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COVID-19
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Malaysia’s #Kitajagakita invigorates political activism and tackles apathy
A new political movement driven by the grassroots is gaining momentum in Malaysia. Centred on the hashtag #kitajakakita, it embodies ordinary citizens’ responses to crises without political interference and red tape, writes Clarissa Ai Ling Lee.
COVID-19 outbreaks: the challenge facing the fight against poverty
The COVID-19 pandemic has had manifold impacts on the poor in ASEAN member states. Upping vaccination rates will go a long way, writes Phi Minh Hong.
Pacific nations grapple with COVID’s terrible toll and the desperate need for vaccines
Having been protected by geography early in the pandemic, Pacific nations are now battling serious outbreaks and struggling to get their people vaccinated, writes regional expert Patricia A. O'Brien.
Thailand's COVID crisis
At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand won global praise for the quality of its response. It has since watched a rising caseload overwhelm world-class public health defences. Craig Keating argues that government complacency left the country unprepared for the influx of new, highly-transmissible, virus strains.
Coronavirus compounds Myanmar's coup crisis
Having suffered the depredations of a violent military takeover and a collapse in medical care, the people of Myanmar are now confronted with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the region. Former ambassador Nicholas Coppel argues that the past record suggests little action can be expected from a military regime that is likely to “callously welcome” the impact of the disease on dampening civil unrest.