After another eventful year, we are proud to announce our 2nd Year Anniversary on 25 June 2018! A lot has happened in this biennium and the number of people who participate in our events on various topics related to Southeast Asia, consult our library and follow us on social media continues to grow. So does the variety of the events ranging from book launches and fairs, movie screenings, public lectures, arts and crafts workshops, music concerts and panel discussions. Most…

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have been built worldwide since the 1960s to facilitate global free trade and integrate developing countries into global production and distribution networks. They have been mushrooming across Southeast Asia in recent years and are attracting growing interest from policy makers, investors, civil society, and the general public. Supporters praise them for spurring foreign investment, creating jobs, building infrastructure, and helping host countries to diversify their economies; critics argue they entail more costs than benefits, negatively impact local communities, undermine workers’ rights, and cause environmental harm and degradation.  A recent report published by Focus on…