In early May 2026, Indonesia’s Ministry of Human Rights announced plans to establish an advisory team that would evaluate and determine who qualifies as a legitimate human rights activist.
Category: Politics
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.
Beyond the Feed: Can Indonesia Buy Trust Through the Illusion of Reach?
Amid the relentless cacophony of social media algorithms, the face of Indonesia’s public communication is undergoing a radical, albeit subtle, transformation.
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.
South China Sea and Strait of Hormuz dominate discussions at 48th ASEAN Summit
The 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, culminated on May 8 with member states’ leaders formally signing outcome declarations throughout the plenary and retreat sessions, concluded by a symbolic gala dinner.
Hanoi ramps up island building in disputed waters
Vietnam has shown a major upgrade programme involving the development of artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago. Hanoi has been reclaiming vast expanses of land and developing its outpost in the disputed waters at a speedy pace, a satellite imagery report by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) has found on May 8.
Philippine president urges ASEAN to revive stalled Myanmar process
On May 8, during the ASEAN Summit, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated ASEAN’s commitment to accommodate the Myanmar government by showing recognition to accelerate its normalisation process, stressing that “Myanmar is part of the ASEAN family and it is a tragedy when a family member is left out of the family for whatever reason,” he stated during the summit’s Retreat Session.
Laos and the Limits of China-Backed Development
Laos is not simply facing a debt crisis. It is hitting the structural ceiling of a development model built on large-scale Chinese finance, where rapid infrastructure expansion has come at the expense of fiscal resilience, productive capacity and economic flexibility.
Philippine president hosts Cambodia–Thailand talks to ease border tensions
On the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. convened a trilateral meeting with the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, aiming to ease tension between Thailand and Cambodia.