A recent report by Students for a Fossil Free Future, a coalition of campus groups from four of Singapore’s major universities, was students’ latest call for environmental progress and a push for their institutions to reassess relationships they hold with fossil fuel companies. Globe’s Anton L. Delgado spoke to the group’s coordinators who are calling for their institutions to recognise the negative impact of these relationships and step up when it comes to accountability for climate action. 
#Singapore #FossilFuels #Environment #ClimateCrisis #Interview #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/singapore-students-call-for-universities-to-change-relationship-with-fossil-fuels/

In Malaysia’s George Town, a recent eviction notice threatened to make Burmah Square residents the latest casualties in the ongoing battle between fast-paced urban development and cultural heritage. Over the years, skyscrapers have clashed with the striking pastels and geometric borders of the area’s sole remaining neighbourhood with historical Art Deco buildings still intact. Globe’s Ashley Yeong was on the ground to speak with residents caught between modernity and history and uncover the threat to George Town’s UNESCO World Heritage status.
#Malaysia #UNESCO #Culture #Heritage #AshleyYeong

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/history-and-progress-face-off-in-a-malaysian-square/

A Siem Reap social enterprise is serving up opportunities for future hospitality leaders as they put Cambodians first in a major rebrand. Globe’s Jack Brook spoke to the SPOONS cafe community about the shift to Cambodian leadership in a tourism industry where manager roles are traditionally filled by expatriates, and how the pandemic pushed rising stars to step up and pave the way for future generations of Cambodia hospitality leaders. 
#Cambodia #SocialEnterprise #Covid19 #JackBrook

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/putting-cambodians-in-charge-saved-a-ngo/

From 16 February, Cambodia’s government will gain extra controls over digital landscapes through the national internet gateway. Yet just days before the project is set to take effect, analysts are scarcely more informed than when it was first signed into law last year. Globe’s Fiona Kelliher investigates the practical applications of the expansive law as the potential impacts of this “unchecked power” remain murky.
#Cambodia #Internet #Surveillance #FionaKelliher

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/cambodias-internet-gateway-leaves-analysts-in-dark-technology-and-rights/

As the conflicts in the South China Sea continue, the Philippines is navigating delicate relationships in a complex landscape. Rivalry between the US and China has fostered more players in the region prompting president Duterte to circumnavigate the current geopolitical landscape to maintain alliances. In this analysis, Nasifa Halim, a research associate at Global Awareness & Impact Alliance, goes deep into the Philippines’ role in the struggle over the disputed waters and how its president must balance his relationship with other nations while ensuring Filipino interests are upheld.
#Philippines #SouthChinaSea #US #China #NasifaHalim

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/the-philippines-navigates-multiple-channels-in-the-south-china-sea/

The recent death of an eight year old girl, admitted to a Ho Chi Minh City hospital covered in wounds and bruises, was a heartbreaking reminder of the prevalent problems of child abuse in Vietnam. Despite efforts to improve child protection, rates of child maltreatment remain high in the country, and cultures of harsh discipline persist. Globe’s Govi Snell investigates the issue and spoke to a foundation helping young people move past the trauma of abuse, and towards a future where corporal punishment is no longer some children’s grim reality of growing up.
#Vietnam #ChildAbuse #CorporalPunishment #GoviSnell

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/girls-fatal-beating-spotlights-child-abuse-in-vietnam/

Regional experts who have been tracking the ebb and flow of the Mekong River shared their insights on the social and ecological significance of altering the natural flow of this vital water source at an online event this week. Globe’s Anton L. Delgado was in the audience to report on the effects of climate change, the impact of hydropower and reservoir dams and the potential solutions to better river management.  
#Region #Mekong #Water #ClimateChange #Dam #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/dam-reservoir-releases-could-raise-mekong-river-water-levels/

Dance, meditation and a splash of documentary journalism came together at Phnom Penh’s Friends Futures Factory for ‘Worlds Unknown.” The city’s newest art festival brought together five unique solo exhibitions by Cambodian artists, united by themes of reconnection and interaction and the shared vision of reimagining approaches to art during a pandemic. Globe’s Fiona Kelliher attended the event to explore the artists’ disparate responses to their history and present surroundings and the shared interactive experience of celebrating art, uniting both the creators and their viewers.
#Cambodia #Art #Culture #FionaKelliher

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/phnom-penh-festival-reimagines-how-to-engage-with-art/

The reflective pools surrounding the Angkor Wat are based on a strong foundation of groundwater and sandy soil. But elsewhere in Siem Reap, the delicate balance of water demand and supply is less stable. Sparse rainfalls, infrastructure issues and restrictions on usage have forced local businesses and farming communities to turn to alternatives and backup sources which drain finances and drive a competitive thirst for unregulated efforts to meet their water needs. Globe’s Jack Brook and Choulay Mech examine the need for effective regulation and distribution policies to manage the area’s water scarcity and the cultural and environmental significance of this vital resource for Siem Reap’s local communities. 
#Cambodia #Water #Agriculture #Community #JackBrook #ChoulayMech

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/groundwater-scarcity-hotels-farmers-and-temples-compete-limited-water-in-siem-reap/

A virtual press conference held by Human Rights Watch on 17 February shone a spotlight on the pattern of abuse experienced by Vietnamese activists and their families, monitored and restricted by the government. The event introduced the organisation’s new report, “Locked Inside Our Home: Movement Restrictions on Rights Activists in Vietnam” which details the “day-to-day harassment” perceived dissidents suffer, including intimidation and imprisonment inside their own homes. Globe’s Govi Snell was at the event and reports on the government’s crackdown on dissent during Covid-19, the need for action and attention from the international community and how Vietnam’s Lady Gaga was silenced by plainclothes police.
#Vietnam #HumanRights #Activists #FreedomOfSpeech #GoviSnell

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/vietnams-government-locks-down-dissidents-report-says/

Visitors to Phnom Penh’s Single Man Fried Rice stall can get their street food with a side of hot muscle. The entrepreneurial bodybuilders behind the venture have been cooking up a storm on social media and attracting both admiration and criticism from the local and wider community through their shirtless TikTok and Facebook feeds. Globe’s Jack Brook serves up a profile of these popular street vendors and what their rise to sex-symbol status says about modern masculinity, sexiness and gender stereotypes in the Kingdom. 
#Cambodia #Gender #SocialMedia #JackBrook

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/shirtless-fried-rice-sellers-stir-fry-controversy-in-phnom-penh/

Hordes of humans follow the monkeys in Angkor Archaeological Park, documenting the photogenic furry mammals for their online media platforms. While YouTube blogs following the critters can attract thousands of followers, their success has been marred by controversy about macaque management and concerns over the effect of human exposure on monkey behaviour. Meanwhile, another business is booming: that of captive breeding and exportation. Globe’s Anton L. Delgado investigates Cambodia’s captive-breeding farms which fuel the international market for long-tailed macaques and the questions surrounding the Kingdom’s monkey trade.
#Cambodia #Conservation #Monkey #AnimalTrade #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/small-monkeys-are-big-business-in-cambodias-animal-trade/

To mark World Wildlife Day this week, Globe journalists have joined forces to present profiles of the region’s vibrant and diverse national animals. Whether decreed by official law or acclaimed by popular appeal, these creatures hold huge cultural, social and economic importance for their native countries and their local biodiversity. Many are also fighting to survive, as poaching and deforestation further threaten already dwindling numbers. 
#region #wildlife #biodiversity #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/world-wildlife-day-special-highlighting-the-animals-of-southeast-asia/

As schools in Cambodia reopen, buzzwords such as “unprecedented'' and “new normal” are losing their punch. Education is ready to move forward, but as students and teachers return to pre-pandemic daily life, sector experts are taking the opportunity to reflect back on the lessons learnt and the lasting repercussions on the Kingdom’s education system. Globe’s Stew Post reports on how the pandemic introduced new challenges and exacerbated long-standing inequalities in the Kingdom and the resilience of educators and support from public and private sectors that are cause for optimism looking forward. 
#Cambodia #Education #Covid-19 #StewPost

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/a-lasting-legacy-reflections-on-learning-in-the-pandemic/

When Yoshimasa Hayashi met Hun Manet in Tokyo last month, the Japanese foreign minister assured the son and favoured successor of Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, that Japan will offer assistance to Cambodia in preparation for its upcoming elections. As fallout from Hun Sen’s ongoing opposition crackdown causes international support to dwindle, Japan and China are the Kingdom’s two major backers. Both countries view it as an important market for investment and access but in this analysis, Globe columnist Mark S. Cogan discusses how Japan is playing a longer game with a broader strategy. 
#Cambodia #Japan #Diplomacy #Politics #MarkSCogan

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/japan-engagement-with-cambodia-long-game-china/

Countries have developed different systems of education based on cultural values and economic needs. But with the pandemic accelerating remote learning techniques, the future of higher education may rely on shared models and cross-regional collaboration, with a focus on joint degree programmes and English language proficiency. In this opinion piece, Kuldeep Nagi, a Fulbright Fellow from Seattle University working at Assumption University, Bangkok, explores how this bold initiative could help ASEAN universities become more competitive on a global scale. 
#Region #Education #University #KuldeepNagi

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/the-time-has-come-for-the-e-asean-degree/

“We have not disappeared,” said Cambodia’s exiled opposition leader Mu Sochua recently, steadfast in her belief that the spirit of her Cambodia National Rescue Party remains strong. Others remain less convinced. Fellow dissident Theary Seng who is facing mass trial, is calling for an end to party politics in the Kingdom. Globe’s Jack Brook and Fiona Kelliher spoke to the activists about different approaches to resistance, sweaters for democracy and the future of the next generation of women activists as the Kingdom looks towards elections. 
#Cambodia #Activism #Opposition #JackBrook #FionaKelliher

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/cambodian-opposition-figures-take-distinct-resistance-paths/

As the largest archipelagic state in the world, Indonesia’s islands spread around 5,150 kilometres (3,200 miles) across the Indo-Pacific region. This strategic position has given it unique influence with the U.S. and China when it comes to potential collaborations in security, science, technology and sustainability. In this analysis, Aristyo Rizka Darmawan, a lecturer in International Law at the Universitas Indonesia, explores how the country’s location has driven its interest in maintaining peace and security in the disputed South China Sea and why Indonesia’s maritime cooperation remains central amidst U.S. - China rivalry in the Indo-Pacific. 
#Indonesia #SouthChinaSea #US #China #AristyoRizkaDarmawan

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/indonesia-lies-at-the-heart-of-a-maritime-rivalry/

Today marks International Women’s Day and this year, its theme is “Breaking the bias.” As women across the globe continue on their mission to smash glass ceilings and tear apart ingrained institutional bias and gender stereotypes, at Southeast Asia Globe, we are sharing some of our top stories recognising and celebrating the achievements and accomplishments of women in the region.
#Region #InternationalWomensDay #BreakTheBias #Empowerment #AmandaOon

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/international-womens-day-2022-celebrating-past-progress-recognising-future-challenges/

According to estimates by the Malaysian government, the country is home to 4.9 million smokers, with one in five people over 15 years old consuming tobacco products. With little sign of rates dropping, the government is stepping in with a new legislation to tackle nicotine addiction in young people. Globe’s Ashley Yeong explores the impact and implications of the initiative which would ban tobacco product purchases by anyone born after 2005 and the conflict between tobacco corporations, which continue to profit from young Malaysians’ addiction, and family members and government who are left to bear the cost. 
#Malaysia #Tobacco #Smoking #Youth #AshleyYeong

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/malaysia-legislation-aims-to-push-youth-smoking-into-the-past/