Skin whitening is deeply embedded in Southeast Asia’s beauty culture. From affordable creams to cosmetic procedures and glutathione treatments, the pursuit of lighter skin reflects longstanding class ideals, colonial legacies, media influence, and modern social…
Surveys that ask voters, “were you offered money or goods for your vote?” put Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia at the high (most widespread) end in Southeast Asia. A Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer round…
ASEAN member states have long maintained a wary and limited engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC), prioritizing national sovereignty over participation in the Rome Statute system. Only a small minority of Southeast Asian countries…
PLAGUED WITH POWER OUTAGES THAT ARE GETTING WORSE, WHY HAS ASEAN CHOSEN TO STEER CLEAR OF NUCLEAR POWER?
Japan has 15 operable nuclear powerplants, providing nearly 10% of all electricity throughout the country. China has…
ASEAN member nations are struggling to keep their proverbial heads above water, as well as their feet wet. An enhanced cycle of floods and droughts are today more and more challenging their abilities to adequately…
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto “Gilbert” Teodoro Jr. issued a sharp call for ASEAN member states to abandon any pretense of neutrality in the face of Chinese actions in the South China Sea, arguing…
The Philippines proudly ranked 65th in the 2026 Atlas of Impunity, high-fiving itself for staying competitive in the regional “nothing ever happens to anyone” league while trailing only the true professionals of chaos. Officials celebrated…
The Absence of Jury Systems in ASEAN Nations and the Case for Selective Reintroduction in Contemporary Democracies
A tiny percentage of vocal elites in the region who have become Pro-China are clamoring for separation from the United States. Complete cessation of American military activities in the ASEAN theater – closing access to…
South China Sea tensions, gray-zone tactics, and the perennial question of whose little blue boats are really just fishing. Over the past five years, an unexpected wildcard has emerged — the “3rd Threat Element.”, aka.…
