The national costume segment of the Miss Universe beauty pageant sees women parading outfits ranging from the sublime to the surreal. Designing these costumes can be a challenge for teams in heterogeneous countries, but also a perfect opportunity for nation-states to engage in public relations.
Cultural products, like pop music, might not be as overtly in opposition to the powerful in Cambodia, but aren’t free from censorship or regulation. After all, controlling art is one way to control the narrative.
For Papuan political prisoners, being locked up is not the end. Committed as they are to the struggle for independence, many prisoners continue to fight for their cause upon release, even as they struggle to pick up the pieces of their disrupted lives.
New Naratif's Managing Director PJ Thum and Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Han sit down to talk about recent developments in Singapore, from the 4G leadership, to the Singapore-Malaysia maritime dispute, and the upcoming bicentennial of Raffles' landing on the island.
Our final wrap for 2018: Myanmar struggles with its peace process, concerns over internet freedom persist in Vietnam, Singapore's civil society braces for a rough 2019, and Malaysians hope for progress after a momentous year.
Bagi tahanan politik Papua, penjara bukanlah akhir segalanya. Mereka tetap berkomitmen untuk memperjuangkan kemerdekaan, bahkan setelah mereka dibebaskan dari penjara, sembari berjuang untuk membenahi hidup mereka setelah melalui masa-masa yang sulit.
This week, Teodosia Dos Reis and Laura McDowell attend the anniversary of Timor-Leste’s Santa Cruz Massacre, Teguh Harahap looks at the future of Kuda Lumping dance seances in Indonesia, Tehmina Kaoosji talks to MP for Batu Kawan Kasthuri Patto about ICERD and Malaysia, and Victoria Milko reflects on the lack of protection for women against violence in Myanmar.
The stories to watch in Southeast Asia this week: the Singapore-Malaysia frenemies get testy with each other, Tanjung Balai is reported to be the least tolerant in Indonesia, and the Vietnamese are still obsessing over football.
Singapura sering diperbincangkan sebagai sebuah keajaiban ekonomi, namun penekanannya yang besar pada meritokrasi dan kemandirian dapat merusak pemahaman seseorang terhadap sejumlah persoalan seperti ketidaksetaraan, kemiskinan, dan tunawisma.
Over 500 informal jade pickers have been killed in landslides in Myanmar in the past five years. Unsafe conditions in the jade mines continue to put people at risk, and families of those who have been killed say that independent inspections and better law enforcement are urgently needed.
Human rights groups and foreign journalists are often barred from entering West Papua, allowing the Indonesian authorities to control the narrative. Local journalists are fighting back by reporting on human rights abuses, often at risk to their own safety.
Di bawah bayang-bayang kontrol ketat militer Indonesia, sekelompok jurnalis di Papua menuntut akuntabilitas terhadap kekerasan yang mereka alami. Tapi pertautan politik di dalamnya membuat mereka kesulitan untuk mendapat keadilan.
