Southeast Asia Insights

The political storm around Ronald dela Rosa, a Filipino senator and former Philippine National Police chief, has exploded again after the Philippine Department of Justice moved to seek an Interpol Red Notice tied to allegations of crimes against humanity. The dramatic legal push has placed the Philippines back under international attention while reopening questions about the deadly anti-drug campaign linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte, wh...

On May 13, Indonesian authorities carried out one of the largest recent raids on illegal online gambling operations in West Jakarta. The operation took place in a commercial building near the Hayam Wuruk area, close to the city’s Chinatown district. Police arrested 321 foreign nationals in total.   The group included 228 citizens from Vietnam, 57 from China, 13 from Myanmar, 11 from Laos, five from Thailand, and a few individuals fro...

Southeast Asia is increasingly discussing a Taiwan contingency with more confidence than its strategic position justifies. The assumption that US military power would automatically stabilize the region is no longer reliable. Yet many governments still treat the main challenge of a Taiwan crisis as a civilian evacuation problem. In reality, evacuation would only be the beginning. The more difficult phase would come afterward, when external powers ...

The Philippines drove away a Chinese coast guard ship near Zambales, highlighting rising pressure and persistent tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

The war in the Middle East is now creating broad economic pressure across Asia. What began as an energy shock has expanded into job losses, weaker trade, and falling tourism across countries including Japan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.   The impact is visible in daily life. Workers are returning home, factories are slowing production, and travel demand is weakening. For many households, this means lower income...