Governments throughout the region have employed experimental and, at times, innovative approaches to combatting Covid-19, with mixed results. In this year-end update, we examine what worked and what didn’t in Southeast Asia’s battle against the coronavirus.
December 14, 2020
| Andreyka Natalegawa From New Perspectives on Asia The twin public health and economic crises of Covid-19 have disproportionately impacted journalists and members of the press in Indonesia, imperiling an already-fragile industry that is contending with growing restrictions to freedom of press amid democratic backsliding.
To keep their economies afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic, most Southeast Asian countries have adopted aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus policies. But not all stimulus programs are created equal.
As a region, Southeast Asia has fared relatively well in keeping coronavirus cases low, with the notable exceptions of the Philippines and Indonesia. However, national economies across the region have struggled to stay afloat as countries underwent quarantine and lockdown...
With four days until Myanmar’s general elections, many international observers and opposition parties doubt that the polls will be conducted freely and fairly. These concerns echo those raised during the previous elections in 2015 regarding violence in border states and...
The coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout are amplifying political grievances and social unrest across the world, including in Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Last week, Japan’s new prime minister Yoshihide Suga announced his first international tour as leader. This follows Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi’s “medical diplomacy” tour through Southeast Asia in August and reflects Tokyo’s desire to counterbalance...
Most countries face the dual challenge of containing the Covid-19 pandemic while mitigating its economic fallout. But like the United States, three Southeast Asian countries—Myanmar, Indonesia, and Malaysia—must also overcome a third hurdle before year’s end: holding...
Confronted with deepening socioeconomic divisions amid the Covid-19 pandemic, some Southeast Asian officials have recognized a “once-in-a-century” opportunity to digitize public assistance in hopes of fast-tracking emergency relief checks.
After months of avoiding major community transmission, Myanmar has emerged as Southeast Asia’s latest Covid-19 hotspot. This is the latest on Covid-19 in Southeast Asia.
Vaccine development is opening a new arena for competition amid the Covid-19 pandemic. And as with so much else, Southeast Asian states face pressure to choose between competing models. Navigating the trade-offs and potential risks is already proving difficult.
