The ASEAN PodQuest

ASEAN Studies Center UGM

ASEAN PodQuest is a platform provided by ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada to discuss questions also to answer, also in the same time it's a quest for information, engagement to get more understanding about issues in ASEAN region and member countries.

Episodes

  1. 12/06/2021

    Eps. 5 Melampaui Tapal Batas Demi Kemanusiaan: Menelusuri Upaya Relawan Kemanusiaan di Rakhine

    Konflik antar etnis yang terjadi di negara bagian Rakhine, Myanmar merupakan kontributor utama dari banyaknya jumlah pengungsi di Asia Tenggara. Dibandingkan wilayah lain di Asia, Asia Tenggara telah tercatat sebagai penghasil jumlah pengungsi terbanyak. Status tersebut kemudian diperjelas dengan adanya krisis pengungsi di wilayah Asia Tenggara yang dilaporkan oleh UNHCR. Krisis pengungsi ini berakar dari masifnya skala dehumanisasi terhadap kaum etnis Rohingya yang kemudian menuai respon dari komunitas internasional. Berbagai institusi pemerintahan dan nonpemerintah berupaya untuk membantu kondisi kehidupan di Rakhine, yang semua bantuan tersebut dapat disatukan dalam terma bantuan kemanusiaan. Bantuan yang berdasar dari kekuatan imperatif kemanusiaan pun dituntut untuk turut berkembang seiring berkembangnya konflik yang terjadi di Rakhine. Perkembangan konflik yang kemudian diikuti pula oleh perkembangan misi kemanusiaan pun akhirnya turut bermuara pada pembangunan fasilitas kesehatan berupa rumah sakit di Rakhine oleh MER-C (Medical Emergency Rescue Committee). Pembangunan rumah sakit tentu hanyalah satu dari beragam misi kemanusiaan MER-C di Rakhine. Beragam bentuk misi kemanusiaan yang diinisiasi oleh MER-C kemudian menjadi hal general yang ingin disorot di dalam podquest kali ini, dengan hal spesifik yang mengudian adalah pengalaman yang dialami oleh relawan bantuan kemanusiaan di Rakhine.  Lalu, bagaimana bantuan kemanusiaan, yang notabene melampaui batas wilayah kedaulatan negara ini, berhadapan dengan situasi politik yang mungkin tidak mengizinkannya untuk ikut campur dalam ranah politik domestik? Mari simak ASEAN PodQuest episode 5 kali ini!

    41 min
  2. 10/26/2021

    Eps. 4 #ASEANPride: Paving the Way for ASEAN Identity Building

    The hashtag #ASEANpride was buzzing on social media during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to support ASEAN athletes. It is undeniable that this hashtag has the opportunity to become one of the utilization tools in the ASEAN community and identity building of its citizens. To the extent that it is a contrived but meaningful notion, ASEAN identity is also subject to challenge and change due to changing political, strategic, and economic currents in the region and beyond. In this fourth podcast episode of ASEAN PodQuest, the topics of #ASEANPride: Paving the Way for ASEAN Identity Building are discussed comprehensively. In this episode, Tunggul Wicaksono, the Research Director of ASEAN Studies Center UGM, directs as the host of the podcast's discussion. Along with him, this podcast episode invited Mr Yoong Yoong Lee as the Director of Community Affairs directorate of the ASEAN Secretariat based in Jakarta, to join the discussion and give several perspectives on the issue related to ASEAN identity building. Mr Yoong Yoong Lee managed the daily operation community relations division and information resources management division in the ASEAN Secretariat. The discussion brings several issues on how the #ASEANPride can be ASEAN's identity and community-building tool. In this episode, we also discuss the utilization of social media and grassroots communities in building the ASEAN identity. Intriguingly, it has given a new insight into several efforts to bring back the ASEAN commitments and actions in creating people-centric regionalism through the ASEAN as one vision, identity, and community. The discussion has also engrossed several measures to strengthen the ASEAN community, as we live under one identity. This podcast episode is expected to bring new perspectives in adopting technology, utilizing the internet and social media to pave the way for strengthening ASEAN identity in the future.

    34 min
  3. 09/09/2021

    Eps. 3 Economic Development in Southeast Asia: Surviving in the Midst of Pandemic

    Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia has experienced enormous economic development in the past few decades as a developing and rising country. It is undeniable that Indonesia possesses several features that situate the country well for advanced economic development. In recent years, the central government has expressed significant support for reducing Indonesia's traditional reliance on commodities exports while increasing the importance of the technology industry in the economy. This third podcast episode of ASEAN PodQuest discuss several economic development issues in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia. This podcast invited Dr. Gedeon Lim from the University of Hong Kong to join the discussion and give several perspectives on the issue related. Dr. Gedeon Lim is a professor and researcher from the University of Hong Kong who focuses on economic development in Indonesia. His main research interests are in development economics with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. His recent projects study how higher remuneration affects political selection and economic development in Indonesian villages and the long-run effects of intergroup contact on the formation of identity politics. This time, the ASEAN PodQuest was conducted by the interns at ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada, they are Kieta Mueller Grace and Martin Quik Alstair from the University of Hong Kong. This discussion start with how the Indonesian economy has developed in recent times and discussing how the pandemic situation affects the stability of economic activity in Southeast Asia region. Not only that, this episode discussed the broad impact of COVID-19 on Indonesia's and Southeast Asia economic development and how to rebuild from its effects. This episode will interestingly give a new insight into how economics has evolved in Indonesia and Southeast Asia as a whole.

    50 min
  4. Eps. 2 Pageant dan Advokasi

    06/21/2021

    Eps. 2 Pageant dan Advokasi

    Umumnya kontes pemilihan ratu kecantikan, seperti Miss Universe, berfokus pada keindahan atau kecantikan, kepribadian, bakat, serta kemampuan peserta kontes dalam menjawab pertanyaan juri yang menjadi kriteria penilaian. Namun, beberapa waktu lalu, ajang kecantikan Miss Universe dimanfaatkan beberapa delegasi untuk mengkampanyekan isu sosial, politik, dan perdamaian. Episode kedua dari ASEAN PodQuest ini mendiskusikan tentang beberapa delegasi Miss Universe yang tak hanya cantik dan percaya diri, namun juga bernyali besar untuk membela kaum-kaum yang tertindas. Dimulai dari Bernadette Belle Ong (Singapura) yang mengangkat isu #StopAsianHate yang belum lama ini menjadi permasalahan serius di Amerika Serikat, tempat dimana Miss Universe diselenggarakan. Kemudian, Lola del los Santos (Uruguay) yang menyuarakan dukungannya pada komunitas LGBTQ+ melalui busana yang bertuliskan “No More Hate, violence, rejection, discrimination”. Namun yang paling mencuri perhatian adalah Thuzar Wint Lwin (Myanmar), yang membawa spanduk bertuliskan “Pray for Myanmar”. Dimana Myanmar saat ini sedang mengalami kekacauan yang disebabkan kudeta militer yang menuai protes masyarakat pro-demokrasi Myanmar. Hingga kini, konflik internal tersebut telah menelan lebih dari 800 korban jiwa, dan tentunya menimbulkan ketegangan di kawasan ASEAN. Fenomena pemanfaatan ajang kecantikan sebagai platform advokasi isu sosial bagi para delegasi ini sangat menarik. Selain itu, hal tersebut dinilai sebagai langkah cerdas untuk menarik kepedulian masyarakat dunia yang tentunya dapat memberikan dampak bagi isu-isu tersebut.

    46 min
  5. Eps. 1 Myanmar Unrest

    06/02/2021

    Eps. 1 Myanmar Unrest

    Since its outbreak in February, the political crisis in Myanmar has yet to come to a halt. Recent reports mention the intensification of civil disobedience despite the deadly crackdown on protesters leading to hundreds of them killed. In such situation, the coup could undermine the stability of democracy and national security, not to mention the clash that is likely to lead to a civil war. Moreover, the regime arrests, harasses, and assaults towards pro-democracy activists for organizing or participating in peaceful demonstrations have the potential to affect regional stability. ASEAN is now facing tremendous pressure by the international community who are criticising it for not issuing a fast enough response, despite the open conflict, aggressive use of force, and violation of human rights happening within its own backyard. Two months after the tensions, ASEAN member states plan to engage in a crisis meeting in the upcoming weeks. With casualties and fatalities rising, member states must act fast. This first episode of ASEAN PodQuest invited Thiha Wint Aung. Thiha was originally trained as a medical doctor with a degree from University of Medicine, Mandalay and he was active in student politics during his university years. In 2019, he studied Master’s degree in Public Policy in National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan. His thesis was on 1962 military coup d’état in Myanmar. After he graduated from GRIPS, he rejoined Forum of Federations as Senior Program Manager. Just like every young people in Myanmar, now he is passionately resisting another military coup d’état that happened on February 2021. His main interests are nation building, South East Asian studies and technology and politics.  This episode is expected to delve into the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and discuss urgent topics related to the recent coup from a human rights perspective.

    1h 3m

About

ASEAN PodQuest is a platform provided by ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada to discuss questions also to answer, also in the same time it's a quest for information, engagement to get more understanding about issues in ASEAN region and member countries.