This paper looks into the evolution of the San Isidro Fiesta/Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon Province, its transformation from a local religious celebration to a popular tourist attraction. The occasion has been held in May […]
Indonesia is increasingly described as a country where ‘resource nationalism’ is on the rise. A recent swathe of protectionist policies and legal disputes with foreign companies in the mining and oil and gas sectors has […]
A strange thing has occurred as Burma’s current political transition rolls on toward its unknown destination: the world’s most beloved human rights icon has turned into an object of widespread opprobrium. Indeed, a glance through […]
Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino had a good run since his election in 2010; he has been one of the most consistently popular presidents since the country’s redemocratization in 1986, but his popularity hit the buffers in 2013. Seemingly struggling with PR missteps and crumbling political capital, Aquino seems to lack the charisma or ‘popular touch’ to deflect mounting criticism. As the public sentiment gradually turns it gives rise to the question: “What kind of disillusionment will set in when the touted messiah of Philippine politics fails to save?”
[…]
German scholar, Benjamin Baumann, writes about Phi Krasue, one of the most well-known and most frightening uncanny beings of Thai folklore. Like most uncanny beings classified with the pre-fix Phi, Phi Krasue had no singular origin myth that reached beyond the local discourse, but that changed in 2002 with the release of the Film “Tamnan Krasue” which locates the origin of this uncanny being in 13th century Angkorian Khmer culture. This article offers interpretations as to why this idiosyncratic origin myth appeared in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis and how it may contribute to our understanding of contemporary Thai-Cambodian relations. […]
In this the third article from our series ‘Young Academics Voice,’ Vannarith Chheang, from the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, investigates the ‘surprise’ of Cambodia’s July 2013 elections. According to Chheang, unlike elections in the past, this one signals a critical turning point in the democratic process. […]
The second Young Academic’s Voice article is by Alex Tham. He casts a critical gaze at his home country, Singapore, and sees the threads that bind the country together slowly pulling apart. Singapore’s development hasn’t been met with the same level of social growth and this will not bode well for society if relationships are always measured in just economic terms. […]
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