US President Donald Trump’s executive order to impose a four-month travel ban on refugees entering the United States has officially halted all refugee admission and resettlement schemes in the US. It is estimated by the UNHCR that this will directly affect 20 000 people. The majority of the 21.3 million refugees worldwide have sought sanctuary in countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Ethiopia and Jordan. However, a small group from this region has made its way to Southeast Asia to avoid the hazardous Mediterranean crossing into Europe and with the hopes of being legally recognized as refugees and eventually resettled in the US, Europe or Australia.
Professor Amitav Acharya, The Boeing Company Chair in International Relations of the Schwarzman Scholars Program, Tsinghua University; and Distinguished Professor of International Relations, American University delivered a Lecture titled “ASEAN at 50: Reflections on Its Past, Present and Future” at the ASEAN Lecture Series organised by the ASEAN Studies Centre.
The article was first published by Berita Harian on February 4, 2017.
Dr Leo Suryadinata is Visiting Senior Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
The article was first published by Berita Harian on February 4, 2017.
Dr Deasy Simandjuntak is Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
The article was first published online by ABS-CBN News on February 6, 2017.
Dr Tang Siew Mun is Senior Fellow, and Head, ASEAN Studies Centre, at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
The local governments of the Natuna and Anambas districts recently stated their desire to separate from the Riau Islands Province (known as Kepri), to form a new province. Both districts make up an archipelago of 510 islands, with a total population of 107,000. Together with the districts of Tanjungpinang, Bintan, Batam, Lingga, and Karimun, Natuna and Anambas form Kepri – one of Indonesia’s newest provinces. These islands are Indonesia’s northernmost, and their territorial waters border the disputed South China Sea – where Jakarta has caught Chinese vessels fishing illegally.
The article was first published by The Straits Times on February 2, 2017.
Dr Norshahril Saat is Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
“Checking and Balancing President Duterte”, a Commentary by Malcolm Cook
From the beginning of President Duterte’s single presidential term in July 2016, many expressed fears that the Philippine system of checks and balances of presidential power would prove lacking again.
The Duterte administration quickly claimed super-majorities in both houses of Congress. The Liberal Party, shorn of most of its members, chose not to become the opposition party. President Duterte quickly declared an indefinite nationwide state of emergency and has repeatedly publicly mused about the utility of martial law in his bloody anti-drugs crusade. Questions about the conduct of this campaign from the Chief Justice led to a presidential tirade and more musings about martial law. Criticisms from Catholic priests were also profanely dismissed. President Duterte’s understanding of the presidency is that of a dynastic provincial mayor and is uneasy with the co-equal nature of the office.