@mongster is a Manila-based activist, former Philippine legislator, and blogger/analyst of Asia-Pacific affairs.
Suharto and Marcos died several years ago, but their legacy is still being debated. They were humiliated when they were ousted from power yet their names have undergone rehabilitation in recent years. It is not simply enough to resist proposals recognizing Suharto and Marcos as national heroes. The more important question that requires urgent answering […]
Written for The Diplomat The theme of ‘lost generations’ is relevant across Southeast Asia, a region besieged by decades of civil war, foreign invasion, military dictatorship, and economic underdevelopment over the past half century. In Myanmar, the ‘missing’ generation refers to young people who were deprived by the military regime of the right to political […]
Written for The Diplomat Malaysia’s parliament swiftly approved the proposed National Security Council Bill despite the appeal of the opposition to conduct more debates and consultations about the measure. The bill, which was just introduced on December 1, was immediately tabled for deliberation despite the admission of the ruling party that there was no internal […]
Written for The Diplomat The year 1965 is politically significant in several Southeast Asian countries: Singapore became an independent nation, Ferdinand Marcos was elected president of the Philippines, and an anti-communist purge killed at least half a million people in Indonesia. Singapore separated from the Malaysian Federation and subsequently, an independent government was established led […]
