Myanmar Coup: What It Means for ASEAN

Bunna Vann  & Visal Chourn

On February 1, the Myanmar military seized power from a democratically elected civilian government in what has been confirmed as a coup. It detained the de facto country leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the ruling National League of Democracy party (NLD) and announced a one-year state of emergency. This move has turned Myanmar once again into a military junta regime after nine years of democratic transition, putting the future of the country in uncertainty.

This shock move came hours before convening the first session of Myanmar’s newly elected parliament since the November 2020 election—in which State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD party got a landslide victory over the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party. However, the military did not accept the election result and used a voter fraud allegation, which Myanmar’s union election commission rejected, to justify its action with the intention of conducting a fresh “free and fair” election. Reflecting on this recent development, what could the political crisis in Myanmar mean for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and how can ASEAN navigate it?

What a Joe Biden Presidency Could Mean for Liberal International Order?

President-elect Joe Biden delivers a Thanksgiving address at the Queen Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 25, 2020. (Photo: AFP)

Bunna Vann

Joe Biden is projected to take over the White House as the 46th President of the United States of America after his victory over President Donald Trump in the US Presidential Elections on Nov. 3, 2020. As the US will have a new President, it is important to examine the implications of Biden presidency on US-led liberal international order and how the President-elect can rebuild the US’s global leadership. 

The Need for Cambodia to Deepen its India Engagement

Kimkong Heng and Bunna Vann

Cambodia should increase its India engagement to gain support for its post-COVID-19 economic recovery and to mitigate the impact of the European Union’s partial withdrawal of its Everything But Arms (EBA) trade scheme.

India is one of the Asian giants. With a population of 1.3 billion, it ranks as the world’s second-largest population. India is projected to overtake China and become the world’s most populous country​ around 2027.

Currently, India is the world’s third largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, and the world’s fifth largest economy with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $2.65 trillion in 2017.

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To Avoid Overdependence on China, Cambodia Needs to Build Its Relations With India

By Bunna Vann and Kimkong Heng

Cambodia has to bring in the Indian card to balance China's economic and geopolitical influence in Cambodia as well as in Southeast Asia. 

As its economy is severely affected by the dual impact of COVID-19 and the EU’s withdrawal of Everything But Arms trade privileges, Cambodia should look to India for support.

With 1.3 billion people, India is the world’s second most populous country, and is expected to surpass China to become the world’s largest population​ by 2027. India is obviously a huge potential market for the world. It is now the world’s third largest economy in purchasing parity terms and the world’s fifth largest economy with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $2.87 trillion in 2019. By 2027, India is predicted to become the third-largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP.

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Youth's role in advaning Cambodia's digital diplomacy

In the context of industry 4.0, young Cambodians are well placed to enhance their country's image globally.

By BUNNA VANN And KIMKONG HENG

As the world enters the Fourth Industry Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, the adoption and use of modern diplomacy, particularly digital diplomacy, seem viable and promising for Cambodia. But how can youth, considered as the future of the Cambodian nation, encourage the government to advance its digital diplomacy? Read more...