The sudden passing of a veteran artisan has left a gap in the encaustic cement tile-making industry in Cambodia. His apprentice is now working to build a new workshop and play a role in keeping the craft alive.
Tag: Economics
Repopulating Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste has one of the world’s highest natural birth rates and a robust, rights-based family planning policy to match. But as the country has learnt, what’s on paper is only half of the story.
Seeking Refuge in Malaysia
Rohingya Muslims make up the biggest proportion of refugees in Malaysia, fleeing from decades of persecution in Myanmar. But Malaysia still considers refugees undocumented migrants—will the Pakatan Harapan government be willing to grant Rohingya refugees both rights and safety?
Akan Datang: Politics, investments, and Vietnam’s football winning streak
This week in Southeast Asia: where is the next Trump-Kim summit going to be? Why is Jokowi pardoning Abu Bakar Bashir? Will the Progress Singapore Party get off the ground? How much of Sabah is going to be sold off to Chinese investors?
Sundays At Taipei Main Station
Every Sunday, Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan gather at Taipei’s central train station to meet with their peers. In addition to providing a place to bond, these public spaces also offer a chance to follow a range of educational programmes that could lead to financial security when they return home.
A War of Words in Indonesia
Indonesia heads to the polls in mid-April, and campaigning is already in full swing. As the incumbent Jokowi faces off once more against former army general Prabowo Subianto, a war of words has been unleashed.
Between the Grassroots and the Bank
The World Bank positions itself as a source of support for local communities across Southeast Asia through its funded projects. But there are those who feel that it has failed in its mission to address grassroots voices.
In Chiang Mai, the Walls Can Speak
Chiang Mai in Thailand’s north provides its residents and visitors with a very different vibe from Bangkok in the south. And the local street art community is adding a splash of colour to the historical city.
The Elephant in the Newsroom
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.
The UN’s Contracting Conundrum
The UN’s contracts with a company belonging to one of Cambodia’s most notorious tycoons sheds light on an issue pervasive in many of the places where it operates. Staying clean often requires more work than the UN appears able, or willing, to do.