Equine therapy, an experiential mental health treatment that leverages the emotional healing potential of horses, has been recognised since the 5th century BCE and is established in Europe, the U.S. and Australia. But in Singapore, long-standing stigmas around mental health have hindered the ascent of these non-traditional therapies and kept them out of the mainstream. Now, two years of pandemic restrictions and the subsequent psychological toll have helped these practices gain traction. Toh Ee Ming discusses pioneering new movements in mental healthcare and the importance of human-animal connections and serene spaces in the busy urban nation. 
#Singapore #Healthcare #Mentalhealth #Covid19 #TohEeMing

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/singapores-mental-health-initiatives-horses-healing-power/

Longstanding cultural and religious taboos, conservative education cultures and the threat of “obscenity laws” in Southeast Asia have made sex a loaded subject and the sex toy industry a risky and rising market. Globe’s Fiona Kelliher explores the growing sector, speaks to the entrepreneurs stepping up to fill the information vacuum on sexual wellness and tackles the debate over whether for-profit companies should be responsible for steering Southeast Asia’s sex education. 
#Region #SexEducation #Entrepreneurs #Taboo #FionaKelliher

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/how-southeast-asias-sex-toy-companies-are-reimagining-sex-ed/

Armed with purple and white banners and demands for fairer contract terms, better wages and an end to union harassment, a group of contract hospital workers gathered outside Malaysia’s Ministry of Health to protest in February. The movement echoes others in the country by workers who are calling for improved working conditions as they continue to struggle with the effects of the relentless pandemic. Prime Minister Ismail Yaakob’s 19 March announcement of a minimum wage hike this May may seem like a progressive step. But Globe’s Ashley Yeong goes behind the rise to discuss the issues of soaring goods prices, prevailing poverty and lack of workers’ protection which questions whether it is enough. 
#Malaysia #Workers #Wages #Rights #AshleyYeong

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/malaysia-wage-movement-gathers-momentum/

“Being in the Mekong development and protection business is not like selling ice cream,” said Anoulak Kittikhoun. The new Mekong River Commission CEO believes that juggling the balance of economic, social and environmental interests of Mekong countries is a tough task, and a challenge he is rising to, as he calls for a spotlight on science and heightened awareness on the imminent issues facing the river region. In an exclusive discussion with Southeast Asia Globe following his inaugural State of the Mekong address, Kittikhoun spoke with Anton L. Delgado about water diplomacy, strengthening fragile transboundary relations and the collaborations needed to address the Mekong’s uncertain future. 
#Region #Mekong #Environment #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/a-new-leader-addresses-the-state-of-the-mekong/

In the aftermath of the military’s forceful takeover in February last year, those who managed to flee the devastation in Myanmar may seem like the lucky ones. But, distanced geographically and emotionally from friends and family, young Myanmar refugees rebuilding their lives abroad describe feelings of survivors’ guilt, fear for loved ones left behind and frustration at opportunities snatched away from a generation that grew up in a period of relative prosperity. Sophie Chew spoke to young Myanmar people in the U.S. and Thailand about their feelings of inner conflict, moments of optimism and uncertainty while settling into new lives and their hopes for the future one year on from the military coup. 
#Myanmar #Coup #Refugees #SophieChew

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/after-a-year-of-dreams-deferred-myanmars-displaced-youth-try-to-start-over/

The turning of Solar New Year marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of Southeast Asia’s rainy season. And this year, as Covid restrictions start to lift, it also marks the return of ceremonies, rituals and gatherings in some countries. To mark the three-day holiday, Globe’s Brian P. D. Hannon has put together a selection of top pieces from our archives that profile different aspects of the rich and diverse cultures of the Southeast Asian region. 
#Region #SolarNewYear #Celebration #BrianPDHannon

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/southeast-asias-solar-new-year-shines-again/

Vietnam is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies. But as manufacturing surges, coal, a stalwart of the country’s energy sector, is losing its spark. The nation is promising to phase out the fossil fuel and looking for new sources to fill urgent energy demand. Some are looking to nuclear as an enticing long-term solution but concerns over safety and cost have stymied support for the sector. As Vietnam finalises decisions on what will be included in the country’s eighth national power development plan, Globe’s Govi Snell delves into the nuclear debate and discusses the issues of greenwashing, policy outreach and transnational relations which are swaying the country’s big decision on a big energy evolution. 
#Vietnam #Energy #Nuclear #Development #GoviSnell

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/nuclear-moves-up-the-list-of-vietnams-power-mix/

Extreme weather events can come at an exorbitant cost to Southeast Asia. Lack of resilient infrastructure and data to predict the arrival of extreme weather can leave lives and livelihoods at risk of flooding, hurricanes and other natural disasters. For oceanographer Ruth Patterson, the answer lies in unmanned surface vessels which can gather data to aid more precise modelling of weather systems, helping governments and communities prepare in the face of a rapidly changing climate. In this analysis, Troy Kippen, a scientific communications professional and writer working for Charles Darwin University in Australia, discusses Patterson’s research and the potential of these crafts to provide critical data that could change the landscape of Southeast Asia’s weather forecasting. 
#Region #Weather #Climate #TroyKippen

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/mechanical-eyes-are-ready-to-watch-southeast-asias-weather-systems/

Cambodia’s “reputation is at stake,” according to Minister of Interior Sar Kheng. Money laundering remains rampant and the country has come under scrutiny from global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). According to anti-corruption agency Transparency International’s Cambodia office, not a single case was prosecuted prior to 2016. 

While the introduction of anti-money laundering laws is a step in the right direction, analysts are concerned there are still deficiencies that need to be addressed. Ashley Yeong looks into the illicit underworld of financial corruption in the Kingdom and the factors that are priming the country to become a regional hub for money laundering.
#Cambodia #MoneyLaundering #Transparency #Corruption #AshleyYeong

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/cambodia-remains-a-regional-money-laundering-centre/

The recent claims covering Russia’s deployment of chemical weapons in Ukraine have renewed attention on another use of chemicals in times of conflict: that of Agent Orange and whether America’s use of liquids causing defoliation and damage to food crops during the Vietnam War classifies as chemical warfare. In this analysis, Stein Tønnesson examines aspects of Vietnam’s poisoned history that argue that the use of Agent Orange and Agent Blue during the Vietnam War should qualify as a crime against humanity. 
#Vietnam #History #AgentOrange #Crime #SteinTønnesson

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/revisiting-a-chemical-crime-against-humanity/

Cambodia’s Candlelight Party has grown from its partial renaissance in a parking lot to the Kingdom’s first unified opposition party in years. But even as its leaders aim to usher in a new era of Cambodian politics, they find themselves treading a tightrope in a delicate political and civic environment. Globe’s Fiona Kelliher charts the struggles of the party trying to reach out to new, younger generations and navigating the delicate balance between speaking out and becoming a target at the wrong end of the law and the authorities. 
#Cambodia #Politics #Opposition #FionaKelliher

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/the-party-lighting-an-opposition-flame-in-cambodia/

First held on April 22, 1970, Friday’s World Earth Day called for us to invest in our most powerful and precious asset: our planet. To mark World Earth Day this year, we dug into our archives to resurface our iconic interview with the world’s most famous naturalist, Sir David Attenborough. While the conversation with the global conservation icon took place in 2016 the issues remain just as pressing, if not more urgent, than ever before. He spoke about Southeast Asia’s position in a rapidly shifting global environment, the region’s vulnerability to climate change and how he navigates managing his private life while becoming one of the world’s most public faces of environmental issues and awareness.
#Region #Conservation #Environment #DavidAttenborough #Climate

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/david-attenborough-interview-issue/

Rapid construction has been on the high rise in Cambodia since a property boom swept the Kingdom in the mid-2000s. Yet, from overambitious plans to barefaced scams, Cambodia’s real estate market is beset with projects that can’t get off the ground. Plans for megaprojects, embellished with buzzwords such as ‘Smart city’ and ‘blockchain technology’, are springing from foundations of false promises and projections. Globe’s Fiona Kelliher looks at the developers capitalising on the Kingdom’s loose regulatory framework and the litany of scams rampaging through the country’s real-estate sector. 
#Cambodia #Property #RealEstate #FionaKelliher

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/the-cambodian-megaprojects-failing-to-materialise/

Late night lifestyle has made a recent return to Singapore, with the government’s recent announcement that nightlife establishments can reopen from 19 April. DJs are spinning again and dancefloors are primed for partygoers but remaining restrictions are causing potential challenges to both clubbers and those who work in the industry. Globe’s Ashley Hui Yin Tan speaks to the performers whose livelihoods were upturned by the Covid-19 closures as they look back at two years of resilience and readjustment and move forward to the beat of cautious optimism.
#Singapore #Covid19 #Pandemic #AshleyTan

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/clubbing-makes-a-comeback-in-singapore/

As Cambodia works towards its ambitious goal to be landmine free by 2025, the Kingdom is focusing its cleared land towards agricultural ambitions. More than 70% of the land released since Cambodia’s mine action began is used for agriculture. But faced with erratic rainfall and extreme weather caused by climate change, farmers are struggling to adapt their traditional farming methods to this unfamiliar, once-contaminated land. 

As part of a three-part series focused on landmines and unexploded ordnances in the Kingdom, Globe’s Anton L. Delgado looks at how agricultural workers are coping with the effects of climate change and the education and resources needed to ensure Cambodian farms can survive and profit.
#Cambodia #Landmines #Agriculture #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/landmines-shake-the-lives-of-farmers-long-after-conflicts-end/

Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province became the setting for a two-week turbulent love affair in 2020, when Gee Pael, one of the Kingdom’s few captive female elephants temporarily escaped from the Elephant Valley Project conservation centre and eloped with a rogue bull. A two-year gestation period later, the 35-year old welcomed a baby girl, Gee Pich, on the 25 March. While the arrival is cause for celebration, it also highlights the long-term challenges conservationists and local communities face in protecting the endangered species. Globe’s Jack Brook explores the need for further habitat preservation and efforts to improve genetic diversity as deforestation continues to threaten the country’s dwindling wild elephant populations.
#Cambodia #Conservation #Elephant #JackBrook

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/baby-elephant-a-big-bundle-of-joy-and-conservation-challenges/

Vietnam’s cable car journey first started in 2007 when, pioneered by the country’s first billionaire, pylon replicas of the Eiffel Tower helped ferry gondola-laden cables and their passengers from the coast to scenic Hon Tre Island. Since then, cable cars have become a key part of many of the country’s rapid development projects, with nature and wildlife uprooted to make way for construction. Globe’s Govi Snell looks at the highs and lows of Vietnam’s aerial car development and the clash between the country’s cable car craze and its environmental decline. 
#Vietnam #Environment #Transport #GoviSnell

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/vietnams-cable-car-craze-is-driving-environmental-decline/

For Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, this year’s Golden Week - a collection of four national holidays that spans the bridge between late April and early May - will bring more than the traditional festivities. It will mark a key period in international diplomacy as he embarks on his tour across Southeast Asia. As he plans his visit to Thailand, and a meeting with the Kingdom’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on the occasion of the 135th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries, Globe columnist Mark S. Cogan discusses the issues of perceived Chinese aggression, monarchical reform and human rights which will set the course for the leaders’ discussions and their countries’ bilateral agenda. 
#Thailand #Japan #Relations #Diplomacy #MarkSCogan

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/kishidas-golden-week-visit-sets-an-important-japan-thailand-agenda/

Cambodia has the world’s highest average microloan debt per person. While microlenders promise to aid community development, the burden hits the Kingdom’s rural poor hard, resulting in land loss, deforestation and the disregard for land rights in the pursuit of profit. Globe’s Jack Brook investigates illegal lending activity in Cambodia's microfinance industry and the Cambodian microlenders violating law, misinforming investors and spurring on indigenous land loss.
#Cambodia #Debt #Indigenous #Microfinance #Land #JackBrook

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/land-loss-and-debt-the-bottom-line-for-misleading-microloans/

The removal of landmines and other unexploded ordnance, known as mine action, is helping push Cambodia towards its ambitious goal of being landmine free by 2025. But the process is far from low risk. After more than three decades of mine action, modern methods continue to face the dangerous task of clearing Cambodia’s remnants of war. As the second part of a special three-part series covering the lasting impact of landmines and unexploded ordnances in Cambodia, Globe’s Anton L. Delgado highlights the daily risks of those working to clear the Kingdom’s landmines inch by inch, through a combination of first-hand reporting and photographs that chart a day in the life of a deminer. 
#Cambodia #Landmines #Photography #AntonLDelgado

https://southeastasiaglobe.com/a-day-as-a-deminer/