Best Southeastasia Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 110: Boreth Ly, Art History and Visual Culture, University of California Santa Cruz 56:18

14d ago56:18

56:18

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Boreth Ly, an associate professor of Southeast Asian Art History and Visual Culture at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Ly discusses her research on the black and white photographs of the Sultans of Java as well as the Dutch governors from the colonial era. Transitioning to a postcolonial conte…

1
Episode 109: Nora Taylor, School of the Art Institute of Chicago 54:26

1M ago54:26

54:26

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Nora Taylor, an Alsdorf Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Dr. Taylor discusses her research on contemporary Vietnamese art and the ways in which she has engaged with the paradoxical nature of monuments. She reveals how the Vietnamese public views art p…

1
Democracy Unbound: Free Speech in Indonesia’s New Era with Fatia-Haris 1:14:30

1M ago1:14:30

1:14:30

This episode was recorded in front of an online live audience as part of our Media Freedom Network Legal Briefing activity.This episode was recorded in front of an online live audience as part of our Media Freedom Network Legal Briefing activity. In this episode with Fatia Muliyadiyanti and Haris Azhar we discuss their court victory following their…

1
Episode 108: Hew Wai Weng, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, National University of Malaysia) 49:01

1M ago49:01

49:01

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Hew Wai Weng, a research fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, National University of Malaysia. He is currently a visiting fellow at Cornell University under the Fulbright Malaysia Scholar Program. He discusses the rise of right-wing majoritarianism and the popularity of decolonial…

1
Episode 107: Daniel Whitehouse, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, SOAS 45:45

2M ago45:45

45:45

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Daniel Whitehouse, an ERSC postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, SOAS University of London. Dr. Whitehouse introduces the idea of "network institutions," specifically through Suan Kularb Wittayalai. Suan Kularb Wittayalai is Thailand’s oldest state-administered secondary schoo…

1
Enforced Disappearance in Southeast Asia 48:38

2M ago48:38

48:38

Transparency and accountability and historical awareness are some of the most important pillars of democracy. Historical revisionism is an affront to that democracy. And enforced disappearances, where the police or military or paramilitary forces knock on your door and kidnap you, has always been the bedrock of such revisionism. In this episode wit…

1
[Hot Ones Special] Episode 106: Geronimo Cristobal and Eric Goh, Ph.D. Candidates in History of Art, Cornell University 47:04

3M ago47:04

47:04

Welcome to Spicy SEAP! This final episode of Season 11 is a special edition where we recreate the popular TV show 'Hot Ones', but with a twist—these aren't chicken wings, but spicy Southeast Asian food. Francine is joined by Geronimo Cristobal and Eric Goh, PhD candidates and co-chairs of the SEAP Graduate Student Committee. She asks them about lif…

1
Episode 105: Nicole CuUnjieng Aboitiz, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University 46:48

3M ago46:48

46:48

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Nicole CuUnjieng Aboitiz, a Visiting Scholar at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute of Columbia University. Dr. CuUnjieng Aboitiz examines the fine arts of the Philippines by studying renowned Filipino artist Fernando Amorsolo. She argues that Amorsolo’s landscape and pastoral paintings reveal a deep conne…

1
Episode 104: Viola Lasmana, Department of American Studies, Rutgers University-New Brunswick 33:58

3M ago33:58

33:58

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Viola Lasmana, a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of American Studies at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Emerging Voices Fellow at the American Council of Learned Societies. Dr. Lasmana discussed Southeast Asian feminist practices by examining two experimental documentaries: Children of Srikand…

1
Rights, Refusal, Revolution 53:42

3M ago53:42

53:42

What's the difference between a right and an opportunity in Burma, and how do people resist or refuse the blunt biopolitics employed by its military rulers? In this episode, Elliott Prasse-Freeman, Assistant Professer of Sociology and Anthropology at the National University of Singapore, discusses his new book Rights Refused: Grassroots Activism an…

1
Episode 103: Chanon Kenji Praepipatmongkol, Department of Art History and Communication Studies, McGill University 44:03

3M ago44:03

44:03

In this episode, Francine is joined by Eric Goh, a doctoral candidate from the Department of History of Art and Visual Studies. Together, they interviewed Dr. Chanon Kenji Praepipatmongkol, an Assistant Professor of Contemporary Art at McGill University. Dr. Praepipatmongkol discusses his research in Philippine and Thai modernist art, specifically …

1
Episode 102: Elliott Prasse-Freeman, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, National University of Singapore 54:14

4M ago54:14

54:14

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Elliott Prasse-Freeman, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the National University of Singapore. He discusses the grassroots political activism in Myanmar, recounting his own on the ground experiences with Burmese political activists. He also explains how "rights" are …

1
Engendering Media Freedom 59:46

4M ago59:46

59:46

In this episode, Wai Liang Tham (New Naratif's Researcher) and Avon Ang (Altermidya's National Coordinator) will talk about the 2nd and the 3rd publication of New Naratif’s Media Freedom Insights series titled “Engendering Media Freedom”, the role of Altermidya, and what to expect from New Naratif’s 4th MFI publication. You can also find this podca…

1
Episode 101: Talitha Espiritu, Associate Professor of Film and New Media, Wheaton College 48:30

4M ago48:30

48:30

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Talitha Espiritu, a professor at the Film and New Media department in Wheaton College. She discussed how the fashion designer Christian Espiritu helped create the iconic image of Imelda Marcos dressed in the terno, the traditional women’s formal wear from the Philippines. Dr. Espiritu explains the role of t…

1
Episode 100: Jenny Hedstrom, Department of War Studies and Military History, Swedish Defence University 34:47

4M ago34:47

34:47

In our 100th episode, Francine is joined by Nicole Venker, a doctoral candidate from the Department of Natural Resources. Together, they interviewed Dr. Jenny Hedstrom, who works as an Associate Professor in War Studies at Swedish Defence University. Dr. Hedstrom discussed her research and book, which focuses on women's undervalued work in the hous…

1
Malaysia’s Justice for Sisters on Democratic Participation 1:08:12

5M ago1:08:12

1:08:12

In this episode, Oktaria Asmarani (New Naratif's Researcher) and Thilaga Sulathireh (Justice for Sisters) will talk about the systemic and structural issues that hinder the practice of inclusive democracy in Southeast Asia, the cases in Malaysia, the role of research, and the importance of regional solidarity. You can also find this podcast on our …

1
Unlawful Surveillance in Southeast Asia, Pegasus Case 43:26

5M ago43:26

43:26

This is a special edition of the podcast, the fourth of six episodes in the Pegasus series that New Naratif are co-producing together with KBR. Three episodes will be conducted in English, while three in Bahasa Indonesia, which you can find at Ruang Publik at kbrprime.id. At a time when the use of spyware is becoming increasingly normalised and the…

1
Unmasking the Menace of Pegasus 1:06:14

5M ago1:06:14

1:06:14

This episode was recorded in front of an online live audience as part of our Media Freedom Network Legal Briefing activity. It is also part of our Pegasus Series, a series of podcasts, comics, articles, and other conversations on the Israeli spyware Pegasus and its unlawful applications in Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia. We hope that this…

1
Penyadapan Ilegal di Indonesia, Kasus Pegasus 35:08

5M ago35:08

35:08

This is a special edition of the Southeast Asia Dispatches, the third of six episodes in the Pegasus series that we are co-producing together with KBR. Three episodes will be conducted in English, while three in Bahasa Indonesia, which you can find at Ruang Publik at ⁠⁠KBRPrime.id⁠⁠. In our previous two episodes of Pegasus Series, we discovered tha…

1
Episode 99: Nina Baker Capistrano, Ayala Museum, Philippines 45:37

6M ago45:37

45:37

In this episode, Francine sits down to interview Dr. Nina Baker Capistrano to unpack her lecture "Reinscribing P’u-tuan in the Metanarrative of Early Southeast Asia." During their discussion, Dr. Capistrano describes the significance and implications of material evidence from P'u-tuan and neighboring cultures, which grant us insight into early inte…

1
Thailand's Press by the People 48:12

6M ago48:12

48:12

We’ve covered the political situation in Thailand before in this podcast – a constant struggle between pro-democracy factions and former royalist powers. Although there are members of the press on both sides, the idea and maintenance of press freedom itself remains a challenge, especially since the 2014 military coup. In this episode, we're talking…

1
Episode 98: Van Nguyen Marshall, Department of History, Trent University 43:01

6M ago43:01

43:01

In this episode of the Gatty Lecture Rewind podcast, Francine is joined by guest host, Sarah Meiners, a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at Cornell University. Together, they interviewed Dr. Nguyen Marshall, who unpacked her lecture titled, "Between War and the State: Civil Society in South Vietnam, 1954-1975" which is inspired by he…

1
Episode 97: Lisandro Claudio, Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies, UC Berkeley 34:31

6M ago34:31

34:31

In this episode of the Gatty Lecture Rewind podcast, Dr. Claudio unpacks his lecture titled, "Imperialism and the Formation of Good Governance Discourse in the Philippines: The Case Study of the Philippine National Bank in the 1920s." He explains how the Philippine National Bank (PNB) fell into crisis—not because of corruption, but because of a pos…

1
The Citizens' Agenda Indonesia 50:22

6M ago50:22

50:22

The Citizens’ Agenda is a space for citizens to express their concerns and increase their political participation. In general, it is a survey aimed at creating a space for citizens to express their concerns and increase their political participation. Your concerns will then be used to guide our democracy classes and media coverage to create pathway…

1
Episode 96: Vicente Rafael, Department of History, University of Washington (Featuring Lila Shahani) 45:36

6M ago45:36

45:36

In this episode of the Gatty Lecture Rewind podcast, Vicente Rafael, his wife Lila Shahani, and guest host Geronimo Christobal join Francine to unpack Professor Rafael's lecture titled, "The Authoritarian Imaginary: Intimacy and the Autoimmune Community in the Contemporary Philippines." Tune in to gain insights into the making of his latest book Th…

1
Baptizing Burma and Religious Change 41:54

7M ago41:54

41:54

Christianity is a hugely important minority religion in Myanmar and many Christians there follow the Baptist denomination. In a new book, Dr. Alex Kaloyanides, Associate Professor in Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, looks at the Baptist mission to Burma through a number of holy objects, from 1813 until 2013. In th…

1
Cambodia’s Media Clampdown 37:46

7M ago37:46

37:46

In February 2023, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the closure of one of the country's last independent local news outlets, Voice of Democracy (VOD), saying it had attacked him and his son and caused damage to the country. VOD is one of the few independent and vital media outlets left in Cambodia since the media crackdown circa 2017-2018. S…

1
The Threats of Anti Terror Law in The Philippines 44:02

7M ago44:02

44:02

In July 2022, Jasmin Rubia, Kenneth Rementilla, and Hailey Pecayo took part in a fact-finding mission to look into the alleged murder of Kylene Casao, a 9-year-old girl, and Maximino Digno, a 50-year-old farmer, by members of the 59th Infantry Battalion on July 18 in Taysan, Batangas. Later, the military stated that people who took part in the fact…

1
Episode 95: Meredith Weiss, Department of Political Science, University at Albany, SUNY 47:36

7M ago47:36

47:36

In this episode of the Gatty Lecture Rewind podcast, Dr. Weiss sits down to unpack her lecture titled, "Decline and Fall of Malaysia’s Dominant-Party System." The episode discusses Malaysia's 15th general election in November 2022 that ended the country's dominant-party system. Listen now to learn more about the election results' political implicat…

1
The Struggle to End Child Immigration Detention in Malaysia 57:10

8M ago57:10

57:10

Based on April 2023 figures from the Home Ministry, a total of 1,030 children, 43% of whom are girls, are currently being held in 19 immigration detention centres across Malaysia. Two-thirds of these are unaccompanied and separated children. There are alternatives to detention that ensures proper administration of migration in kinder, more successf…

1
Pegasus Spyware di Indonesia 1:03:14

8M ago1:03:14

1:03:14

This is a special edition of the Southeast Asia Dispatches, the first of six episodes in the Pegasus series that we are co-producing together with KBR. Three episodes will be conducted in English, while three in Bahasa Indonesia, which you can find at Ruang Publik at ⁠KBRPrime.id⁠. Pegasus Spyware has been used in over 24 countries throughout the w…

1
Talking Along the Integral Margin 44:25

8M ago44:25

44:25

Myanmar rulers and foreign experts often describe the country's economic reforms in the period following 2010 in glowing terms. In the book, Along the Integral Margin: Uneven Development in a Myanmar Squatter Settlement, author Stephen Campbell, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Sciences at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, tak…

1
Pegasus Spyware in Southeast Asia 55:40

8M ago55:40

55:40

This is a special edition of the Southeast Asia Dispatches, the first of six episodes in the Pegasus series that we are co-producing together with KBR. Three episodes will be conducted in English, while three in Bahasa Indonesia, which you can find at Ruang Publik at KBRPrime.id. In 2022, iLaw, Digital Reach, and The Citizen Lab discovered a large-…

1
The CDM Two Years On 37:08

8M ago37:08

37:08

What is the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and how does it sustain itself, after more than two years of existence as a revolutionary strategy? What are the expectations and challenges felt by CDM participants, who refuse to work for military-ruled institutions in Myanmar? Samuel Hmung, PhD Student at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs…

1
Digital Security Support in Thai Protests 1:02:56

9M ago1:02:56

1:02:56

Thailand’s political situation has been rather tumultuous for a while. What began as pro-democracy marches by students in February 2020 expanded into endless protests against the pro-military administration, and has become the first time in modern Thai history that the monarchy has been discussed openly in a critical manner, despite the fact that d…

1
2023 Economic Update 46:25

9M ago46:25

46:25

Dr. Jared Bissinger, an independent development economist, talks off the back of his participation at the 2023 ANU Myanmar Update about the state of the Myanmar economy in 2023. Although some economic indicators have settled somewhat from the post-coup chaos, nearly all sectors appear to be in economic decline, and the ruling State Administration C…

1
A Tale of Queer Migration in Indonesia 1:04:30

10M ago1:04:30

1:04:30

This episode is based on their short comic trilogy called “The Rites of Passage: A Tale of Queer Migration” by Asmara S. Wigati. In this episode, Asmara and Bonni discusses the trilogy, Asmara’s journey, and how we can build better connections and collective care for queer people in Indonesia. You can check the trilogy through the link below: 1. Se…

1
Queerphobia in Indonesia's Newsrooms 27:48

10M ago27:48

27:48

In general, the national media in Indonesia either ignores LGBTQ+ issues or does not cover them at all. Otherwise, when they publish such content, they are blatantly reflecting hate and discrimination through the language, choice of sources, and use of news frames. In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan and Widia Primastika will talk about the queerpho…

1
The Principles of Democracy 57:00

11M ago57:00

57:00

In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan and PJ Thum will be talking about New Naratif’s upcoming Principles of Democracy project and what it takes to build a democracy. In the upcoming months, we’ll be publishing a series of articles on principles of democracy, illustrated through concrete examples from Southeast Asia, showing how Southeast Asians defin…

1
Managing the Cost of Living in Malaysia 59:46

11M ago59:46

59:46

The start of the new decade in 2020 was devastating and demoralising for many Malaysians. Millions of Malaysians' quality of life has been drastically lowered by the pandemic, political and economic crisis, and flood. The present social protection system in Malaysia has been stretched to its breaking point by the extraordinary scope and severity of…

1
Trans Healthcare in Indonesia 43:20

11M ago43:20

43:20

On May 18th, we released an episode talking about Indonesia’s new Health Bill that is currently being proposed. The Indonesian government has been criticised for their hasty process and lack of access to information for the public. It’s problematic, to say the least, and while some activists are seeing opportunities for reform in this Bill, its pot…

1
Enabling Filipino Children to Dream in Colour 49:12

11M ago49:12

49:12

Through their initiatives, FundLife, a purpose-driven not for profit organisation in the Philippines, is committed to improving this situation. They aim to establish educational and employment pathways for Philippines underprivileged youth so that they can achieve their full potential. In this episode we will be talking about how the most marginali…

1
Episode 94: Phi Hong Su, Department of Sociology, Williams College 37:51

11M ago37:51

37:51

In this episode of the Gatty Lecture Rewind podcast, Dr. Su sits down to unpack her lecture titled, "The Border Within: Vietnamese Migrants Transforming Ethnic Nationalism in Berlin." The episode delves into the divide between Northern Vietnamese and Southern Vietnamese populations in Germany after its reunification in 1975. Beyond going over the c…

1
Uncle Olive, the Opium Queen of Kokang 43:30

12M ago43:30

43:30

Gabrielle Palluch, author of The Opium Queen: The Untold Story of the Rebel Who Ruled the Golden Triangle, published by Rowman & Littlefield, joins the show to discuss the remarkable life of Olive Yang. Born in the Kokang region in the 1920s, Uncle Olive was an enigmatic and influential figure in the history of her ancestral region: brother and sis…

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Episode 93: Risa Toha, Department of Political Science, Wake Forest University 40:35

11M ago40:35

40:35

On this week's episode, Francine sits down with Dr. Risa Toha, assistant professor of Political Science at Wake Forest University, to unpack her Gatty Lecture titled, "Can National Identity Trump Ethnic Favoritism? Experimental Evidence from Singapore." Throughout the episode, Francine and Mutty propose questions to Dr. Toha about her experiment de…

1
The Fight for Reproductive Rights in Indonesia 55:10

12M ago55:10

55:10

Earlier this month, the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the government continued the legislative process of the Health Bill.The rapidity with which the government and the House of Representatives drafted the Health Bill has drawn criticism, as has the public's lack of access to information In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan will ta…

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Episode 92: Lina Chhun, Department of American Studies, University of Texas at Austin 53:16

12M ago53:16

53:16

On this week's episode, Francine sits down with Linna Chhun, Assistant Professor of American Studies at University of Texas - Austin, to unpack her first book manuscript Walking with the Ghost that analyzes memories of the Cambodian Genocide (1975-79) through the lens of personal and familial narratives. Join us for a thrilling conversation on auto…

1
The Struggles of Refugees in Malaysia 53:00

12M ago53:00

53:00

In Peninsular Malaysia there are over one hundred and eighty thousand refugees. Regardless of origin or identity, they all run into the same core problem of legal recognition. Malaysian authorities treat refugees as illegal, as there are no laws relating to their status. How do you expect to have a democracy when there are that many people not bein…

1
Episode 91: Sean Fear, School of History, University of Leeds 52:01

12M ago52:01

52:01

On this week's episode, Francine welcomes Dr. Sean Fear from Leeds University's School of History to unpack his virtual lecture, "Assessing Saigon's "Year of Sand": the 1968 Tet Offensive and Rise and Fall of South Vietnam's Second Republic". Stay tuned to hear Dr. Fear share his work which sheds new light on the South Vietnamese government, the ro…

1
Myanmar’s New Feminist Narrative 46:56

1y ago46:56

46:56

In this episode, Bonnibel Rambatan and Thet Wai talks about Myanmar's New Feminist Narrative and Wai's experiences as a feminist activist in Myanmar. Thet Wai is a gender rights researcher at New Naratif currently leading our Democratic Participation research. She has spent more than ten years working with different marginalised groups in Myanmar f…

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