The pandemic shutdowns halted schools and businesses across the world. They also gave nature a chance to thrive in unexpected urban areas and reset our relationship with the environment. In this opinion piece, Alaka Skinner shares her own personal experiences of homeschooling throughout the pandemic and analyses the relationship between childhood, nature and sustainability in Singapore. 
#Singapore #Covid19 #Parenting #AlakaSkinner

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/parenting-in-the-pandemic-provides-lessons-in-nature-and-humanity/

In the streets of Thailand’s Pattaya, a young girl, heavily made up, is on the search for older male customers. She is around four years old. 

This is one of the images that haunts writer Sylvia Yu Friedman from her mission to highlight prevailing issues of sex trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation in Asia, which she shares in her latest book A Long Road to Justice. Globe’s Amanda Oon spoke to the author and anti-slavery campaigner about the underlying issues of poverty, racism and gender inequality which have laid the foundations for exploitation of women and children and her own struggles with identity and race which fuelled her mission for justice.
#Region #SexTrafficking #Slavery #Justice #AmandaOon

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/author-charts-the-long-journey-to-bring-justice-to-survivors-of-sex-trafficking/

Far away from the political power hubs of Washington D.C. and Beijing, a naval base on the Cambodian coastline has become a strategic focus in the rivalry between the U.S. and China. In today’s analysis, Alec Pronk, a journalist specialising in U.S. foreign policy, covers the significance of the naval base in the ongoing power struggle between the U.S. and China and the potential impact of perceived Chinese-Cambodian collaboration on the Kingdom’s future relations with the western superpower.
#Cambodia #China #US #Politics #AlecPronk

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/a-superpower-struggle-on-the-cambodian-coast/

In one of the biggest recent political scandals in Singapore, MP Raeesah Khan made headlines when her claims that she accompanied a victim of sexual assault to unsympathetic police officers came under scrutiny. The veracity of her story may not have held up but behind the political headlines was a greater truth: the need for authorities to address the city-state’s sexual abuse culture, tackle the stigma surrounding it and provide greater support for those who have suffered harassment. Robin Vochelet discusses the undercurrent of sexual misconduct, especially across Singapore’s universities, and why Khan’s case was a missed opportunity to investigate deeper issues of sexual assault in the Lion City.
#Singapore #SexualAbuse #Harassment #RobinVochelet

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/singapore-needs-to-reform-the-treatment-of-sexual-violence-victims/

After the end of World War II, the Soviet Union was one of the first countries to recognise Vietnam as a sovereign nation, following its declaration of independence from France in 1945. Now, almost 80 years later, as a Russian invasion tears its way through Ukraine, its inherited ties with Vietnam are influencing the ASEAN nation’s response to events in Eastern Europe. Globe’s Govi Snell and Brian P. D. Hannon explore the history of Russia - Vietnam relations, the trade agreements and the regional power dynamics which have laid the foundations for a “unique and intimate relationship” that has influenced Vietnam’s stance on the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
#Vietnam #Russia #Ukraine #InternationalRelations #GoviSnell #BrianPDHannon

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/vietnam-and-the-russian-ties-that-bind-them/

Timor-Leste’s ‘re-independence’ began in 2002, after a brief stint of self-rule in 1975 that lasted less than a fortnight. As the country’s citizens prepare to cast their ballots on 19 March, this election bears a symbolic significance as the anniversary of a recent and hard-fought independence. Globe’s Brian P. D. Hannon examines the country’s past struggle for sovereignty, the unique challenges of Covid-19 and what might lie ahead for the new or re-elected president and the nation as it commemorates two decades free from the shadow of foreign control.
#TimorLeste #Election #Sovereignty #BrianPDHannon

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/timor-leste-plans-to-mark-an-anniversary-at-the-polls/

As part of the largest crocodile release in Cambodia by international conservation organisation Fauna & Flora International, 25 critically-endangered Siamese crocodiles were set free into the Cardamom Mountains this month. The project is part of a wider push to protect the rare animals and promote crocodile conservation in other parts of the world. Globe’s Anton L. Delgado was on the ground to capture the moments when these important “top predators” were released into the wild and spoke to conservationists about pioneering new technologies tracking the fate of released crocodiles and tactics that could help safeguard the region’s remaining and rare wild reptiles. 
#Cambodia #Conservation #Wildlife #Crocodile #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/cambodia-crocodiles-set-loose-to-save-their-lives/

The protagonist in Mattie Do’s latest film, The Long Walk, puffs moodily from a vape, walks quietly along sunbaked roads accompanied by a ghost and buys bowls of noodles with a chip inserted in his forearm. The work, released digitally on March 1, is Laos’ first female director’s third film and plays with preconceptions of colonialism, humanitarian aid and grief in the country’s rural communities. Globe’s Govi Snell spoke to the director about the personal experiences of loss that inspired the film, her darkly comedic vision of poverty and progress and how she brought the tangibility of spirits in Lao culture to the silver screen. 
#Laos #Film #Culture #GoviSnell

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/mattie-do-plays-with-expectations-of-southeast-asian-cinema/

In the heart of central Singapore’s Maxwell Chambers, the city-state’s only Ukrainian-Russian restaurant is cooking up dumplings from a family recipe and using the tasty parcels to speak out about the conflict in Eastern Europe. Globe’s Amanda Oon spoke to some of the Lion City’s Ukrainian-Russian restaurateurs about their perspectives on the war in Eastern Europe, navigating national identity and the childhood dishes that have helped them share their stories. 
#Singapore #Culture #Food #Ukraine #Russia #AmandaOon

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/singapores-ukrainian-russian-restaurateurs-build-bridges-with-dumplings/

Cambodia’s national fish, the critically endangered Mekong Giant Barb, were amongst the nearly 1,600 threatened fish set free into the Kingdom’s Tonle Sap Lake as part of the largest single release by research project Wonders of the Mekong.

Globe’s Anton L. Delgado was at the site of the action and spoke to researchers and conservationists about the importance of the release for local biodiversity, the threats of overfishing, dam development and climate change that they still face in the wild and the lessons learned that will define future releases of other endangered aquatic species.
#Cambodia #Conservation #Fisheries #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/conservation-tonle-sap-lake-receives-largest-fish-release/

The regular pulse of Tonle Sap Lake is the lifeblood of millions of Cambodians’ livelihoods. And for Abby Seiff, the vital water source is the heart of her latest work, Troubling the Water, as she charts its journey through illegal fishing, hydropower projects and climate change. In this interview, Globe’s Jack Brook speaks to the author about chronicling the multifaceted causes of Tonle Sap’s devastation and the consequences of the lake’s existential issues on local communities and Cambodian culture. 
#Cambodia #Interview #TonleSap #Culture #JackBrook

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/troubling-the-water-author-chronicles-the-fate-of-the-tonle-sap/

In Thailand, as protesters move online to get their voices heard, they are encountering new challenges. Mass government surveillance has allowed authoritarian regimes to track dissidents, inflame tensions and restrict freedom of speech. In this opinion piece, Globe columnist Mark S. Cogan looks at the government’s love-hate relationship with social media, the reign of lèse majesté in the digital age and why a human rights approach to data governance could be the key to protect political speech in the Kingdom. 
#Thailand #Activism #SocialMedia #MarkSCogan

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/to-protect-political-speech-in-thailand-protesters-and-social-media-platforms-must-evolve/

For food-loving nation Malaysia, 24-hour mamaks, traditional food outlets catering to the nation’s night owl dining life, provide both favourite local dishes and an opportunity for the country’s disparate cultural communities to come together. As they get the green light to re-open following pandemic restrictions, Globe’s Ashley Yeong spoke to mamak owners and their customers about the history behind the food stalls, the impact of government-mandated curfews on business and how the nation’s much-loved local hangouts are sustaining a vital part of Malaysian culture and community. 
#Malaysia #Culture #Food #Covid19 #AshleyYeong

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/a-traditional-malaysian-food-outlet-makes-a-comeback/

More than 40 years after the Democratic Kampuchea tore through the country, the dirt tracks of rural Cambodia are well-trodden with the still-painful memories of the violent era that left generations of victims with crippling physical and emotional scars. But even today, lack of access to healthcare and incomplete documentation of their experiences risk leaving these Cambodians and their history forgotten. Globe’s Stew Post discusses how a local NGO is helping survivors share their stories, gain access to healthcare and help a generation who lost everything move one step closer to closure. 
#Cambodia #KhmerRouge #Healthcare #Documentation #StewPost

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/a-long-time-coming-oral-history-and-healthcare-with-khmer-rouge-survivors/

The physical and emotional scars are still fresh for survivors of the Khmer Rouge, decades after the Democratic Kampuchea ripped through the country. But lack of accessible healthcare and scant documentation risk leaving them and their history forgotten. A special adjustment of the publishing calendar brings you a further chance to delve into Globe’s Stew Post’s coverage of how a local NGO is helping survivors commit their stories to history and gain access to important health services, more than 40 years after the era of terror that tore their lives apart. 
#Cambodia #KhmerRouge #Health #Survivor #StewPost

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/a-long-time-coming-oral-history-and-healthcare-with-khmer-rouge-survivors/

In Cambodia, there has never traditionally been a relationship between conservationists and farmers. Now, the two have found an unlikely partnership as they collaborate on breeding and releasing efforts to protect the critically endangered Siamese crocodile from extinction. Globe’s Anton L. Delgado was on site at a crocodile release, farm and facility to investigate first-hand the collaboration between the farming and conservation sectors to protect these vulnerable species.
#cambodia #conservation #crocodile #wildlife #environment #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/cambodian-crocodiles-survival-relies-on-farmers-and-conservationists/

On 1 April, Singapore removed restrictions for all vaccinated travellers. But as ASEAN continues to grapple with the complications of Covid-19, Yutong Niu reflects back on the city-state’s multilateral ties during its journey towards eventual re-opening of its borders and looks ahead to discuss the collaborative biosecurity approach that is vital for this small island nation. 
#Singapore #Covid19 #Biosecurity #YutongNiu

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/now-is-the-time-for-singapore-to-lead-regional-biosecurity-efforts/

The Philippines’ internet is thriving and diverse. But government manipulation and influence is stifling free speech and leaving the nation’s online spaces vulnerable to misinformation. As the nation’s elections approach, Kian Vesteinsson, a research analyst for technology and democracy at Freedom House, looks into the digital distortion of the Philippines’ political landscape and how online contortion and control are the hurdles in a democratic presidential race. 
#Philippines #FreeSpeech #Election #KianVesteinsson

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/digital-distortion-presents-an-electoral-threat-in-the-philippines/

On an everyday commute through Kampong Speu province, 25-year-old garment worker Soth Vy was crushed under the weight of her fellow passengers when the collective transport vehicle she was riding veered off the road. Her case is one of the thousands of recent casualties highlighting the prevailing issue of unsafe garment worker transportation that plagues the Kingdom. Low wages, overwork and poorly maintained vehicles and roads trap workers in a cycle of risk and instability, Globe’s Ashley Hui Yin Tan reports, as she discusses the dangerous rise of garment worker road accidents in Cambodia, even as exposure increases.
#Cambodia #Workers #Safety #Corruption #AshleyHuiYinTan

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/as-road-accidents-rise-garment-workers-face-a-dangerous-commute/

We live in an increasingly connected world. Access to online information can bring an immediacy to events far away, help drive action and fuel collaboration or combat. As the conflict in Ukraine reaches day 43, Globe’s Amanda Oon shares perspectives from Southeast Asia’s young, digital-savvy generations who are speaking out about the war in Eastern Europe and the media, misinformation and migration issues that are driving their calls to action.
#Region #Ukraine #Russia #Youth #AmandaOon

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/asean-youths-speak-out-about-the-conflict-in-ukraine/