South East Asia

Just ten months into Prabowo Subianto’s tenure as President, social unrest is reaching a peak in Indonesia. On Friday, August 29th, a gig economy food delivery worker was killed after being run over by a […]

This week, largescale commemorations took place in Vietnam to mark the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, known in Vietnam as Reunification Day. North Vietnam forces captured the capital of South Vietnam, on 30 April 1975. As […]

On March 28th, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. The epicenter was located in the border area between Sagaing Region and Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. The earthquake was the strongest to hit Myanmar since 1912. […]

From March 14th to March 16th, Sosialis Alternatif (Socialist Alternative – CWI Malaysia) successfully held a national meeting. This meeting discussed global and local political perspectives, in depth, and will provide clarity of direction in […]

Exit poll companies’ preliminary counts indicate that Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto has emerged victorious over his competitors in the Indonesian election, although the official results will not be published until mid-March. Prabowo has exceeded expectations […]

After successfully blocking the leader of the Move Forward Party from becoming the next prime minister of Thailand, the country’s military bureaucracy managed to collaborate with the second largest Pheu Thai Party to finally appoint […]

On May 14th, Thailand voters came out resoundingly against the nine-year military rule by casting their votes for anti-junta parties. The newly formed Move Forward Party (MFP) became the biggest party in parliament by winning […]

Last November’s general election in Malaysia was expected by many people to solve the ongoing political crisis plaguing the country since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, the election saw a hung parliament for […]

The general election in Malaysia resulted in no coalition being able to form a government with a simple majority. For the first time in its history, Malaysia has a hung parliament, with rival coalitions claiming […]

In the midst of monsoon season which is expected to cover 25% of the landmass in Malaysia with heavy floods, the Prime Minister dissolved the parliament and directed the Electoral Commission to schedule a general […]

In a landslide victory, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., better known as Bong Bong Marcos or simply BBM, is to become the new president of the Philippines in late May. The son and namesake of the infamous […]

2022 has seen great courage by the Myanmar people, who remain steadfast against the coup carried out by the military Tatmadaw regime. The news of Aung San Suu Kyi’s four-year prison sentence was received with […]

On Friday 20 August, Ismail Sabri was chosen by Malaysia’s king to be prime minister – the country’s third in three years. The 17 month-old government of the ‘National Coalition’ (PN – Perikatan Nasional) under […]

The Myanmar military continues to hold on to power through ruthless killing and repression. Since the generals’ February coup, earlier this year, over 800 protesters have been murdered and many more have been injured. Tens […]

The call for a second general strike in Myanmar, on Monday 8 March, was confronted with a brutal clampdown by the military. According to reports, at least two protesters were shot dead by the military, […]

The political turmoil in Malaysia, which has lasted for almost a year, has taken a new turn following the Emergency Order declared by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on 12 January. Although the sudden increase in […]

At the end of December last year, due to the worsened COVID-19 situation, Thailand’s democracy movement, led by students, temporarily ended the street protests that had been going on since last August. The movement has […]

For the second night in a row, sounds of the striking pots and pans were heard across the streets of the city of Yangon, in Myanmar. Residents in the main capital are showing their dissatisfaction […]

The general election in Myanmar, held last November, saw the National League of Democracy (NLD) – under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi – returned to government in a situation of political, economic, environmental, […]

News of the spread of Covid-19 in factory hostels across Malaysia has come at a time when Malaysians are facing the highest number of infections since the start of the pandemic in early March this […]

Since Monday, 5th October, when Indonesia’s President Jokowi announced the Job Creation Act or ‘Omnibus Law’, Indonesian youth and working class, together with other sections of society, launched a massive protest nationwide. The government’s move, […]

On 28 July, Malaysians heard the news that former Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty on seven counts of abuse of power, breach of trust and money laundering. He was sentenced to 12 years […]

Since the beginning of this year, Thailand has witnessed the rising up of youth and students who have launched massive protests in several major cities, colleges, and universities. Although initially only concentrated in certain higher […]

The Singapore general election took place on 11 July with eleven parties contesting for 93 Parliamentary seats. The People’s Action Party (PAP), which has ruled for 57 years since 1965 (after Singapore separated from Malaysia), […]

During the spread of coronavirus into Malaysia in the middle of February, the ruling government – the Pakatan Harapan (Coalition of Hope) – which was in power for one and a half years, collapsed. A […]

On Monday, 24 February, the prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, submitted his resignation to the country’s king, opening the way for enormous confusion as to what will follow. The reasons for Mahathir’s decision seemed […]

For a mass working class party for workers, young people, poor farmers and the oppressed. Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, was inaugurated for a second term on Sunday, 20 October, but he has been facing a […]

The Indonesian general election, held in April, this year, saw another head-on collision between Joko Widodo (known as Jokowi) and the opposition candidate, Prabowo Subianto. Once again, the parties in the ‘Working Indonesia’ coalition of […]

On the 9th of May, the country held its 14th general election which saw the humiliating defeat for one of the longest-serving ruling parties in the world – the BN (National Front). This outcome has […]

The 14th Malaysian general election – GE14 – is going ahead on May 9th. The ruling National Front (BN) government is expected to face intense competition from the main opposition coalition, Alliance for Hope (PH), […]

What was a slow-burning conflict between the government of Myanmar (Burma) and the Rohingya people of Rakhine, has escalated in the last three weeks into a major humanitarian crisis. More than 400,000 people fled the […]

In November 2015 the pro-democracy NLD (National League for Democracy) won a crushing majority in national elections held in Burma (Myanmar). The NLD, led by, the Nobel laureate and daughter of martyred independence leader Aung […]

Philippines leader seeks to play off superpowers to win economic concessions

New president threatens martial law while leaning on ‘left’ parties for support

Opposition weak and divided

But army remains powerful force

Army holds on to powerful positions

Over 200,000 people on protest for two days

Power struggle in UMNO party

Apologist for neo-liberalism and autocracy

Respect the right to freedom of speech!

Government conspires to quell growing opposition

Forced evictions, poverty wages and repression is the reality for millions

Initiative to build mass party of working class and rural poor urgently needed

New face; same problems

Second visit of US President in 50 years

Neither old elites nor populists have answer for workers and poor

Protest against Goods and Services Tax

Working class and rural poor need party of their own

Workers’ action mounts

New generation can learn from experience of Malaya Communist Party leader

Further burden on working class and young people

Ruling Barisan Nasional’s widespread fraud enrages opposition supporters and young people

Opposition victory possible for first time but workers and youth without genuine alternative

Massive strike after 50 years against outsourcing and cheap wages

Workers’ organisations must ensure real change

Workers and youth fierce struggles ahead

Malaysian economy enters difficult period

The business-woman, Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of the controversial former prime minister, the tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, was chosen by Thailand’s parliament as the country’s 28th prime minister on 5 August.

PSM draws parallels with crackdown on Reformasi movement

Massive crackdown on opposition

Government steps up attacks on democratic and human rights to maintain grip on power

Real socialist alternative needed

Employers bow down to their demands

At a Plenary Session of the European Parliament, Joe Higgins MEP condemns the brutal repression of protesters in Thailand by the military

By the time this report was written, the tension had increased to a new level in the streets of Bangkok since the passsing of Wednesday night’s ultimatum.

Political landscape little changed since 2008 ‘tsunami’

More than 100 refugees, who have been held in a tiny boat near Merak port in Indonesia for over seven months, have been moved to the Tanjung Pinang detention centre.

Thousands demand dissolution as political crisis deepens

Protest against Australian/Indonesian government.

SBY government’s honeymoon spoiled

2,000 textile workers stage strike to demand better pay and working condition

Review of Jeyakumar Devaraj’s "Malaysia at the Crossroads, a Socialist Perspective"

Socialist Party (CWI in Ireland) MEP speaks in European parliament

Interview with union Chairman, Kiswoyo

Deplorable conditions for 254 Tamil refugees

Bombard embassies with protests!

The needs of the working class and youth are sidelined

Power transition to save weakening UMNO/BN

Export-driven economy shrinks

Neither major party has solution for working and poor people

Political conflict far from over

Textile workers win big concessions through persistent campaign

Weeks of bloody protests and political deadlock within ruling elite

Independent working class policies vital

Wealth and privilege put before aid

‘Political tsunami’ creates new political landscape

“One of the 20th century’s biggest killers and greatest thieves”

Sixty arrested and held in police cells

Hindu Rights Action Force campaign underlines need for socialist solution

Society polarised

Government, rocked by mass demonstrations, takes revenge

Biggest demonstration since ‘Reformasi’ movement of ten years ago

Official figures belie extent of killings, maimings, disappearances and arrests

Only way to counter racial and reactionary religious policies

Deaths and injuries, as protests spread

Military warns of “action” against biggest street protests for two decades

Party’s leaders called in for questioning

Private developers’ thugs and police demolish local homes

Send urgent protests to stop demolitions and evictions!

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Twenty three arrested and held while devastation wrought

In February of this year, crowds gathered on the streets of Manila to commemorate the ‘People Power’ revolution of twenty years.

ON February 24, a Friday, the Philippine media reported an aborted coup d’etat allegedly launched by rebel military forces against the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Army suppresses democratic rights

Courts deny Parti Sosialis Malaysia the right to register as a party

Only chronic poverty and conflict for resources-rich “new nation”

In the 1950s, Lee Kuan Yew formed a political association with the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) which had been able to amass and maintain a huge following among the working class.

The recently concluded general election on 6 May in Singapore was considered an exciting election, at least by Singaporean standards.

Six years after their first military intervention, a second Australia-led military and police force has re-occupied East Timor.

Australian government despatches troops to ’secure’ Dili airport

Socialists and activists demand party’s registration

But political crisis persists

Appeal for world-wide solidarity.

Biggest fuel price hike ever

Workers and poor need to fight on independent socialist programme

Corruption and cronyism have driven thousands onto the streets

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the ‘People Power’ mass movement of 1986, which brought down the hated Marcos dictatorship, Philippines president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, declared a State of Emergency. This was ostensibly […]

Private hospitals demand money before health

For workers’ unity across ethnic and religious divides

"Socialism is alive and kicking, and it has a world to win" Clare Doyle, CWI, Malaysia, Thursday 15 September 2005 History was made in Kuala Lumpur last weekend, when over 700 people poured into the […]

The ‘liberal-democratic’ political system of the Philippines is in freefall.

Last week a heavy cloud of pollution engulfed parts of Malaysia.

Medium-sized rallies are being organised on an almost daily basis in the Philippines with the aim of driving the pro-US President Arroyo from power.

Malaysian state in tune with US aggression

As over 120 Millon Indonesians went to the polls on April 5th they were faced with a stark choice. Of the two major parties on offer was incumbent Democratic Party of Indonesia led by President […]

Aceh

THE BOMBING of a tourist area on the Indonesian island of Bali has been blamed by Western governments on the Jemaah Islamiah Islamic group with links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qa’ida terrorist network.

The terrifying carnage which ripped through the Sari nightclub at Kuta beach in Bali, Indonesia, has shocked working people and youth internationally. Hundreds have been left maimed and injured as the death toll rose to […]

The bitter power struggle between rival factions of Indonesia’s ruling elite came to a head this summer. The People’s Consultative Assembly completed a nine-month campaign to oust president Abdurrahman Wahid, voting 591-0 on 23 July […]

Supporters of Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid clashed violently with police last week in the capital Jakarta. This follows renewed efforts by the national parliament to impeach the head of state.

A FIERCE struggle is consuming Indonesia’s national parliament, as various parties attempt to unseat the president, Abdurrahman Wahid.

Days of angry street demonstrations in the Philippines capital Manila culminated in an attack on the presidential palace in the early hours of May 1. After seven hours of battles with the police using teargas, […]

A corrupt and inept president – Joseph ’Erap’ Estrada of the Philippines – has been removed from power by a mass movement on the streets. This comes just months after the overthrow of Milosevic in […]

Election day in Indonesia – the first for 40 years in which parties could freely contend – had the atmosphere of a celebration. Coming one year after the overthrow of the Suharto dictatorship by a […]

The recent announcement by Indonesia’s president, BJ Habibie, that the people of strife-torn East Timor could "have their freedom" caused a stir amongst the world’s political commentators. What were the motives? Was it genuine or, […]

The dramatic events of May 1998 in Indonesia have had, and will continue to have, enormous repercussions in Asia and throughout the world. They constitute a revolution begun. The removal from power of the longest […]