The Cambodian Senate unanimously passed a new conscription law on May 20, requiring male citizens aged 18-25 to serve two consecutive years in the military. The legislation was approved during the 5th session of the 5th legislature.
Author: Jonathan Kay
Research Assistant at CSIS Indonesia
Thailand signs new Cobra Gold defence pact with Singapore
A Thai cabinet meeting approved the draft of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on participation in Exercise Cobra Gold, formalising Singapore’s participation in the drills for the 2025 – 2030 period.
Philippine Senate demands VP Sara Duterte to submit a formal response
The Philippine Senate formally opened its second impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte on May 18, marking a historic moment in the country’s political trajectory.
Prabowo shrugs off rupiah slide, touts village resilience
The Indonesian rupiah has been strangled, with the currency weakening to 17,602 rupiah against a dollar. However, this hardly alarmed Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, insisting that the unequal exchange rate was irrelevant to ordinary Indonesians.
Vietnam FM visits Pyongyang, reaffirms bilateral ties
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung, who serves as Special Envoy of General Secretary and President Tô Lâm, visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on May 13.
Thailand voids MoU 44 maritime pact, Cambodia lodges protests
On May 5, Thailand cancelled the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU 44) on maritime boundary. This move has reignited tensions with Cambodia over the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA).
ICC targets former Philippines Police Chief chief over drug war killings
The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC), welcomed the decision by Pre-Trial I to unseal the arrest warrant for Ronald Marapon “Bato” dela Rosa over the infamous “war on drugs” campaign between 2016 and 2022. Dela Rosa is a former Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under former President Rodrigo Duterte and currently is a Philippine senator.
Indonesian rights groups condemn shutdown of government-critical film
Public screenings of the documentary Pesta Babi were forcibly disbanded by the state apparatus in several regions across Indonesia, drawing criticisms from human rights officials and civil society groups.
Philippine parliament impeaches VP Sara Duterte for second time
The Philippines House of Representatives voted on May 9 to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time this year, citing allegations over misuse of millions in state funds, unexplained wealth possession, bribery of subordinates and a serious assassination threat to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other top officials.
From Hedging to Hard Balancing: Balikatan 2026 and the Philippine Defence Strategy
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