A mid-December announcement by the European Union was made stating that the EU had agreed to restore ties with the Southeast Asian Kingdom of Thailand “at all levels” after suspending them in 2014 in the wake of a military coup which ousted…
Joseph Thomas
What Southeast Asian Muslims’ Response to US-Jerusalem Embassy Move Means
US President Donald Trump’s announcement to move the US embassy in Israel from the city of Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has ignited protests, tensions and fears of future conflict across the Middle East…
Thailand: US Creating “Space” For Destabilisation
In late November, the US, Canadian and British embassies along with several other European partners as well as the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Amnesty International, organised what they called the “Isaan Human…
ISIS Helps US Keep Military’s Foot in Philippines’ Door
Current US ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Kim, recently congratulated the Philippines’ armed forces and the US military for their successful completion of KAMANDAG, a joint military exercise held for the first time this…
Western Journalists Use Bangkok For Regional Agitation
The so-called Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) is located in downtown Bangkok and includes the regional offices of many of the United States’ and Europe’s largest media organizations. It also includes a large, swank…
How Modern Empire Uses “Awards” to Keep Servants Loyal
Nineteenth century French military and political leader Napoléon Bonaparte once said, “a soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon,” recognising a fundamental aspect of human nature he readily exploited to…
Chevening “Scholarships” and Modern Day Imperialism
In 1983 the British government created Chevening as an international award scheme aimed at developing what it calls “global leaders.” It is funded and directed by the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and includes…
Exporting “Information” Arms
Nations like Russia and China make billions of dollars a year in the arms industry. Their arming of other nations with the latest in defence technology is not only a means of supporting their respective economies, it also fits into a diplomatic and…
China and Thailand: Tank Tracks and Train Tracks
While Thailand undergoes a sensitive transition with the October funeral for its head of state, the widely respected and revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Southeast Asia constitutional monarchy, home to 70 million and one of the strongest regional economies, continues…
US Meddling Across Southeast Asia
At a time when US political leaders decry with little evidence what they claim is a pandemic of “Russian interference” in Western political affairs from Western Europe to North America, years of documented evidence exist of this very…
China vs US: Singapore’s Role in Asia Pacific
In early August, a Chinese-American professor, Huang Jing, and his wife were expelled from Singapore. He is accused of collaborating with foreign intelligence agents, according to the South China Morning Post. While the Singaporean…
US Proxies in Southeast Asia Include Fake Communists
A quick geopolitical audit of Washington’s political and military proxies around the globe reveals a tangled web that, at first glance, appears contradictory and incoherent. Fascists in Kiev who hold extreme views regarding race and religion enjoy equal standing…