Summer Course Program : (Re)constructing Southeast Asia 

Southeast Asia is not a mere geographical space with a passive role in the international arena. The region instead has been becoming an active agent to engage in the international political discourse that covers the political, economic, social and cultural dynamics, as well as, security issues. The image of Southeast Asia as an actor that is capable of becoming an agent, is reflected in the political decision taken by the leaders of Southeast Asian countries to define and to present themselves as one single community, which is the ASEAN Community, and it has entered into force since 2016.  Ironically, the level of interest and the number of studies conducted by academics regarding Southeast Asia are less developed inside  the region.  read more

The Indonesian Journal of Southeast Asian Studies (IKAT) just published the new article written by Myrna A Safitri from the Faculty of Law Pancasila University Jakarta. This journal brings on The Prevention of Peatland Fires in Indonesia: ‘Law in Action’ to Implement the ASEAN Haze Treaty as its title. 

This journal calls attention to Indonesia that carries a vital role in the implementation of the ASEAN Haze Treaty, signed in 2002. The ASEAN Haze Treaty is expected to reduce transboundary haze pollution and improve regional environmental governance. The Indonesian government has improved its regulation and strengthened institutional aspects of peatland protection. However, few studies appointed that these policy changes have impacted fire prevention in degraded peatland ecosystems. Based on the issues, this article would examine the political factors behind the legal and institutional changes in Indonesia’s peatland governance during 2016-2020. It is known that there are six predominant factors in peatland law improvement: strong leadership, improved coordination at the national and sub-national levels, making operational directives, establishing a specialized Government institution dealing with peatland restoration, law enforcement, and the strength of civil society in doing public oversight. read more

As the global waste is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by the same year, the waste management system becomes the most concerning issue especially in Indonesia that is already struggling to deal with the current waste levels. The Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CESASS) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) on Monday (06-09-2021) held SEA CHAT #27 with the topic of “Swimming in Plastic: An Examination into Indonesia’s Waste Management System”. The discussion was conducted by Mingming Alice Sun, 2nd year BA: Political Science and International Relations & Anthropology and Sociology from the University of Western Australia. read more

Southeast Asia Conference on Media, Cinema, and Art

(SEA-MCA 2021): SEA-MCA 2021 : Rediscovering Southeast Asia Amidst Its Multi-layered Burdens

Description:

Southeast Asian studies have been matured in Western centres and have evolved considerably in the scholarly literature on international relations which continue seeing Southeast Asia as an un(differentiated) object of study. In response, even given the fact that no other region on the globe is more diverse than Southeast Asia, against external forces, Southeast Asian member countries have agreed to establish ASEAN — the Association of Southeast-East Asian Nations — community in 1967. Hence, it encounters rough roads in realizing a greater regional integration with its own considerable staggering problems and domestic fluctuations. To name a few, Asian Economic Community (AEC) is at its critical crossroads, ASEAN also has limited success due to its own non-interference norm and has its institutional nadir in political and security environment towards Myanmar coup and Thailand Junta shaping and slipping democracy into crisis. read more

Muhadi Sugiono, from the Department of International Relations and Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS), Universitas Gadjah Mada, was featured in the Asia Prime Dialogue: US-China Influence in Southeast Asia at the Metro Globe Network on August 26, 2021.

In the Dialogue with Mrs. Shafiyah F. Muhibat, the Head of International Relation Department of CSIS, Pak Muhadi totally agrees with the Ibu Shafiyah regarding the aim of the Vice President US, Kamala Harris visitation to Southeast Asia. He expressed that there was a hesitation towards the effectiveness of the visitation and appended 3 important points: the trustworthiness toward the US as a reliable partner in Southeast Asia is very low, the US is not able to gain Southeast Asia importance unless they show a concrete policy action as a prove to fulfill their promises, and the US really need to change their point of view to see Southeast Asia as its partner especially in the context of the confrontation with China. read more