SSEAC Newsletter
June 2023 edition
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Welcome to the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre's Newsletter.
Featuring some of our current research projects, education initiatives, development programs, news and events.
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Politics in Action 2023: Power, polls, and political dynasties
Our annual Politics in Action forum, held in early May, featured political updates on six Southeast Asian countries, brought to us by a talented group of researchers based across the region. Delivered online and held over two days, each presentation was packed with insights and analysis, and followed by lively Q&A sessions. Designed to be concise, the forum featured updates on Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. Recent or upcoming elections were a key theme discussed throughout, as were issues of democratic erosion, personality politics, political dynasties and the plight of opposition parties.
Thank you to all our speakers for making Politics in Action 2023 such an engaging and informative event. Thanks also to our moderators, Vichhra Mouyly, Simon Butt, Aim Sinpeng and Sandra Alday, alongside SSEAC's Sonja van Wichelen, for expertly guiding the sessions.
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NHMRC Research Excellence Awards
Congratulations to Professor Greg Fox whose research was recognised as part of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) awards, held in March, that celebrate health and medical research excellence. Professor Fox won the 2021 NHMRC David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award. His project, 'The FLIRT-TB study: A fluoroquinolone-based regimen to treat the commonest form of drug-resistant tuberculosis', which includes a clinical trial in Vietnam, was the highest ranked grant application in the NHMRC’s 2021 Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies grant scheme.
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Bernal Prize 2023
Congratulations to Professor Warwick Anderson (School of Humanities) who has been awarded the Bernal Prize in 2023 by the Society for Social Studies of Science. The Society awards the Bernal Prize annually to persons who have made distinguished contributions to the field of science and technology studies (STS). The 2023 prize was shared between Professor Anderson and Professor Joan Fujimura, based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “I see this award as recognizing what seem to me among the more pressing concerns of our field,” Professor Anderson said in accepting the award. “Especially the urgency of postcolonial critique and reparation, the need for Pacific, East Asian, and Australasian perspectives, and the demands for health equity and environmental justice—issues that continue to animate my scholarship and teaching, and to make STS such a necessary endeavor.”
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American Australian Association Graduate Education Fund
Well done to Emily Nabong, SSEAC’s postgraduate coordinator and a PhD candidate in the School of Civil Engineering, who was recently selected as an American Australian Association Graduate Education Scholar. The fund provides financial support to students undertaking postgraduate research in fields including science, technology, engineering, health and sustainability. Emily’s research is situated within the field of humanitarian engineering and focuses on the complex interactions that lead to or inhibit climate adaptation strategies, such as migration.
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Tracking transnational plastic waste
SSEAC recently spoke with Dr Shiori Shakuto from the School of Social and Political Sciences about her research into the transnational problem of plastic waste in countries such as Malaysia. Shiori is involved in two projects on these issues: one is looking at how social dynamics contribute to the production of so much plastic waste in Japan, Singapore and Australia; the other is focused on the transnational plastic waste that ends up in Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia and Thailand. Shiori is specifically exploring what happens to Japanese transnational waste in Malaysia, with fieldwork that has taken her to an island called Pulau Indah, close to the capital Kuala Lumpur.
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Language lessons: Issues of translation in the Khmer Rouge Tribunal
Supported by a SSEAC grant, Sydney Law School academics, Dr Rosemary Grey and Dr Rachel Killean, are examining issues of translation and interpretation in Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge Tribunal. The project will identify Khmer terms that have been difficult to translate into English and French and vice-versa; examine how translation challenges have been addressed; and assess how translators and interpreters have affected the tribunal’s capacity to assess evidence and communicate effectively with the public.
“In a multi-lingual courtroom, there is so much to be lost (and gained) in translation,” said Dr Grey. “The closure of Cambodia’s war crimes tribunal – which managed the dizzying feat of working across three languages – offers an opportunity to examine how these translation issues play out in large and complex trials for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.”
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SAGE case studies published
Following SSEAC-run workshops on writing for SAGE Business Cases, held over several iterations last year, we’re pleased to see the initial publication results! SAGE Business Cases are a renowned collection of over 4,000 case studies used for teaching and classroom discussion. A number of SSEAC members submitted great pitches on Southeast Asia-related topics. The following case studies have been published so far in 2023, with several more in the pipeline:
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Recent journal publications
Interested in the recent research of our members? Check out this sample of recent journal articles on Southeast Asia, published in 2023, and covering a diverse range of subject matter: from ‘solidarity art’ in Myanmar to the use of apps as migrant infrastructure in Singapore, underwater cultural heritage, and supply chain governance. Happy reading!
- The ebb and flow of capital in Indonesian coastal production systems, Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography (Yunie Rahmat and Jeff Neilson)
- Does safer housing save lives? An analysis of typhoon mortality and dwellings in the Philippines, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (Sarah Healey, Sophie Lloyd, Jasmine Gray, Aaron Opdyke)
- Apps, mobilities, and migration in the Covid-19 pandemic: Covid technology and the control of migrant workers in Singapore, International Journal of Cultural Studies (Gerard Goggin and Kuansong Victor Zhuang)
- Referring to the self and the addressee overtly: An emerging convention in Indonesian argumentative practice?, Reference: From conventions to pragmatics (Dwi Noverini Djenar)
- Art is happening in Myanmar, and outside of it: transnational solidarity art, Globalizations (Susan Banki)
- Saving two fish with one wreck: Maximizing synergies in marine biodiversity conservation and underwater cultural heritage protection, Marine Policy (Natali Pearson and Benjamin Thompson)
- Scurvy in the tropics: Evidence for increasing non-adult micronutrient deficiency with the transition to agriculture in northern Vietnam, American Journal of Biological Anthropology (Melandri Vlok et al.)
- Beyond the brands: COVID-19, supply chain governance, and the state–labor nexus, Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society (Michele Ford, Michael Gillan & Kristy Ward)
- Remittances for marriage: quality of life changes among seasonal worker households in Timor-Leste, Australian Geographer (Annie Wu & Andrew McWilliam)
- Tailored text messages to improve breastfeeding practices in Yangon, Myanmar: the M528 individually randomized controlled trial, Am J Clin Nutr. (Myat Pan Hmone, Mu Li, Kingsley Emwinyore Agho, Neeloy Ashraful Alam, Nina Chad & Michael J Dibley)
- Evaluation of pre-emergence herbicides for weed management and rice yield in direct-seeded rice in Cambodian lowland ecosystems, Farming System (Chinaza Onwuchekwa-Henry, Floris Van Ogtrop, Rose Roche, Daniel Tan)
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'Data Dialogues' podcast
Worth a listen: this recent six-episode podcast series, Data Dialogues, probes multiple perspectives on Indonesia’s OneMap policy, an initiative begun more than a decade ago to integrate mapping data and address conflict over land. Produced by the Open Environmental Data Project, the series features SSEAC member Dr Sophie Chao (episode five), Dr Rini Astuti (who has featured on our SSEAC Stories podcast) alongside Indigenous leaders, ethnographers, lawyers, journalists and policy experts. All six episodes are now available.
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Recent highlights
—workshops, webinars, events & more
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ASEAN Matters – Public talk by Indonesia's Ambassador to Australia
We were pleased to host Dr Siswo Pramono, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia and the Republic of Vanuatu, for a public lecture in late May, in partnership with the Office of Global & Research Engagement. The ambassador spoke about the prospects for continued growth and economic resilience in the region, Indonesia's goals as chair of ASEAN in 2023, and possible avenues for Australian engagement. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces and members of the Indonesian community in attendance.
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TS4 | Stories from the Thai North: 2023 Election Posters in Chiang Mai and Beyond
Election campaign posters in Thailand for the 2023 general election utilised technologies ranging from QR codes to Augmented Reality (AR). In addition to the use of political technology, new poster strategies were evident as compared to previous years. One prominent opposition party deliberately placed campaign posters in close proximity to those of the government party. Other posters communicated directly with people in the local community, reflecting the importance placed on local needs. In this TS4 webinar, Assistant Professor Chanintorn Pensute explored what these campaign posters were trying to convey to voters and how they differed in the northern region from those in Bangkok.
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PhilS4 | Queer Encounters with "Colonial Mentality"
Colonial mentality is often described as "internalized oppression" caused by colonization. This presentation by Dr Martin F. Manalansan tracked the emergence of this concept in the decolonizing social science literature both in the Philippines and in the United States. It locates colonial mentality's continued persistence and appeal by looking at present-day dialogue between these traditions of decolonizing social sciences (primarily, psychology) such as Sikolohiyan Pilipino and Filipino American Psychology. At the heart of the analysis is a double queer critique of both the concept and the decolonizing efforts in the two traditions.
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TS4 | Patronage politics in Thailand
Despite drastic changes in Thailand’s political landscape in the past two decades, many Thai political parties and candidates have returned to patronage politics in their attempt to win elections. In this TS4 webinar, Dr Napon Jatusripitak explored how patronage politics has not only survived but thrived in Thailand. Drawing on fieldwork involving in-depth interviews with politicians and vote canvassers, Napon highlights the surprising adaptability of patronage politics as an instrument for building and maintaining support, whether in a framework centralized around a populist leader, or one dominated by a military regime.
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Panel Discussion | Reformasi Record of Malaysia’s Transactional ‘Unity’ Government
Malaysia’s Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition 'Unity' government, forged by the intervention of the Agong (King) following the November 2022 general election, surprised most pundits – whether sympathetic towards the reformist PH, fractured Barisan Nasional (BN) or the unelected but incumbent Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. More than 100-days in government, serious socio-economic, political and policy challenges and contradictions emerged – in part driven by the volatile leadership ruptures within BN's UMNO (United Malay National Organisation) and systemic fault-lines stemming from decades of sectarian and authoritarian governance. This panel discussion, convened by SSEAC and the Malaysia and Singapore Society of Australia, looked at the reformasi agenda within the context of systemic challenges confronting the fledgling and fragile ‘Unity’ government.
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IS4 | Does Performance Pay Enhance Social Accountability? Evidence from Remote Schools in Indonesia
Associate Professor Arya Gaduh (University of Arkansas) joined us to discuss whether giving communities authority over teacher performance pay improves the effectiveness of social accountability in Indonesia’s remote schools. Research results indicate that when the principal (community) has weak authority vis-à-vis the agent (regular teachers), increasing that authority using an incomplete but verifiable contract works better than using a more comprehensive but subjective one.
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What's coming up?
—events and opportunities
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Is peace and democracy possible in Myanmar?
A lecture on the movement for democracy in Myanmar with keynote speaker Aung Myo Min and Sydney Peace Foundation Gold Medal for Human Rights.
In this keynote address, Aung Myo Min will discuss the movement for democracy in Myanmar and the role of the National Unity Government. Aung Myo Min is the Union Minister for Human Rights in the cabinet of the National Unity Government, is a prominent human rights advocate, and was a youth leader in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Dr Susan Banki, whose research focuses on human rights and social justice in the Asia-Pacific region, met with Minister Aung Myo Min when conducting research on the Thailand-Myanmar border in the mid-2000s. In the Q&A session, Dr Banki will ask the Minister questions about his role as an activist over many years, his work as an LGBTQI advocate, and the promise and future of Myanmar in light of the 2021 coup. Aung Myo Min will be presented with the Sydney Peace Foundation’s Gold Medal for Human Rights for his tireless advocacy in Myanmar.
When: Friday, 2 June, 3.30pm to 5pm
Where: Social Sciences Building (A02) Science Road Lecture Theatre 200 Camperdown, NSW
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Making sense of Thailand's 2023 election
Join us for an in-person roundtable event featuring expert analysis of the results and repercussions of Thailand's 2023 general election.
Thailand held its general election on May 14, and the results saw the progressive Move Forward party emerge ascendant, followed by the Pheu Thai party. Military-backed parties, including the party of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, performed poorly. Now the results are in, the back-room negotiations begin in earnest. This in-person roundtable event brings together scholars and community leaders to provide diverse perspectives on the outcomes of this pivotal general election and what it means for the future of politics in Thailand.
When: Thursday, 8 June, 6pm to 7pm
Where: New Law Lounge (Room 113), Law Building Annex (F10A), University of Sydney, Camperdown Campus
Speakers:
- Michael Ruffles (moderator), chief sub-editor at the Sydney Morning Herald
- Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Japan
- Greg Raymond, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University
- Kanyanatt Kalfagiannis, freelance translator and interpreter and a co-founder of The Australian Alliance for Thai Democracy
- Aim Sinpeng, Thailand Country Coordinator for SSEAC, University of Sydney
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TS4 | Paradigm Conflict: Village Health Volunteers and Public Health in Thailand
In recent years, Thailand’s Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) have risen to prominence due to their critical role and success in helping to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus across the country. Indeed, VHVs are believed to serve as the backbone of primary health care in Thailand, acting as the primary interface between the formal health system and village communities. This success is commonly attributed to an assumed Thai volunteer spirit (closely associated with Buddhist morality) and the development of a primary health care system based on decentralization of health care, community participation and empowerment. In this talk, however, Dr Anjalee Cohen (University of Sydney) argues that the management of diseases in Thai village communities is primarily based on a biomedical model that uses VHVs as agents of surveillance by a top-down health bureaucracy. It examines the way in which the Thai medical bureaucracy have maximized the implementation of state policies and minimized deliberation and agency of VHVs, thus undermining the core primary health care principles upon which the VHV program was originally built.
When: Friday, 23 June 2023, 10am (AEST)
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Academic Pathways: Why the first five years post-PhD are so critical
Join us to learn more about the early career researcher stage, and what you can do to stand out. If you want to be an academic, being awarded a PhD is only the beginning of your journey. From strategic publishing and shoring up your research affiliation to understanding the DECRA clock and positioning yourself as competitive for these and other major research grants, this workshop will guide you through the critical first five years post PhD. Delivered online and facilitated by Prof Michele Ford, this session will feature three of SSEAC's early career researchers sharing their experiences.
When: Tuesday 15 August 2023, 4pm (AEST)
Chair: Michele Ford
Speakers: Yvonne Low (art history), Sabin Zahirovic (geosciences), Aaron Opdyke (humanitarian engineering)
Register: Webinar details will be publicised soon!
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6th Conference on Human Rights
The 6th Conference on Human Rights provides a platform for academics, human rights activists and practitioners to explore current human rights issues in Southeast Asia and beyond. This year, the conference theme is: Indigeneity and Human Rights in Asia and the Pacific Towards a Just Society: Challenges and Opportunities? SSEAC is co-hosting the conference along with a number of partners, including the University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta.
When: 25 & 26 October, 2023
Where: Online via Zoom and in person at the University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Indonesia Council Open Conference 2023
Indonesia 25 Years On.
The Sydney Southeast Asia Centre at the University of Sydney and Humanitarian and Development Studies at Western Sydney University are proud to host the 2023 Indonesia Council Open Conference. This conference brings together academics and postgraduate researchers from across disciplines with an interest in Indonesia, and is open to scholars, students and community members interested in engaging with cutting-edge research.
In 2023, we mark a quarter-century of Indonesia’s abrupt rejection of authoritarianism following the resignation of Suharto in May 1998 after millions took to the streets in protest against the economic and social chaos that accompanied the Asian financial crisis of the previous year. But what does Indonesia look like now? We invite abstract submissions from any disciplines for individual papers, panels and roundtable discussions that reflect on one or more of the myriad facets of life in today’s Indonesia, how Indonesia got there, and where it might go next.
The Indonesia Council Open Conference 2023 will also include a half-day postgraduate workshop on Monday 25 September 2023 (morning only). The workshop is open to all postgraduate members of the Indonesia Council. NOTE: Applications closed on 15 February 2023.
When: 26–27 September 2023 (registrations open)
Where: Online via Zoom and in person at the University of Sydney, Camperdown campus
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 | Locating Human Dignity in Cambodia
The concept of human dignity is a foundational one within human rights discourses, and is commonly used in the context of human rights and sustainable development policies and programs. But the meaning of ‘human dignity’, and its role, have seldom been interrogated rigorously or systematically. Instead, there exists a widespread presumption of universality, despite growing evidence that the concept of human dignity can be understood in profoundly different ways in different socio-cultural and political settings. Dr Rachel Killean (Sydney Law School) discuss human dignity in Cambodia, and prospects for human rights education.
| |  | The Politics of Ethnicity in the Malay World
Malaysia is a classic example of a plural society, with a diverse population consisting of the indigenous peoples, collectively called bumiputera, and the descendants of immigrant populations from southern China, South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. In this multi-ethnic context, the question of identity, notably of Malay identity, has remained elusive. Professor Tom Pepinsky contends that identity is not set in stone, but is emergent, situational and contingent. Focusing on the concept of ethnic identity in Malaysia, he argues that in contemporary Malaysia, the Malay identity is a socially constructed identity. To put it in simple terms, Malays did not make Malaysia; Malaysia made Malays.
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 | Social Media Influencers and Digital Media Regulation in Vietnam
In 2021, a famous Vietnamese businesswoman hosted a three-hour long Facebook livestream, in which she named and shamed celebrities for their controversial public behaviours. This formed part of a regular pattern of personal attacks, in which she weaponised livestreaming to denounce media and charity organisations in front of huge online audiences. The case marked a turning point in Vietnam, forcing the government to contend with growing political activity in the online environment.
Dr Jonathon Hutchinson discusses this and other examples of online activism in Vietnam, reflecting on the tension between social media influencing and digital media regulation.
| |  | A New Hope? Japanese Retirement Migration to Malaysia
A notable change in the recent pattern of global migration is the movement of people within Asia. Previous studies on Asian migration have mostly considered the movement of people from Asia to Europe and North America. Yet in recent years, countries in Asia have emerged as major receiving sites of intra-regional migration.
Dr Shiori Shakuto (University of Sydney) takes a closer look at Japanese retirement migration to Malaysia, revealing some of the motivations for inter-Asian migration, and what that might tell us about their hopes and dreams for a different kind of life.
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In the media...
- Susan Banki wrote for ABC Religion & Ethics on how the Australian Government could support the cause of democracy in Myanmar, including meeting with a visiting minister.
- In New Mandala, Sydney graduate and friend of SSEAC Jennifer Yang reviewed an exhibition of Myanmar art emerging in response to the coup.
- Simon Butt co-authored a piece for The Conversation about electoral uncertainties in Indonesia and whether the 2024 poll could be delayed.
- Adam King, who participated in SSEAC's writing retreat earlier this year, wrote for Loudmouth magazine about musical identity and his playing of Balinese drums.
- Russell Toth was quoted by news.com for an article on inequality in Indonesia.
- Aim Sinpeng was quoted by CNN for an article about Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s bid to become Thailand’s next Prime Minister. Aim also spoke to ABC's The World and Time Magazine about the Thai election.
- Another SSEAC writing retreat participant, Francesca Earp, wrote for the LSE blog on why Asian feminist voices continue to be underrepresented in the feminist literature.
- ALSO: How a former refugee is changing lives one classroom at a time
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Join the conversation!
SSEAC is connecting with thousands of individuals and organisations engaging in Southeast Asia every month on social media. Join the conversation to share your work, hear about our latest events and seminars, and be the first to know about grants, research, and opportunities in Southeast Asia.
If you have a recently published article, book review, or interview that you'd like to share with a Southeast Asia-focused community, let us know! Email sseac@sydney.edu.au with the details, or tag us in your tweet @seacsydney.
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