Understanding Southeast Asia

The implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015/2016 will have drastic impacts on the socio-economic development and democratization of the ten member countries. This dossier and the lecture series seek to explain current political developments, societal changes and economic trends in the region. Our next focus will be on gender politics.

"If you improve the situation of women, everyone will benefit"

Thida Khus is the Executive Director of SILAKA, a Cambodian NGO that has been working since 1997 to increase the participation of women in Cambodia. Thida will be speaking at the Heinrich Böll Foundation about the situation of women in Southeast Asia.

Refugees and Maritime Movement in Southeast Asia 2015

Refugees in Southeast Asia live in legal limbo and are subject to harassment, arrest, and detention. Especially Rohingya refugees are in indefinite detention and have been forgotten by the international media.

Julia Mayerhofer, Lilianne Fan

Migration in Southeast Asia

Burmese migrant working on a Thai boat, Samut Sakhon, Thailand

Labour Migration in the ASEAN Region

Migrant workers in the Asean Region live and work under inhumane conditions. To improve this situation policies, the migration industry and the accountability of employers must all get a lot more attention.

Ashley William Gois

Movement of People in the ASEAN Region: Nomenclature and Concepts

In times of increased ASEAN economic integration the official rhetoric around migration is one of free labour markets, opportunities and exchange. However, there are indications that ASEAN's migration management is in fact a "politics of return".

Sverre Molland

ASEAN and the AEC

More articles and publications about Asia

Whose Indo-Pacific? Why Civil Society Matters More Than Ever

Analysis

Civil society in Southeast Asia is increasingly shaped by a geopolitical language that it did not choose. As great power rivalry intensifies, groups working for human rights, democracy, and environmental justice find themselves in a struggle for survival.

Dr. Khoo Ying Hooi

Thousands of mirrors stand in rows in a desert landscape, with low mountains in the background under a lightly clouded sky.

A Shared Green Future: Why the EU and China Need Each Other in the Energy Transition

Analysis

Diversification strategies in green technology must be technology-specific rather than uniformly applied. Balancing openness with resilience will allow the EU to mitigate supply risks while leveraging China’s scale and innovation capacity.

Belinda Schäpe

Aerial view of a curved building under construction with solar panels and a grid-like roof structure.

China and the EU: Partnering and Competing in the Global Net Zero Transition

Analysis

To strenghten their joint leadership in global decarbonization, the EU and China should counter growing fragmentation by aligning clean tech supply chains, harmonizing standards, and advancing triangular cooperation with the Global South.

Prof. Yu Hongyuan

When Non-Violence Fails: The Challenges of Resolving Conflicts in Southeast Asia

Article

Southeast Asia’s record in promoting the notion of non-violence to achieve state and human security is inconsistent. And, while ASEAN’s commitment to the principle of non-interference has been crucial to maintaining peace among its member states, it has assumed practically no role in diffusing intra-state tensions in the region.

Chanintira na Thalang

Wind turbines stand on a hilly, green landscape under a cloudy sky, stretching into the distance.

Green Technology: Compete, De-Risk, Decarbonize - On Europe’s Terms

Analysis

China’s industrial strategy follows a playbook of state-backed scaling, limited consolidation, and outbound expansion. To stay competitive, secure supply chains, and advance decarbonization, the EU should adopt a sector-specific approach to clean tech.

Dr. Aya Adachi

Breaking the Silence

Study

This research seeks to break the silence surrounding sexual consent, particularly in a culture where women are pressured to remain virgins until marriage and are frequently blamed when they fall victims of sexual violence.

Addressing Afghanistan’s Climate Induced Exodus

E-Paper

In Southern Afghanistan, an urgent crisis is brewing. Water scarcity is driving large-scale displacement and migration, threatening to escalate into a global issue. Decades of drought have depleted traditional water sources, pushing communities to rely on unsustainable groundwater extraction.

Hamzah

Afghanistan: Ruling by Decree

Policy Brief

Within Taliban governance, the absence of a constitution or legal structure leaves Emir's decrees as the principal guiding force. This policy brief looks at Taliban governance and the challenges posed by the reliance on moral guidance.

Hamzah

Understanding Southeast Asia

"If you improve the situation of women, everyone will benefit"

Refugees and Maritime Movement in Southeast Asia 2015

Labour Migration in the ASEAN Region

Movement of People in the ASEAN Region: Nomenclature and Concepts

Southeast Asia: Regionalism of the Commons

ASEAN Economic Integration and Sustainable Urbanisation

Environmental Protection in the Post-2015 ASEAN Economic Community

The Political Economy of the ASEAN Regionalisation Process

Whose Indo-Pacific? Why Civil Society Matters More Than Ever

A Shared Green Future: Why the EU and China Need Each Other in the Energy Transition

China and the EU: Partnering and Competing in the Global Net Zero Transition

When Non-Violence Fails: The Challenges of Resolving Conflicts in Southeast Asia

Green Technology: Compete, De-Risk, Decarbonize - On Europe’s Terms

Breaking the Silence

Addressing Afghanistan’s Climate Induced Exodus

Afghanistan: Ruling by Decree

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