Myanmar
Myanmar’s junta – next to fall?
The longevity of Iran’s theocracy is a topic of much current debate. Beyond immediate events, it has also prompted musings on some general principles on authoritarian rule. What…
Myanmar and Timor-Leste quarrel
The conventional account of why Timor-Leste’s membership of ASEAN is good for regional security goes something like this: Timor-Leste is a young, post-conflict, least-developed…
Rohingya boats: Out of mind but still coming
In November, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) launched a week-long rescue operation near the maritime border with Thailand after news emerged of a boat capsize…
The Rohingya case could redefine genocide and that matters for ASEAN
As hearings concluded on 30 January at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Rohingya survivors expressed cautious hope that the world’s highest court would…
US policy in post-election Myanmar
Myanmar has yet to attract serious attention from President Trump. The silence might seem surprising, as issues that have been the ostensible motivation behind Trump’s foreign…
Myanmar's election is a test ASEAN cannot afford to fail
On 28 December 2025, Myanmar’s military junta began what it calls a “phased election”. The process, which will continue until 25 January, is being presented by the generals as a…
Analysis
Navigating the storm: Southeast Asia and the global trade shocks
Southeast Asia’s export-oriented economies have so far proven highly resilient to the global trade shocks of punitive US tariffs and China’s surging exports.
Journal Article
Australia’s Strategic Priorities and Challenges with Southeast Asia
Originally published in Asia Policy, volume 20, number 4 (October 2025)
The myth of “soft-liners” in Myanmar's military governments
In the lead-up to the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia last week, there were calls for ASEAN to pay greater attention to Myanmar’s long-running polycrisis. Implicit in these calls was the…
A sham election offers no end to Myanmar’s suffering
Amid the pomp and pageantry of ASEAN Summit 2025 in Malaysia, hidden from sight are 179,400 Myanmar refugees sheltering in Malaysia, according to UNHCR – with Rohingyas making up…