Features

Thailand's Democracy Monument in Bangkok

Following are articles and resources on issues and developments related to local politics and governance across Southeast Asia:

Indonesia gearing up for 2009 presidential election

The Indonesian presidential elections may still be a year away, yet time is running out for Indonesian lawmakers tasked with crafting a new election code and other urgent political reforms. Read a less than sympathetic assessment of the performance of the Indonesian legislature here. The politics of drafting the national budget and presidential pork barrel insertions in the run-up to the elections is explored in this Jakarta Post article. 

Thai premier’s remarks anger activist community

Off to a good start? Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s revisionist claims on the 1976 crackdown on the student movement and the suffocation deaths of 78 southern Muslim separatist suspects in 2004 have provoked a wave of reactions from democracy and human rights activists. The issue is examined in detail in this Asia Times feature.     

The World Bank in Cambodia

Cambodia remains highly dependent on foreign donors. The World Bank alone contributes $50 million a year to the nation’s development. This Phnom Penh Post interview with the outgoing World Bank country manager sheds some light on the Bank’s presence in the country.

Family planning in the Philippines: Local governments lead the way

With a powerful Catholic Church lording over the country, family planning has always been a divisive issue in the Philippines. In the absence of a national policy, it is up to local government units to enact programs and decide on whether to subsidize contraceptives for poor families. Michael Tan chronicles the uphill battle of local governments in his Philippine Daily Inquirer column. Extensive background information on the issue is found in this report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.