Abstract: In April 2012 in Malaysia, Prime Minister David Cameron raised a toast to a new chapter in UK-Southeast Asian relations, declaring "the era of benign neglect is over".1 Since then, British efforts to re-engage individual countries in Southeast Asia diplomatically, militarily and economically have maintained considerable momentum. This momentum accelerated further following the referendum on 23 June 2016 on Britain's membership in the European Union (EU) in which 51.9 per cent of those who voted opted to leave. With Brexit on the horizon, Britain has also sought to develop a new partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).2 Having enunciated a narrative of "Global Britain" and an "All of ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: In 2001, Indonesian Law 21/2001 granted special autonomy status to Papua province. This status provided the provincial government of Papua with greater authority than other provinces, and increased financial support from the central government. From 2009 to 2017, as much as Rp40 trillion (approximately US$2.8 billion) was allocated to Papua in support of its special autonomy.1 One of the aims of special autonomy for Papua was to improve the provision of education in the province. However, the degree to which better educational levels have been accomplished has been disappointing. Development indicators in Papua still lag behind Indonesia's other provinces, including the low mean years of schooling. The maximum ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: The 2017 Constitution is Thailand's twentieth charter since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.1 Supporters of the new Constitution argued it would mitigate political corruption and reconcile the political divisions which have ravaged Thailand's fractious political landscape for more than a decade. The drafters of the charter—who were appointed by the 2014 coup leaders known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)2—claimed that new provisions would reduce corruption and promote political reform and strong party institutionalization.3 With regard to the latter, the drafters included many new articles in the Constitution, for example, the establishment of local party branches, the implementation of ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: Joint development represents an effective mechanism for contesting states to benefit from the exploitation of hydrocarbon resources in disputed areas without risking the escalation of diplomatic and military tensions. In the most ideal scenario, the successful implementation of joint development agreements creates a conducive atmosphere for dialogue and boundary delimitation. Since the 1958 Bahrain-Saudi Arabia joint development agreement, about twenty bilateral joint development agreements have been signed to explore for and exploit hydrocarbon resources in disputed areas. However, only a few joint development agreements have proceeded to the implementation phase, let alone commercialization.Many international ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: Since the end of President Soeharto's New Order regime, transactional politics has become prevalent in Indonesia. Politicians try to win elections using community brokers and bargain over cash or other material rewards in exchange for electoral votes. These practices occur not only within "formal" institutions, i.e. political parties, but increasingly outside parties through informal, ad hoc or freewheeling deals. While these clientelistic practices have become more common and entrenched, the authors of this book note that this practice, especially its determinants and variations, remains relatively understudied. Democracy for Sale tries to fill this literature gap by examining how clientelistic exchanges are ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: In the digital age, when the press is dealing with unprecedented challenges posed by technological advancements and the rise of social media, Mary McCoy's Scandal & Democracy: Media Politics in Indonesia serves as a powerful reminder of why a democracy needs a strong press as a watchdog and ultimately a gatekeeper.McCoy sets out to critically examine the role of the press in modern Indonesia, spanning from the authoritarian periods under the leadership of the country's founding president, Sukarno, and his successor, Soeharto, until the period of democratic consolidation, between 2004 and 2014. Framing her argument within political theorist Adam Przeworski's framework of the institutionalization of uncertainty, the ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: Asia—and its broader nomenclature the "Indo-Pacific"—has arguably emerged as the most important and dynamic region in the world. It is the vortex of global competition between the world's established superpower, the United States, and its rising one, China. Speculation is growing within official circles and among independent observers of international relations about what type of order—if any—is now emerging. Predicting a specific outcome of any order-building process seems hazardous at best, but especially so in an era of widespread populism, economic unpredictability and intensifying multipolarity. Yet what happens in this region will largely shape the next phase of world history. In an era of competition between ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: Singapore's military is exceptional in many ways. Although the Singapore Armed Forces are relatively small and has never fought in a large-scale conflict, the nation's Total Defence doctrine, high-tech edge, and deliberate decisions to gain operational experience by involving the force in complex international operations such as those in Afghanistan and the Gulf of Aden have earned it a reputation as being highly capable. Among the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) most unusual traits is its system for recruiting and retaining its military officers. Despite stiff competition with opportunities in the private sector and well-paid civil service, the incentives associated with military service has enabled the SAF to ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: Although Vietnamese citizens are able to speak their minds, the manner in which they do so varies according to the political situation they find themselves under. For instance, during the period of state socialism (1951–89), collectivized farmers displayed their disapproval of state planners' compensation and agricultural price policies by neglecting cooperative agricultural lands in favour of their own private plots. Managers and workers at state-owned enterprises misreported capacity information and exaggerated input demand in response to central planners' ambitious targets and meager inputs. Such acts of disapproval were public, systemic and political, forcing authorities to pilot reforms that propelled ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: Lowell Dittmer's book comes at a critical time when regional actors are learning to cope with a rising and assertive China. According to Lowell Dittmer's interesting book, China is seeking to revive the old China Dream of exercising dominance over what it considers to be its "natural region". However, the region has been resisting such attempts, and "China finds its way to its prized Asian leadership role frustrated" (p. 2).Dittmer suggests that the best way to understand the geopolitical dynamics between China and its Asian neighbours is by mapping them onto a triangular model of relationships with the United States as the third actor. This creates what Dittmer calls a "strategic triangle", in which each ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Abstract: ASEAN's Half Century, by Donald Weatherbee, is an excellent and amazingly detailed historical account of ASEAN's first fifty years. The book benefits enormously from Weatherbee's long personal history as a scholar of ASEAN and an unusually well-connected academic who can draw on his experiences working in Southeast Asia to provide personal connections and insights to many of the events he describes. As noted, the book is packed with details about virtually all of the events that have shaped ASEAN during its long history. While the book is primarily descriptive, it does provide some useful analysis of these events. The book stands as a relatively brief yet surprisingly comprehensive overview. For this reviewer, this ... Read More Keywords: Great Britain; Southeast Asia; Municipal services; Education, Primary; Decentralization in government; Political parties; Thailand.; Economic development; Elections; East Asia; Singapore.; Freedom of speech; China; ASEAN PubDate: 2020-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
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