Officials
The United States is lifting self-imposed restrictions on contacts between U.S. officials and their Taiwanese counterparts, after the Taiwan Assurance Act became law in December.
2021/01/08 |
Singapore’s 2020 Risk Management Strategy
Singapore has kept the pandemic under control and its economy has survived in much better shape than expected. The success is based on the Singaporean government’s aversion to risks.
2021/01/06 |
Philippine Lawmakers Push for Police Reform After Tarlac Shooting
After a Filipino mother and her son were fatally shot by an off-duty policemen, Philippine lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the case and demanding police reform.
2021/01/06 |
History Is ‘China’s Most Important Psychological Tool’
China is widely regarded as a millennia-old nation-state, but this is a misconception, journalist Bill Hayton claims in his new book.
2021/01/04 |
Vaccine Seen as Potentially Shoring up China’s Image in Indonesia, the Philippines
China could gain favor in Southeast Asia’s two biggest countries if its vaccines work.
2020/12/31 |
Philippines: The Tactics Behind Red-Tagging
The military and government bureaucracy will never openly admit to it, but there is a stark and disturbing trend of mobilizing state resources against civil society in the Philippines.
2020/12/30 |
Hong Kong: 10 Defendants Face Trial Over Attempt To Flee Country
The trial of 10 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists alleged to have fled the territory for Taiwan has opened amid international pressure.
2020/12/24 |
Hong Kong Legislator Reflects on Pro-Democracy Struggle as He Seeks Asylum
Baggio Leung, a former Hong Kong legislator seeking asylum in the United States, feels pessimistic about Hong Kong's short-term future, but said he believes Hong Kongers will one day win their city back.
2020/12/23 |
Celebrating Christmas and Pluralism as an Indonesian Minority
Christmas in Indonesia this year arrives as pluralism and tolerance in the country are under attack.